Running when cold.

[spence]

Hi I'm new to this site and Ducati's, have a M900 dark .

I have a carb warming kit fitted but in the current temperatures I don't seem to be able to get the bike to running temperature that easily, I am using it from central London to Heathrow daily and am lucky if it's warm by the time I park up.

Is this the norm? Any suggestions

[nik_the_brief]

Yes.

Silkolene Pro FST is the stuff you need. A good slosh of the stuff into your tank each time you fill up will stop any carb icing problems.

Available from most good (and some bloody awful) motorcycle shops and retailers.

Hope this helps.

[stuartg]

Hi I'm new to this site and Ducati's, have a M900 dark .

I have a carb warming kit fitted but in the current temperatures I don't seem to be able to get the bike to running temperature that easily, I am using it from central London to Heathrow daily and am lucky if it's warm by the time I park up.

Is this the norm? Any suggestions

Hi Spence, welcome to the site.
It does seem your bike is suffering carb icing. Even with the oil warming kit fitted it still happens.
For fear of sounding patronising is the valve open that operates the carb warming system?

[spence]

Hi,
yep valve is open and no offence taken, took the bike to Rosso Corse last week and it's had a complete service so am hoping it's cos the air temp has been hovering around 0 this week. I don't have any trouble starting it though.

Just hope I can find a solution.

[nik_the_brief]

Air temp around 0 degrees (and even up to about 10 or so) is when you're most likely to suffer from carb icing problems. Particularly when it's damp too - fog is the worst. Apparently the water in the air freezes when passing through the carbs which act like little cooling units and causes all your problems - coughing, spluttering, satlling when at idle, sometimes the engine revvings its nuts off too.

If you do a search (for carb icing) on this site you'll find many, many threads about exactly this problem.

Like I said, the only cure that seems to work for all is the Pro FST I mentioned - it costs just under a tenner a bottle. It works for mine even in freezing fog.

[gary tompkins]

I think 900's always struggle to reach a decent temperature in winter, due to being over cooled by the oil cooler. I don't think the system has a thermostat fitted, and if that's the case would be chilling the engine before it got a chance to build up any real heat? Even the early 600/750 run too cold IMO - and that's without an oil cooler!

I recently fittted a oil temperature guage to mine. It struggles even after a run of 50+ miles to get much above 65 Deg C at the moment, compared to 80-90 Dec C in the summer. I was going to play about with blanking off some of the cooler with gaffa tape to see what effect it had, but still it's on the things to do list. An aftermarket thermostat or cooler with one built in (Goodridge or Mocal for ex..) may be the only real solution?

It's also the reason for condensation build up and milky oil syndrome, as the engine never gets hot enough in winter to boil off the water trapped in the oil.

[gwyndaff]

I think I might be suffering from carb icing because my bikes giving me gip at the moment - As I'm riding, It feels as if the engine is "bogging down" then the bike stalls and its very difficult to start again - Does this sound like carb icing(forgive my ignorance but I've never had any problems over the last 7 years)

Another thing - I'd like to check if the valve that operates the carb warming system is open - where is this located?

Cheers for any help
Gwyndaff

[Pedro]

Gyndaff

does yours have an oil cooler? Didn't hink 600s with no cooler had a tap, just a straight connection.

I've never thought the carb warmers were much cop so I always warm the bike well before riding - ticks the neighbours off no end! Try some FST though, never used it but it seems to have a good rep.

Ped

[Tigerlily]

My 600's got a tap on it.

I only found it recently and I don't know which way is "on" and "off" but it's definitely got one! :)

[stuartg]

My 600's got a tap on it.

I only found it recently and I don't know which way is "on" and "off" but it's definitely got one! :)

Not all 600's had the carb icing kit fitted. Mine had one but I took it off following the fitting of Keihin carbs, which incidently dont suffer from carb icing.

The tap is located at the front of the frame near where the horn is located. You can follow the oil pipe up from the right front of the engine and you will find the tap. Not sure which way is on or off but it should be fairly obvious when the engine is warm ifthe pipes are warm after the tap then its on and vice versa.

I'll take a look later as I might have my old kit in the garage, if so if anyone can make use of it they can have it.

[gary tompkins]

Should anyone want to take up Stuarts kind offer, I also have fitting instructions somewhere for the kit I installed on my 600?

Oh... and the tap is in the off position when it's at right angles to the tap body and oil lines ;)

[benson]

Aha - how I hate the look of nasty mayonnaise oil and I'm sure it can't be all that healthy for my poor old bike... :worried:

SO - when I was last in Rosso Corse, Ray did a neat little heating it up trick with a small blow torch thingy (like the one I have for making creme brulee - do not mock !!!!!) :p

So there we are - silkolene pro FST and a blow torch - winter sucks!!!!:thumbsup:

[Lady-Bob]

My 600's got a tap on it.

I only found it recently and I don't know which way is "on" and "off" but it's definitely got one! :)

I have a heater too.... but whichever way the tap is, it don't work very well. I still pu Silkolene FST in the tank. And a good shot of Shell Advanced when I can afford it! that combination usually does the trick after a couple of good backfires it clears it's throat!!

[750sser]

Hadf a very similar problem with my 750 SS, cured it by running a hotter plug. DPR9 is the recomended, a DPR8 sorted the problem.
Bellisimo

[manwithredbike]

i took mine on an early morning 60 mile trip last week. temp was around 5 - 6 degrees c and it was a damp morning. i had just serviced it about 3 weeks previously. after about 25 miles of the bike spluttering and me ****ing and cnuting and bastarding i had decided to sell and buy a nice reliable jap bike. then i pulled over to check for a loose plug lead or something obvious. someone had turned the carb heater tap off!! the rest of the trip was ... ahhhhh - what a brilliant wee bike, aren't i so lucky.
so, there u r, the carb heater works on mine.

[Zimbo]

What exactly is the problem Spence? Is it carb icing, or does it run fine but just not seem to get up to temperature? Your original post suggests the latter.
If you're worried about it, blank the oil cooler radiator off in cold weather, that should sort it out. Personally I don't worry about it too much.
If it is carb icing then Silkolene Pro FST will solve it (but won't make the oil run any warmer!!!).

[Stuart42]

Phew! thats a relief.Have just ridden into work and had same problems,of course being new to me I thought I'd bought a pup,fingers crossed I haven't.

On the subject of tanks can someone tell me how many litres a 750 tank holds please as I haven't got a handbook and I was surprised that I ran out after only 90 miles,does this sound right?

Thanks for your help

Cheers
Stuart