View Full Version : Import bike with no carb heaters. Will the loom be wired for them?
Hi All
My bike is an italian import. The carbs had no carb heaters on them. However I now have a set with carb heaters on which ideally I'd like to get wired up. Does anyone know if the plug will be in the loom? Or would I have to get a UK bike loom?
Thanks.
arenalife
21-10-09, 03:24 PM
I'm not sure but there's sometimes a temp sensor that hangs nearby too (there is on a bandit) that controls whether they're on or not. If it's loomed for it it should be pretty obvious, there aren't that many connectors on a loom.
Or you could just wire the heaters to a switch for cold mornings maybe?
Mine was a german import and i wired the card heaters on a new set of carbs that i got for free!!There is no existing cable as the loom for the imports is different but it is quite easily done.
Spanner Man
22-10-09, 06:52 AM
Good morning.
I've just looked in the manual, & it appears that most SV's are wired for carb heaters. So you're probably in luck.
If it isn't it's still no big deal. For as stated, it's not difficult to wire them in on a manual switch.
Cheers.
Good morning.
I've just looked in the manual, & it appears that most SV's are wired for carb heaters. So you're probably in luck.
If it isn't it's still no big deal. For as stated, it's not difficult to wire them in on a manual switch.
Cheers.
Morning All. Thanks for all the replies. I'll have a look at it at the weekend, weather permitting, and hopefully find a spare plug in the loom somewhere? Having never seen this before can anyone tell me how many wires and what colours they are?
Can I just wire a switchable direct 12v to the carb heaters. Are they not thermostatically controlled in any way? After all I dont want glowing elements in my float bowls!:shock: ;)
Many thanks.
walkaboutandy
22-10-09, 10:14 AM
Perfectly timed thread, Taipan. Waiting to receive a set of carbs at the mo which should hopefully have heaters in to fit on my import.
They do have some thermo switches to control them and there is a couple of looms on ebay at the mo. But as you said I don't know where they plug in. It seems to be a white roundish type connector that connects to the main loom. I'm going to wait to see whats on the carbs (heater, thermoswitch, etc) before i decide whether to fit a manual switch or try and make it automatic.
yorkie_chris
22-10-09, 10:28 AM
I wouldn't bother. If they're going to ice up then the heat added by some tiny little glowplugs won't do a thing compared to the effect of a pint of ice cold fuel every couple of minutes evaporating.
Remember the ice in carb icing forms on the needles, which is a fair distance from the heaters.
If it becomes a problem, then order a gallon of isopropanol and add 100ml to every tank.
You could probably prevent carb ice by routing a copper fuel line around the thermostat housing or some other hot area to supply the fuel nice and warm. But I'd forsee some pretty bad vapour lock problems when you switch the engine off.
walkaboutandy
22-10-09, 10:56 AM
Well I found the plug, its a two pin white socket that was tucked into a black rubber shroud near the fuel pump. It should have a orange/yellow wire and black/white wire going to it. It should also read 12v with the ignition on.
I have bought the loom off ebay which has a thermoswitch included with it for a tenner.
I know what your saying YC but as I was getting carbs with heaters on it I thought it would be worth wiring them up. I ride throughout the year and I have had to use isopropanol as the bike is nearly unrideable in the cold the misfire is so bad. One particular incident in the freezing fog where the bike just didn't want to run at any speed with alot of backfiring, it would then stall everytime I stopped. That was with using the isopropanol too. So I have tended to avoid using the bike when its under 3 degs cos its so horrible to ride. Hopefully using heaters and isopropanol may mean a more pleasant winters riding.
Well I found the plug, its a two pin white socket that was tucked into a black rubber shroud near the fuel pump. It should have a orange/yellow wire and black/white wire going to it. It should also read 12v with the ignition on.
I have bought the loom off ebay which has a thermoswitch included with it for a tenner.
I know what your saying YC but as I was getting carbs with heaters on it I thought it would be worth wiring them up. I ride throughout the year and I have had to use isopropanol as the bike is nearly unrideable in the cold the misfire is so bad. One particular incident in the freezing fog where the bike just didn't want to run at any speed with alot of backfiring, it would then stall everytime I stopped. That was with using the isopropanol too. So I have tended to avoid using the bike when its under 3 degs cos its so horrible to ride. Hopefully using heaters and isopropanol may mean a more pleasant winters riding.
Top man. Thanks for that info. I left my manual at my In-laws and thats saved me a journey to collect it. Did you get a whole wiring loom or just the carb bit?
yorkie_chris
22-10-09, 11:32 AM
Some folk see the heater loom as part of the loom, others sell that with the carbs.
Out of curiosity, are the imports carb bowls drilled and tapped for heating elements?
walkaboutandy
22-10-09, 12:10 PM
Top man. Thanks for that info. I left my manual at my In-laws and thats saved me a journey to collect it. Did you get a whole wiring loom or just the carb bit?
