Jerry Eichenberger
Serious Thumper
Offline
2006 S40. OEM windshield, saddle bags, Sportster
Posts: 2919
Columbus, Ohio
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As a newbie, take this for what it's worth - maybe not much.
Since our engines are air cooled, a similar problem often occurs in small, air cooled piston airplane airplanes - carburetor ice.
Ice forms on the throttle plate in the venturi of the carb, since the airflow across the plate speeds up, and loses temperature, as a result of its being forced thru the venturi. (Bernoulli's principle of fluid dynamics).
Any time a carburetted engine is operated in high humidity conditions (fog, mist, rain, etc.) carb ice is a definite possibility.
The only way to clear it without a carburetor heat device like airplanes have is to shut off the engine and get it warm enough to melt the ice.
Modern cars have fuel injection, which doesn't ice up. But we old farts can recall the days when cars routinely started to run poorly in such conditions, especially stalling at a traffic light.
Low engine rpm exacerbates carb ice formation.
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