Icing up carb remedy?

[wilko]

I can't believe anyone rides in weather cold enough to freeze carbs anymore! Sheesh, i've done my apprenticeship!

[Rocket Racer]

what sort of carb is it? and what sort of temperatures are you running in? I've had icing problems with ducati's but they have the carbs up in the airflow. I ran a japanese inline four at temps of down to -8c without heaters or issues apart from the rider freezing his extremities off.
Cant imagine a hot english twin letting the carb freeze!
On the duke I fitted an electric carb heater, some dukes run oil heating on the float bowls.
On a BSA I would imagine a little baffling on the float bowl to reduce air flow would be enough to prevent freezing.
On the duke I would stop until the carbs thawed then set off again.
Over here the issue is currently wet rather than cold...

[LJ.]

Hi RR... I've since come to the conclusion that its probably not icing up inside the carb like I first thought. Its been pointed out to me that there is an air filter which would prevent some of the air moisture getting in and there is also a rubber boot around the top of carb.

The carburettor is just the standard 376 monobloc. It's more likely now, having given further thought... moisture in the throttle cable. I dismissed this thought at first as I have only just in the last few months replaced the cable with something much thicker because the same problems were happening last year, and, only yesterday when changing the handlebars I found evidence of some water in the throttle twist. Having said all that though, ice was forming on the outside of carb. Temperature when riding would probably have been around 3 or 4 degree.

[iansoady]

Having said all that though, ice was forming on the outside of carb. Temperature when riding would probably have been around 3 or 4 degree.

That's the sort of temperature where you do get genuine carb icing, especially when the air is very humid. The process of evaporation of the fuel lowers the temperature (remember latent heat from school physics?) Same principle as a domestic fridge. If there's lots of moisture in the air it freezes out and can partially block jets / air passages etc.

[groily]

With you Ian, it's just the humidity that does it, as temps fall towards 0°. Have had Monoblocs ice up pretty solidly quite a few times in snowy/slushy just-above-zero weather, and tis hard to get more than a few miles at a time. Sheer unadulterated misery in fact, as your hands aren't much cop at tinkering at those temperatures at the side of the road. Cold clear -10° dry-air days don't do it. But they freeze your wotsits off just the same.
But hey, it's nearly the shortest day (northern hemi) and we'll celebrate hereabouts with a few hundred classic-bike km next week in the dark/wet/wind/whatever - and then start getting excited like small kids about the return of the light. It's a disease wilko - the apprenticeship never ends and some of us never learn!