No, I just got the carb bit of the loom with the thermoswitch included (soild black thing on the end of 2 wires). The small loom (just goes round the carbs) basically has 4 connectors for the 2 heaters (2 connectors each, one for + and one for -), one connector for the thermoswitch and one for the main wiring loom.
walkaboutandy
22-10-09, 12:11 PM
Some folk see the heater loom as part of the loom, others sell that with the carbs.
Out of curiosity, are the imports carb bowls drilled and tapped for heating elements?
Good point, I'll let you know when I have a look later.
No, I just got the carb bit of the loom with the thermoswitch included (soild black thing on the end of 2 wires). The small loom (just goes round the carbs) basically has 4 connectors for the 2 heaters (2 connectors each, one for + and one for -), one connector for the thermoswitch and one for the main wiring loom.
Just sourced one from ebay too. Just hope the Italian SV loom has that plug, although getting a igntion 12v live shouldn't be too much of a problem. :)
walkaboutandy
22-10-09, 07:13 PM
Just sourced one from ebay too. Just hope the Italian SV loom has that plug, although getting a igntion 12v live shouldn't be too much of a problem. :)
Well mines French and that has the plug so you should be OK.
Alpinestarhero
22-10-09, 07:29 PM
Is it really so much warmer over the channel that they dont need carb heaters?
:confused:
walkaboutandy
22-10-09, 07:31 PM
Some folk see the heater loom as part of the loom, others sell that with the carbs.
Out of curiosity, are the imports carb bowls drilled and tapped for heating elements?
Yes they are, so if you want to UK spec your bike then you just need the heaters, the loom and the thermoswitch. Its a bit pikey of Suzuki to not fit them on every bike. I would have thought that some of our European cousins would need carb heaters much more then us Brits!?
Sid Squid
22-10-09, 11:09 PM
We've been here before, and I wouldn't bother fitting them, they don't have anywhere near enough effect to be worth it.
We've been here before, and I wouldn't bother fitting them, they don't have anywhere near enough effect to be worth it.
I must admit my old ZX9 would have been badly suffering from carb icing by now! Oh well the parts only came to £12 and it does complete its transformation into a UK spec bike. So I guess it doesn't matter. Apprciate the comments though, its always good to learn more about these bikes.:)
i got aloom of these guy's cheap as well , i got a loom for a different reason butmy point is if you find out which loom your's should have as uk spec there are differnt ones for some years just order a loom if yours doesent have plufg for heaters and bob's ur uncle.
http://www.svspares.com/
i got aloom of these guy's cheap as well , i got a loom for a different reason butmy point is if you find out which loom your's should have as uk spec there are differnt ones for some years just order a loom if yours doesent have plufg for heaters and bob's ur uncle.
http://www.svspares.com/
Thats a handy link! Thanks very much.:)
Some folk see the heater loom as part of the loom, others sell that with the carbs.
Out of curiosity, are the imports carb bowls drilled and tapped for heating elements?
Sorry I missed that first time round. Anyway yes they are drilled and tapped for the heaters and on my Italian import the loom does have the plug for the heaters.:)
Hey Taipan, did you notice any difference after fitting the carb heaters? I have a Canadian import which is really suffering once the temp drops close to zero. I am thinking of trying carb heaters or perhaps some way of keeping the windchill off the carbs.
Wrap them up in baking foil?! :bom:
No, I'm not convinced they did solve the problem entirely. I think it may have helped a little but that's all. if I bought a bike without them again i'd probably not bother fitting them and just add a glug of surgical spirt or Isopropyal alcohol to each tankful instead.
Thanks for your thoughts on this one mate. I have a hunch its wind blast on the carb at the front that could be responsible, will have to have a look at what protection the front carb has from the wind.
My morning commute starts off fine and the bike runs lovely for the first 10 mins on the slower roads (up to 40mph), once getting onto the faster roads (70mph) things seem to go pear shaped.
Thanks for your thoughts on this one mate. I have a hunch its wind blast on the carb at the front that could be responsible, will have to have a look at what protection the front carb has from the wind.
My morning commute starts off fine and the bike runs lovely for the first 10 mins on the slower roads (up to 40mph), once getting onto the faster roads (70mph) things seem to go pear shaped.
I had a ZX9 which would leave me at the side of the road as the carb icing was so bad and it was always after constant throttle cruising, which is apparantly when the icing forms. So it does sound like yours is suffering from it and mine was at its worse then too. Pop into Boots and buy a bottle of their surgical spirt, its about £3.00. Try a glug in the the tank and if cures it at least you'll know it is carb icing for sure.
yorkie_chris
16-03-10, 04:24 PM
How are you going to stop the wind blast through the carb? :-P
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