A problem that has perplexed the experts! part 2

[Calvin Morris]

Thanks for the great advice before. I've been adding the PRO FST to the petrol since it was recommended, however today is the first really cold day and although the problem isn't as bad, it kept dying on me at the lights (living in London that is every 10m) and the prob seemed to get slightly worse after riding for a while. I would've thought it would get better?

Should I up the PRO FST dosage, I've been adding about 2% to the fuel (so the max it recommends)?

Any advice welcome, as it's very frustrating and I don't want to go through the same winter as last year!?

C :confused:

[Diego]

Try adding some more in first instance. I used to chuck about 200 ml and more in my 600 on the cold days.

When is the last time you had the bike serviced?

[Calvin Morris]

had it serviced less than 2 weeks ago, was running great. I've added about 300ml to a 15L fill up.......

[Martin C]

Thanks for the great advice before. I've been adding the PRO FST to the petrol since it was recommended, however today is the first really cold day and although the problem isn't as bad, it kept dying on me at the lights (living in London that is every 10m) and the prob seemed to get slightly worse after riding for a while. I would've thought it would get better?

Should I up the PRO FST dosage, I've been adding about 2% to the fuel (so the max it recommends)?

Any advice welcome, as it's very frustrating and I don't want to go through the same winter as last year!?

C :confused:

I don't see why this stuff would be needed at all - I've never used it in any carburetted bike, nor in my injected ST4, even in sub-zero riding - and my early 900 Monster doesn't have the inlet heaters. In London traffic (I remember it well - yuk), I'd expect a bike's engine to be warm enough anyway - I suggest you get the tickover settings re-checked.

Mind you, there's always a chance that dodgy Italian wiring to coils/etc is getting corroded, with colder, damp weather being the 'final straw' that reveals the problem.

[Unit 18]

May I just point out that yes you can and do get carb ice. It can be very bad on Ducati's due to the carbs being mounted on long, rough inlets. The heat from the engine doesn't really reach the carbs and using the engine oil to heat the carbs wasn't the best idea that Ducati ever had. If you get icing and stop the engine for a while, the heat from the engine, and the fact that without the engine running you lose the venturi effect (which drops the temperature further due to fuel evaporation and the drop in pressure).

For more info on carb ice have a look on the CAA site.

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/ga_srg_09webSSL14October.pdf

For what its worth I don't think there is an easy fix for this problem, and with the way fuel is now blended, aimed more towards the fuel injected vehicles, I don't think it will get any better.

[STIVH]

With my old monnie even with the oil circulating around the carb on really wet days she would hiss and fit until I tried a drop of Acetone which I brought from Boots the chemist to use in my Vedge oil/ Diesel mix that went into my Van.

About 2ml for every tankful.

Problem solved I added an extra 2ml when it went sub zero and on a return trip from Bristol to Manchester through sleet, snow, sheet ice and torrential rain she never missed a beat.

It is also dirt cheep (was about £1.50p a 20ml plus bottle)

[snakey]

either Harley's winter idle boost or super unleaded with the 97 ron (shells V-POWER seems to work quite well) though recently i have been sticking to just ordinary unleaded - 95 ron in both the monnie and the sport and both seem to be doing ok - even the sport with the twin choke weber, and that used to ice up on the warmest of days, seems ok on the run of the mill 95 ron now, it might have something to do with useing irridium plugs, but probably not, even though both bikes run better on them as well. There is another thing that can be used as an octane boost, i don't know what it is called but it is for the old air cooled VW's .

Pete.