Grumpy monster in the morning

[urbanfireblade]

Are carbed monsters generally a bit grumpy in the mornings?
My 1200 Bandit, Fireblade and Gpz were all ok to ride when cold, ie choke on, start up, settle down after 20secs then ride off and ease choke off. By the end of the road it was ok to idle and pulling away from junctions they did without hesitation.
The Ducati 600 monster on the other hand will start fine on choke, I can get it to idle about 1500-2000rpm before riding off but take choke off like the others and it is very lethargic at junctions, gotta be careful pulling away sort of thing. If I leave choke on it feels like it'll stall from flooding, there's no happy in between spot. If I wait 2 mins till its warm its ok off choke.
I know a lot leave their bikes warming up before riding off but at 5.30am that's not an option. So I'm just wondering if it's a Ducati thing that they're buggers when cold. I guess that's one of the reasons they went injected?

[gary tompkins]

Yes it's a Ducati thing and EFI does solve the problem - mainly down to stock CV carbs which are pants.

If you think it's a pain in the arse now wait until winter

[urbanfireblade]

Ha, yes I've heard all about the carb icing fun.
What are the remedies? Carb swap? Has anyone retro fitted carbs from another bike?

[urbanfireblade]

Had a quick think and inline engined carbs probably won't work at the angle v-twin ones are at. Float heights is what I'm thinking.

[the_adam]

I've heard of people having electric carb warmers that they attach for a little while before riding - can't say whether whether you can actually buy these things or they were just improvised though :)

[urbanfireblade]

Mine has the electrical heaters, not sure if they work or not yet. Supposed to work when temp drops below 4 degrees?

[He11cat]

Ok it's a monster thang!
I relate to this as the bike is like me..

They don't do mornings , they don't do fast getaways ...

Everything is in monsters own time ..
Profst in your fuel when cold...
I hate riding with inline 4 and such now as I say my bike is not turn the key and off you go ... He has to warm up and take his time..,
Or you try and set off he will just stall !!

I explained this last time I rode with a group of mates ...
I'd like to thank them for starting up their bikes and just sodding off without waiting for us .. I was fuming to the point they don't listen ...
Even when I started him up just before they did they still buggered off :(

Nice huh.... I'd rather have my monster with his quirks and charm then some of their stuff grrr!

[He11cat]

These carby bikes are quirky ...
Most people want to bung in the key and race off ..
The monster has a ritual all of its own.

[urbanfireblade]

Lol Hellcat, u talk like ur Monster is ALIVE!
I've gathered that they're all like it, :)

[utopia]

Well my 750 isn't bad at all....much like any other carbed bike I've had really. Though I do always give it a minute or so to at least warm a little bit.
Carb icing will be a problem in the winter (more so in damp weather than just cold), and your electric carb heaters may help but they certainly wont cure it. Pro-fst in the fuel will do though. But carb icing usually sets in after sustained steady throttle opening ....its unlikely to be an issue from start-up.
Kehin FCR are the accepted carb swap, but I have no experience of them.

[gary tompkins]

Three fixes for carb icing

1. Zero cost - Leave the bike in the garage over winter

2. Cheap option

http://www.brandedbiker.co.uk/img/products/Silkolene_Pro_FST_Motorcycle_Fuel_Additive_1.jpg

3. Expensive option

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3042/3101531082_96937033eb.jpg

[He11cat]

I wish I could put a slug of pro fst in my tea to get me going

[Steve Willmott]

I got FCRs on mine & they ain't the answer to a smooth getaway from cold, mine tries to kill me every morning if the weather isn't just right. Pull onto a roundabout or out of a junction without commitment & it stalls despite being happy to idle, unfortunately if you yank the throttle open on damp roads we all know what happens then :spin: :big grin: Fuel injection is the right answer, but hell it ain't so much fun :banana:

[Saint aka ML]

I got FCRs on mine & they ain't the answer to a smooth getaway from cold, mine tries to kill me every morning if the weather isn't just right. Pull onto a roundabout or out of a junction without commitment & it stalls despite being happy to idle, unfortunately if you yank the throttle open on damp roads we all know what happens then :spin: :big grin: Fuel injection is the right answer, but hell it ain't so much fun :banana:

Thank god and I was thinking my one is the only evil one!!
Huge carbicing with stock carbs, to a point of running on one cylinder so you had to compensate with more throttle to not stall for the bike to jump on to two. That was on my m900 with stock carbs. So I fitted FCR's now it is always on two cylinders but just like above. Give to little throttle stall. Funny thing is you add more it is to little, more but still to little and so on until it is to much. Pro-fst seems to shrink the gab between to little and to much :D
Left turns and roundabouts aside spinning up rear wheel can be fun.

On my m750 it felt lethargic all the time but a dash of silkolene pro-fst cured it.

[Saint aka ML]

Need to add since m900 is such a bitch to ride when cold or cold outside (unlike my old m750) I have long time ago decided to beat it in to submission. FCR's have no choke but it starts nicely. Then I let it idle for all I do not know 20 - 30s at best. Then I setoff and go slow for another 20-30s. From then on as long as I do not push tyres to much all bets are off. She tries to kill me I try to kill her. Seems to level out mostly.

[urbanfireblade]

Oh wow! i like the stories on ur £550+ FCR's! Pro FST looks like it'll be a good friend to me come winter.
I told someone at work about my bike being an arse in the mornings and he said 'buy a Honda'. Pffttt!!!!! Where's the fun in that?!?!?
People just don't understand!:fou:

[gary tompkins]

FCR's do come up secondhand sometimes but usually get snapped up real quick

New kit's are available for $850.. not sure if there is a UK stockist

[Steve Willmott]

Uk supplier, very helpful & knowledgable.

http://www.allensperformance.co.uk/

Mines ok to start when used regularly, but can take a while if I don't. Don't get me wrong I think they're great, a big improvement over standard carbs, runs cleaner & harder & makes more power & even gives good gas mileage, well it does if you don't cane it.....as if :chuckle:

[urbanfireblade]

Mines ok to start when used regularly, but can take a while if I don't.

Mate with his 900SS said exactly that today, anything more than a few weeks.

[banditloon]

My mates RSV Factory would cut out on any morning, quarter of a mile from his front door, at a petrol station. Warm, dry, cloudy, rainy, cold, snowing, always quarter of a mile and then stall..

It's just a quirky V-Twin thing.

My old Bandit would go for at least a mile before it would die on a cold morning. Then again, it was fitted with carb heaters...

10 for Pro FST :thumbsup: