Carb icing ... The facts.

[chopper]

its coming up regular again so to save unnecessary threads ill get some info going here.

carb icing normally happens at temps of +4 to 0 degrees, it can happen at higher temps but normally it will need fog or mist to happen in the +8 to +4 range.
once its actually freezing out the problem tends to go away as the moisture entering the airbox freezes and goes to the bottom of the air-box instead of entering the carbs.
there's some realy good vids of the process happening on a vmax owned by biker.ie member johnpclynch


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and


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symptoms are typically rough running which gradually gets worse until you have to stop,then bike wont start or struggles to start but if left for 5 mins its back to normal, goes great again but 5 mins or so on an open road and it starts loosing speed gradually again.
lads generally suspect dirt in carbs or a dodgy coil breaking down under heat
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a post from mosquito today is very typical of the posts about the subject in the workshop section
entitled " speed dropping"

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Originally Posted by mosquito

Well lads,

Having abit of trouble, seems when I'm traveling steadily at 60 to 70 after a few mins the bike would just suddenly out of nowhere drop down to 55-45 and there would be no encouraging it to pick up speed again it just keeps going down gradually so I'd drop her down to forth still no go, so I pull into the hard shoulder and pull in the clutch and then it will just die, and is a cunt to get going again and it's never usually hard to start.. Happened to me about four times on Friday.

The weird thing is I could drive around for hours on roads that I have to keep altering my speed and it wouldn't happen but on a straight line for five ten minutes it will happen without fail..

Any ideas to what the problem is? Minor/Major?

Thanks in advance lads
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............................................................ ............................................
the cure....
many manufacturers tried various carb mods , some better than others but none were perfect. the kwackers suffered badly from it thus they modded them by feeding warm coolant to the underside of the float bowls but the skinny pipes and filter often stop the flow so it lets the bike down.
suzuki tried the stupid electrical carb heating method and i doubt it ever worked right .
one thing that definitely does work is silkolene pro fst . the stuffs great and if you suspect carb icing get some straight away .
heres what silkolene have to say.........

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genuine posts of help/queries will be left on this thread ,all the rest will be cleaned out every few weeks .
hope this was of help.
chopper

[2strokey]

excellent post , great vids there
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based on fact too (which is nice )
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never ever ever had it happen ........ ever !


must get a kwacker see what its like
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[ridelikeaturtle]

Originally Posted by chopper

...
suzuki tried the stupid electrical carb heating method and i doubt it ever worked right
...

FWIW, my curvy SV650S is so equipped (with electric carb heating elements), and it has never suffered from carb icing... whereas my VFR400 NC30, ZX9R C1, and ZXR400 all had terrible carb icing issues.

[Duke 78]

thanks chopper
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[Jonny-c]

Originally Posted by 2strokey

excellent post , great vids there
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based on fact too (which is nice )
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never ever ever had it happen ........ ever !


must get a kwacker see what its like
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im disapointed with the post

it takes the mystery out of it

[NXR]

nice one chopper
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good idea & thread

[mosquito]

Good man Chop.

[mylessheehy]

Very intresting read!
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[evoblade]

that write up on silkolene is quite a good read
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i have the perfect bike to try this on,ill report back what happens

[chopper]

Originally Posted by evoblade

that write up on silkolene is quite a good read
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i have the perfect bike to try this on,ill report back what happens

try what on
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[corkgsxr]

this might help people.


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supposed to tell ys when your likely to get carb icing

[evoblade]

Originally Posted by chopper

try what on
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the silkolene stuff,1 o the bikes has been a pig to start recently and stalled on the rare occasion but cant find any particular reason,ill give it a go hopefully that sorts it

[chopper]

Originally Posted by evoblade

the silkolene stuff,1 o the bikes has been a pig to start recently and stalled on the rare occasion but cant find any particular reason,ill give it a go hopefully that sorts it

what bike?

[evoblade]

Originally Posted by chopper

what bike?

the silver bros 650,carbs are spotless,clearances are bang on,good strong spark,loads of compression,good battery(left on trickle when not in use),just acts the bollox if its left for a day or 2,once it fires up there's no bother on it and if i use it everyday its grand but on 2 different occasions ive drove maybe 2-3 miles and it'd be runnin grand then stop at the lights it stalled,take a few cranks to get it going then she'd be spot on

[chopper]

Originally Posted by evoblade

the silver bros 650,carbs are spotless,clearances are bang on,good strong spark,loads of compression,good battery(left on trickle when not in use),just acts the bollox if its left for a day or 2,once it fires up there's no bother on it and if i use it everyday its grand but on 2 different occasions ive drove maybe 2-3 miles and it'd be runnin grand then stop at the lights it stalled,take a few cranks to get it going then she'd be spot on

no harm throwing in a bit of the fst anyway
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[carbon]

great post, i reacon im suffering with this at the mo, pretty hard to start in freezing weather. cheers
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[joe mc gonagle]

good post, how common is it and is carb icing often blamed for other problems?
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[chopper]

Originally Posted by joe mc gonagle

good post, how common is it and is carb icing often blamed for other problems?
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common enough, not realy blamed for other probs as its a very quick fix/cure. bit of fst into tank.

id suspect theres a lot out there that pay for other work to be done when its actualy carb icing .

[joe mc gonagle]

Originally Posted by chopper

common enough, not realy blamed for other probs as its a very quick fix/cure. bit of fst into tank.

id suspect theres a lot out there that pay for other work to be done when its actualy carb icing .

cheers
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[ArtoDelSoreArse]

good stuff
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probably still get lads asking why their bike dies in cowld weather though
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