Shape Of Things To Come?

[scrumpster]

Well out came the bike this morning as it does every morning. This morning, however, was cold and damp. My bike has been running like a dream, not this morning though. She coughed and spluttered and conked out on me several times on the short journey to work.

Is this the start of yet another tormenting winter on my bike :( Two guys at work just happened to mention 'how's the bike'? today, and after telling them my tale, they both said 'it's running too rich'. Now I think you lot know by now that I am no spanner, so what do you think?

She starts first time, without the choke - and even this is odd according to certain people I speak to.

Answers on a postcard??? :rolleyes:

[stuartg]

Well out came the bike this morning as it does every morning. This morning, however, was cold and damp. My bike has been running like a dream, not this morning though. She coughed and spluttered and conked out on me several times on the short journey to work.

Is this the start of yet another tormenting winter on my bike :( Two guys at work just happened to mention 'how's the bike'? today, and after telling them my tale, they both said 'it's running too rich'. Now I think you lot know by now that I am no spanner, so what do you think?

She starts first time, without the choke - and even this is odd according to certain people I speak to.

Answers on a postcard??? :rolleyes:

Mmm, I'm no expert but the fact it needs no choke would suggest it is running rich.

[Didge]

Sounds like the dreaded carb iceing. It doesn't need to be freezing cold, just cold and damp for your carbs to ice up. When it starts to misbehave, pull over & stop the engine. Wait about 2 minutes, fire it up, & it will run ok for a short while. This will confirm it. You can buy Petrol additive to stop it, and I'm sure someone on here will give you the name of it, as I can't remember.

[Paranoid Dave]

fst pro, cant remember who makes it.

[Lost Again]

Silkolene make it I think. Could be wrong though.

If it's starting without the choke in the mornings it does suggest it might be running a bit rich.

[scrumpster]

fst pro, cant remember who makes it.


I got some in my garage, was told it shouldn't really be needed if bike set up properly. Now I discovered (well I didn't actually discover it, someone else did) I have a carb heater on the bike, maybe I should now switch it on - but have also heard things about these that aren't good? :confused: Cheers though, what other forum is so friendly - I reckon we'd win any poll going? :)

[nik_the_brief]

Carb heaters are (apparently) pretty useless - but switch it on anyway.

Carbed Monster owners who ride in the winter swear by Silkolene Pro FST (available from all good - and some feckin awful- bike dealers/garages throughout the UK).

Sounds exactly like carb icing to me, I get it every year and most (if not all carbed Monnies suffer from it to one degree or another). Italian bikes ya see, not used to proper English weather!!

Didge is right, the cold damp weather (especially fog) is when you are most likely to suffer from it. It can be as warm as 10 degrees and you can still get mild carb icing if it's humid enough! I started using it a couple of tanks of fuel ago when my bike started coughing and farting on me on a chilly ride home. I will continue to use it throughout the winter now as it's often foggy down here by the coast.

It's stood me in good stead even in blizzard conditions last year when I had to ride home in 6" of snow.

[A Yerbury]

yup. a few degress above freezing the pressure drop in the carbs freezes the water into tiny droplets. It wont happen in very cold weather as all the moisture in the air has frozen and settled as frost. I also use hotter plugs in winter, I have had experts say they should make no difference but it does seem to...a lot. dpr9ea8 as opposed to dpr9ea9.

[nik_the_brief]

As for plugs I've got extra whizzy Iridium ones.

They're greeeat as Tony the Tiger would say.

Not sure if they make any difference in the winter but they certainly improved cold starting when I put them in this autumn.

[Mark Walker]

I think I have a carb heater which wasn't switched on last year and had a few problems getting it started, keeping it running and that sort of thing. Service by Louigi Moto in April and he tells me about this little switch I have that should have been on - didn't even knoe it was there.....Doh! But this year, so far, things have been much better....still a bit sluggish to start yesterday after not being ridden for a week, but much better than last year....which suggest the carb heater has some effect, even if not perfect.......

[Zimbo]

Pro FST should cure it, an alternative is Wynns Dry Fuel, which is available in Halfords if Pro FST is difficult to track down

[scrumpster]

Right, I have Pro FST in my garage I believe.............somewhere, and I will switch my carb heater on and see what happens :) Saying that, yesterday morning, dry and mild, bike fine, coming home from work, slightly damp and cold, spluttered a bit again, although didn't cut out. I suppose I could always move to Italy :p Hmmmmm now there's a thought!

[Jim66a]

If I had a carb heater on my bike, where would the switch be?

[Nonnie]

I suppose I could always move to Italy :p Hmmmmm now there's a thought!

Can I come too? It's nice there.

Hope Munch gets sorted soon me love.