carb icing

[cathawhitt]

what are the chances of a bike failing due to this problem at the moment during winter?

[cagiva gezzer]

If it's a stroker with a large carb and modified air box, then rather high.
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"because one stroke isnt enough and four strokes waste two"

[dodsi]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Tends to mainly be a problem in cold damp weather (eg, fog), and at speed.

Not sure I would say a bike would "fail" because of it. They tend to make the bike run badly, especially at low revs. Very likely to stall. But when left idling, or run slowly for a while (or even just left stopped) it will clear fairly quickly.

Carb icing is caused by the cold air going through the carb and taking the fuel from the float bowl (which takes a hell of a lot of heat with it from the carb). This results in the carb being so cold that the moisture in the intake air starts to condense and freeze, normally around the attomiser tube.

All the best

Keith
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[dodsi]

Too add to this, it happend to me on the A1 down to squires I had been riding the bike trouble free for 40/50 mins then it began.

Every slight movement of the throttle and the bike would "bog down" and then pick up. sort of splutter around.

Then I had to pull over where it back fired and cut out, I then re-started the bike let it warm to 80/90 c and it was fine after that.

Also did it yesterday on the road back from my aunts in gargrave.

Awfull thing, the temprature drops then it begins.

[dodsi]

Throw your bike off a cliff.

[Andy C]

[dodsi]

[Kickstart]

[dodsi]

Took me a "special" day to experiance it.

[wristjob]

there is a school of thought about warming the engine before abusing it.
my bike has carb heaters that warm a small pecentage of the carbs.this wont stop carb ice problems on the move.
the fact is that letting the engine get warm at standstill will allow some heatsoak into all parts and will inhibit carb iceing.also gives you somewhere to heat your gloves up.
if its really cold and really damp then you are fucked.but yuo should be on the bus or in your car

[Jrod]

I get it quite often but that's because I don't warm my bike up. I just take it easy.

It's really annoying when you are going really slowly as the road is icey and it starts cutting out, you know you cant open throttle as if it kicks in it will spin up the rear.

[dodsi]

Yes this does help.

I warm my bike up EVERY time I take it out, and am very carefull with it before its warmed up fully.

Now I have to be riding a while for the carbs to "cool down" a lot before the torture will begin.

Once you let it warm right back up again, its ok for a while.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Warming the bike up does help (as can blanking part of the radiator off to help it get warm), but not a total cure.

My old FZ750 was a pain for icing the carbs. Generally fine for the first 5 miles or so until I got into a decent NSL zone at which point it would start to misbehave within a few minutes.

You could see the fuel gauge more downwards! Dropped from 45mpg to 25mpg.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[sickpup]

I think carb icing happens a lot less than people on this forum seem (to me at least) believe.

The closest I've seen to a good explanation of carb icing is Kickstarts post above but it isn't technically correct (as I understand it) although very close.

[allweatherbik...]

I have GS500 which gave me problems last winter cutting out etc.
The same problems are happening this year so I have been advised to use Silkolene FST petrol additive which I have put in at a ratio of 100:1. So far the problem hasn't reoccured but I am still waiting for a really cold morning before I could say if its helped or not.



Ian

[mad hatter]

I use silkene Pro FST to stop my carb freezing up.
I would recommed it.

[Saint Matt]

My SV is quite bad for it, one of the mechanics at work said I could use a fuel system cleaner, which I did, and it worked I think they are cheaper than the proper additives too.

[Kickstart]

[jonnay]

Is this possible on 2t's? My NSR dies when its cold (even when the engine temperature is up), and I don't know what it is. It's still rideable, and only happens after I've been going fast - if I'm pottering about it's fine

Don't know if the carb would even be big enough for this to happen on the little 125?

This thread's been an education for me, I'd always assumed that ZXRs were injection Learn something every day!
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::'04 Yamaha Jog:: || ::'01 Honda NSR:: || ::'00 Suzuki Swift:: || ::'89 Swift GTi:: || ::'96 Swift Poverty Spec:: || ::'92 Swift GTi::

[carvell]

Probably worth noting that hardly any bikes have fuel injection. A few select older ones and the bigger newer ones only.
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Yamaha TDM 850

[dodsi]

double post.

[dodsi]

[mrchips]

All my bikes have carb iced warm or cold
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[Jack_Cheese]