Are my carbs icing up?

[Tigerlily]

I took mine out yesterday for it's first proper run this year and I noticed a problem after riding for a while. The engine didn't stall (but it felt like it was going to) I just had no power when pulling away from lights/junctions and I had to rev it quite hard before it'd go anywhere.

Could this be valve clearances or does it sound more like the carbs icing up?

[dean]

my experience of carb ice used to be a lot of backfiring when the throttle was off. An excellent remedy was silkolene pro fst. Worked a treat for me.

[Tigerlily]

Hmmmmmmm, no backfiring.......... it might be worth giving it some Silkolene stuff tho.....can't hurt can it!




..........anyone else got any thoughts/ experiences?

[A Yerbury]

were you occasionally firing on one cylinder? The symptoms that icing produce fall under "poor running" spluttering, popping not biting that kind of thing...put some silky in and I choose a hotter plug an 8 as opposed to a 9. I found it worse in cool damp weather as opposed to just cold. The fst really does work and its about 8 quid a bottle and lasts for 10-12 tankfulls. Try switching your carb warmers on, there is some debate about how useful they are tho, mine were at the on position in line with the hoses but I hear some are on at 90 degrees? for more info stick carb icing into the forum search or wwwwwwww search but octane booster (silk pro fst and others) is pretty much standard practice for icing on any carbed engine.

[stef]

also sounds like my bike sometimes..
i put it down to carb icing, as it only happens in cold weather. just stop on the side of the road, let it stands 5mins, and start again. should clear it if its carb icing. but the additive is definitely a good idea.

[nik_the_brief]

Sounds exactly like the carb icing symptoms mine suffered from (in the pre-Pro-FST days!).

Do what Yerbs says (not something you'll see on many threads here! - only joking me old mucker I got that ignition lock for £1 thanks to your tip off) and get a bottle. Mine's not displayed those symptoms all winter since I started on the Pro FST and it used to be awful - especially on cold damp days. :lol:

[A Yerbury]

well done ntb, just got an entire loom for 15 quid -not that I need one as such but its a peace of mind..and I'm 90 percent closer to a standard headlamp for a fiver (vs 150 new!?) I have my uses.
Alex.

[Tigerlily]

Thanks for the tips guys xx. I'll give them a go!


Alex....I've never heard of carb warmers! I'll see if I can find it/them :D

[madhatter]

Alex....I've never heard of carb warmers! I'll see if I can find it/them :D

Have you had the tank up recently? I thought I was suffering from the same icy-carb problem and when I lifted the tank up I saw that I'd kinked one of the fuel pipes the last time I put it back down. It seemed to run fine until you gave it full throttle at high-speed, then it just died off. When I spluttered to the side of the road I had to crank the hell out of the throttle to get it to fire again!

Just one more option Tigerlily, Mr Yerbs incredible cosmic knowledge is probably more likely to be correct!! :eek:

[A Yerbury]

you guys! shucks!

[Tigerlily]

Thanks Madhatter......we had the tank up on Saturday, so I'll check the fuel pipes for kinks too. It was fine a high speed.....it just didn't want to pull away after being stopped, come to think of it, it did feel as though there was no fuel getting through......hmmmmm.......

[Rabbit]

Have you had the tank up recently?

Oh here we go. It will all be my fault now because I had the tank up on Saturday night to fit the Optimate connectors to the battery :eek:


btw, we know how to live it up don't we? Motorcycle maintenance on a Saturday night.

[Tigerlily]

btw, we know how to live it up don't we? Motorcycle maintenance on a Saturday night.




What was that bang I just heard :confused: ............Oh it's OK it's just our street-cred plummeting down to the ground!!!

[martyns]

I was backfiring and running on one cylinder last winter, took it in to Daytona Motorcycles three times before the suggested Silkolene Pro FST, which fixed it instantly and permanently. Don't you just love proper service from a proper Ducati service centre!

I should have come to this forum and saved a whole buch of time and money.