carb icing

Technical Help General
#1

i have 900 supersport 1990 so has webber twin choke carb. whenever i ride in cold temp anything below 7 degrees it runs fine, except when i pull up to a junction or to a stop the engine revs go up to about 4 thou! throttle cable not stuck or hampered in any way. it only does this in cold weather in warmer temps its fine.
just wondered if anyone else has had this problem, and is it carb icing?

#2

Didn’t they retrofit carb heaters to some model?

If it is carb icing this stuff is supposed to work:

silkolene.com/searchresults.asp

#3

All bikes that were subject to the infamous ‘carb icing’ were recalled as per instructions from the then UK Ducati Importers (Moto Cinelli, Sports Motorcycles, and Three Cross). The problem was triggered off by the fuel used in the UK. Would suggest that you check your bike’s history, and contact your nearest Ducati dealer or Ducati UK if the bike wasn’t recalled in the 1990s.

#4

…are you saying that if I call my local Duc dealers, they can do something, free of charge, to help stop the carbs icing on my 1992 900SS?

#5

It’s always worth asking.

In about 1990 I had my Kawasaki GPz900R fixed. It was some time after the recalls but a deler did it for free. Obviously not as big a time gap but it’s worth a try. If no joy with a dealer try asking Ducati UK.

Cheers,

Roger

#6

Yes, always worth a try - presume you have the full service history of your bike? If no joy with local dealer (who is it, by the way?) then as Roger says, try Ducati UK. It’s all down to the fuel used in the UK … :open_mouth:

#7

My nearest is prob Ducati Manchester in High Legh… and all they ever want to do is sell me shiny/carbon bits, or try to convince me to kill off the old’un and buy a new’un :open_mouth:

As for service history :laughing: it’s there up until I bought the bike three years ago, but I’ve never paid someone to change the oil/plugs/set valve gaps in my life … and icing apart, it runs way better than most with a full service history :smiley:

I’ll give it a go and see how I get on… but I’m not holding my breath

#8

Have a look on the service history and see if anything was done to the bike re the ‘carb icing’ problem, all owners and dealers were notified of the problem (I know, I had the task of doing all the bikes that were imported via ‘Sports’ / Playspeed!!), can only think that it must have been one that slipped through the net. Have you thought about Italsport? Or is that too far away from you?

#9

Hi Desmo,

Unfortunately there’s no stamped service record, but the bike has a comprehensive list of what works been done, when, and by which bike shops. There’s a hand written note in the service record dated 17th April 1999 which says “Carb Icing - call Mike (phone number …) warranty - kit + 2 hrs labour” … this is followed by the MOT in May '99 @ 7963 miles. Now, either the icing work was never carried out, or whatever work was done didn’t cure the problem because, whenever I ride at more than 60mph (which is about 70% of my daily commute) in temps less than 3 degs celc. (and I ride through the winter!) the carbs ice worse than anything I’ve ridden before, and, not being a young chap, that includes some old carb’d twins from the 60’s and 70’s… It gets bad enough for cylinders to cut out as you cruise along, and requires plenty of 2 stroke style throttle blipping for up to 30 secs when you pull up at lights.

As you used to carry out the work, what should’ve been done? There are definitely no oil cooler to carb pipes fitted, or any kind of wind deflection shields on the bike…

As far as I’m aware the only sure fire way to overcome icing is to fit Fi or pumper carbs … d’yer think I can get Ducati to supply them free of charge :imp:

Cheers,

Peter