I finally got around to pulling the air cleaner off. The spray pattern is a beautiful mist and it is a factory carb.

I road the bike in 30F weather again today, the only difference was much lower humidity. Bike ran great and there were no issues when I got off the highway.

I really wonder if I was dealing with a frozen carb the other day because there was fog everywhere and it was right at freezing for the air temperature.

 

Nope. Doesn't happen.

 

Ok, then what do you think was the problem? I'm open to suggestions and am relaying my findings as I get them.

I want to find a solution and a "nope, doesn't happen" really doesn't get me any closer to a solution.

I realize that carb icing is rare on bikes but I have read plenty of instances where it can and has happened.

 

Did you check the intake seals like Dr. Hess asked? Is it fresh gas? Fresh plugs?
Forget the ice. If that was possible at the conditions you said, motorcycles would be useless in the winter. They are not.

 

I have not checked the leaks yet as I have not had the time. I would think if it was a leak as Dr. Hess has suggested (and I do still intend to check) I would have expected the problem again this morning because except for the humidity the conditions were the same as Monday and Tuesday when I did have a problem.

As for the ice, I am not going to forget it, but I will remain open to it being other possibilities. I have read plenty of threads that say when riding at freezing in high humidity that with a stock carb it is somewhat common. Colder than freezing or lower humidity it isn't an issue.

 

You learn something new every day. I guess I just haven't been lucky enough in my 50+ years on bikes to freeze my bike.

 

I wouldn't have expected it either. I will admit that it isn't very likely but this morning's ride really made me scratch my head and wonder if there is something to it.

Like I said, I plan to do the test Dr. Hess suggested (hopefully this weekend) and see what happens. At this point all I've had the time to do is check the spray in the carb and that is nice like it should be.

 

If carburetor icing weren't a real, although pretty rare, problem, airplanes wouldn't have carb heaters. The venturi effect has the byproduct of dropping the temperature of the air going through the carb. In addition, dropping the temperature of moisture saturated air will cause the moisture to form sweat or frost. Long stretches of low throttle are the worst. Descent from altitude in a plane, or a long cruise on a bike.

 

That's what I've been reading as well outlaw. I'm seeing a lot of reports out of the UK where they see cold and fog a lot of carb icing. It doesn't take much to clear it by all accounts, simply stopping the bike for a minute so the carburetor can soak some heat form the engine is all it takes.

From what I understand, the ice is actually building up on the low speed jet which would also explain why the bike dies as soon as I close the throttle.

I am still going to investigate other possible problems but today's ride at almost the same temperature minus the humidity certainly leans creditability to the possibility of it being icing.