This morning was the first morning since i bought this bike about a month ago that i took it to work and it was cold and foggy out. Ive always ridden this thing when its warm out. This morning it warmed up like usual, took it down the road and had a few carb coughs, no big deal figured it was still just warming up. It takes me about 30 minutes or ridin the highways to get to work. Along the way it coughed a few more times when the bike was clearly warmed up, which started to worry me. By the time i got to work i thought it was all done, then nope one more cough before i pulled in. Id say in the 30 minutes of driving (after warming it up for 10 minutes) it coughed about 4 times. This is a 2001 883 with 1200 conversion so id hoped the right jets were put in cause i know harley sells them with the wrong jets and carb coughing is normal until you do the stage 1. Is this just a case of it being really foggy and cold out? Im figuring my bike is running lean, and it being cold out just made the carb cough. I have no idea what the tune up history or any maintenance history on this bike for that matter, could be it just needs to get a tune up?

 

I am a former Sporty owner. I rode a 1200c for a few years before I bought my current ride, an E-Glide. I know when it was cold outside, I had to warm the bike up for a couple of minutes, then leave the enrichener out about half-way for a couple of miles until I could push it all of the way in. I honestly don't think it should act like that for a half hour, though. I know those carbed bikes are ornary devils when it is cold and damp out. Have you pulled a plug and inspected it? The way the plug looks will tell you if you are running lean or rich. I can't recall exactly how they look in both conditions. I know if they are black and sooty looking you are running too rich.

I really loved my Sportster, but had to get something a little more comfy for the OL as she has a bad back. I would like to have another one as a second bike someday (when I hit the lottery). Those bikes are just a blast to ride, especially through twisties.

 

No i havent done any maintenance on it at all yet. I guess i should start with a tune up and get the air filter replaced. Oh well, if it does it only when its cold out i can live with that, it runs excellent when its warm out though. Probably should take it in for some adjustment. I was thinking of riding it with the choke out for a few miles, but am aprehensive that it will damage the bike

 

Cold Dense air means that it needs more fuel....

You have to keep the enricher out a bit longer and further than in warmer weather.....

It's just the nature of the beast.....

EFI bikes do the same, by keeping the idle rpms up and fuelmix a bit richer than warm weather, but the ECM controls it....

 

Bob's right. Harley's are cold natured. Don't worry about it. After a short warm up, close the enricher and keep it idled up. It will cough a little more but that's OK.

 

so i should warm it up when its cold out, then ride around for the first few miles with the choke out like half way. Once i put the choke back in after a few miles, will this cure the carb cough for the rest of my trip? Or just make it easier to ride those first few miles?

 

The dealer changed the jet in my carb to a 45 slow jet. Now I do full choke to start, then 1/2 when it fires, then off in about 10 seconds...ready to ride. The whole thing takes about 20 seconds and I am ready, even if it is 50 outside. When it was stock it would miss very bad and buck when it missed, even when it was warm out.

 

I just pull enricher out fully, start the bike, tighten chinstrap, etc...about 10 - 15 seconds, and head out. After riding about half mile (a mile if it's cool out) enricher into halfway ride another half mile to a mile, then fully in. Does completely stop the carb farts, but I don't think that's possible without a total Stage 1 conversion, and I've heard of even some of those bikes still having an occasional carb fart.

 

Cold air = dense air. That means more 02 going in which leans up your mixture. If the enrichner doesn't cure it, you might want to think about a re-jet.

BTW - Same deal on my 05 1200C - stock carb set up (for now).

 

The guy i bought this bike from said it had the 883 to 1200 conversion done on it. It has vance and hines pipes, and the air filter that comes with a conversion.....so to cure this carb cough i see the slow jet should be changed out (for stock sportsters) to cure it, but my thoughts are this:

If it had the 883 to 1200 converion done (pipes changed ect.) wouldnt they have had to change out the slow jet for that procedure?