Killing engine with spider webs?

[Flyingpony]

How frequently should a bike get it's spider webs blown out?

Afraid I'm slowly killing my engine due to lack of exercise. It is running fine, just see soot is slowly building up at the exhaust tip in relation to a brand new exhaust.
Service records are kept fairly up-to-date.

Commute 5-7 days per week. Distances per trip are 3, 5 or 7km.
The last long distance run was 30km 18 months ago in a 60km/hr zone across town and back again. The last hill climb was 2 yrs ago.
Engine is typically kept in the lower half of the RPM range.

Ever since I've gone back to University, have run out of time to exercise the bike. A proper exercise is defined as spending at least 2hrs in the saddle riding it in "relative" terms hard and fast on hills & flats. That'll make all systems nice and hot.

So, am I killing my bike with lack of use?
And how frequently should spider webs be blown out?

Thanks,
Horse.

[thehollowmen]

How frequently should a bike get it's spider webs blown out?


I'm gonna take some stick here but ...
A bike like that needs to be taken over 180km/h at least once per week, for at least 10 minutes.

Nah seriously, you should be fine so long as the oil heats up... if not, try a slightly longer way home on a few days until everything warms up.

White power around the oil window or milky appearance indicates that it hasn't had enough time hot.. that's condensating water... but that can be changed with a different type of oil. or so I am told.

[Flyingpony]

White power around the oil window or milky appearance indicates that it hasn't had enough time hot.. that's condensating water... but that can be changed with a different type of oil. or so I am told.
Oil window definitely has got no white powder or a white milky appearance.
Just the usual different shades of black indicating age.
Must be riding enough for water condensation prevention.

[Pathos]

I would think the high reving engine would help in this repect, I always hit 11k rpm before changing up except 1-2 and sometimes 4-5 in slow traffic. I only do 15-20mins.

I should start letting the bike warmup a bit in the mornings? Would it be better for the bike?

[gav]

Just bring it out to the next bucket racing event and have a go, that'll blow the cobwebs out!

[Kickaha]

Just bring it out to the next bucket racing event and have a go, that'll blow the cobwebs out!

Yeah of course not having a race licence you'll have to get someone else to ride it, and I haven't broken anyone elses bike in at least a week and a half so I'm a safe bet :whistle:

[Brains]

I'm gonna take some stick here but ...
A bike like that needs to be taken over 180km/h at least once per week, for at least 10 minutes.

Nah seriously, you should be fine so long as the oil heats up... if not, try a slightly longer way home on a few days until everything warms up.

White power around the oil window or milky appearance indicates that it hasn't had enough time hot.. that's condensating water... but that can be changed with a different type of oil. or so I am told.

180km for ten minutes? you'd start to get your feet wet wouldn't ya? :rofl:

[hondacmx450]

180km for ten minutes? you'd start to get your feet wet wouldn't ya? :rofl:
hahahah nice trainz

[GB500nz]

"Letting it warm up" before riding is a sure way to stuff an engine. When you're riding, the air flow and load make the engine heat fairly quickly and naturally, and wind around the exhaust prevents distortion due to localised heating. Just ride it. Unleaded petrol deposits carbon on the exhaust, regardless of how the thing's ridden. Sounds like you're doing the right thing. An occasional run out to Kaukapakapa wouldn't do any harm, though, and would clear your head so you can study better.

[inlinefour]

Never, have pest control in the house and workshop. As far as feeding it the fat, as often as possible. But agree that at least once a week is essential. Also good for maintian ones own mental health :devil2:

[Pancakes]

GB500nz, are you for real? I thought running under load cold was a no-no? I let my bike get to the stage where it idles smoothly (1 or 2 mins?) and off I go. Is anyone else a non warmer?

[thehollowmen]

GB500nz, are you for real? I thought running under load cold was a no-no? I let my bike get to the stage where it idles smoothly (1 or 2 mins?) and off I go. Is anyone else a non warmer?

He's not kidding... but don't push it while it is warming up.. should only take a few minutes riding..

I don't ever see the F1 cars or rally drivers have a coffee with the car idleing away before the race...

But then again everybody seems to say different things .. different theories.

[vifferman]

Is anyone else a non warmer?
Yep. Run my bike just long enough to put my gloves on, and sometimes not even that. Mind you, that's about 1 or 2 minutes, like you said, not the "I warm my bike up until the temperature on the gauge is bardy blah" that some people religiously do.
The best way to warm a bike (or car) up is on the road, as it's the only way to get proper fluid circulation. Some bikes are actually ruined by excessive idling on the stand, like the camchain tensioner failure on VTR1000s is thought to be hastened by too much idling while parked.

[Sniper]

All you really need to do is get the oil flowing freely around the engine and then avoid hammering it for the first 5 mins or so. Then she's yours. If you want encouragement to ride it, we can meet up and go for a ride?

[Pixie]

Yep. Run my bike just long enough to put my gloves on, and sometimes not even that. Mind you, that's about 1 or 2 minutes, like you said, not the "I warm my bike up until the temperature on the gauge is bardy blah" that some people religiously do.
The best way to warm a bike (or car) up is on the road, as it's the only way to get proper fluid circulation. Some bikes are actually ruined by excessive idling on the stand, like the camchain tensioner failure on VTR1000s is thought to be hastened by too much idling while parked.
It's not about fluid circulation,the pumps pump,whether the the bike is idling or on the road.A modern engine pumps sufficient oil/coolant at idle.
The reason to warm the engine by riding,rather than idling is to warm the engine as quickly as possible and running at light loads does this.Wear occurs most when the engine is cool,so warming it up quickly is advantageous,idling does not do this as well as running under light loading. :hitcher:

[Kwaka-Kid]

hmm, interesting ideas... personally.. when you say "warm up" what do you mean?
IMHO
an engine should get fired, without any revving - just fired onto a fairly low but not labouring/knocking idle speed for at least 60seconds, you will not get "localised heating" or anything in that time and it helps alow pistons/rings heat/expand to a point where if you were just taking off straight after hitting that starter button - it would be so cold and with the pressure against rings etc you would only expect unhelpful amounts of blow by, contaminating your oil more then it needs.

so dont sit there for 10mins letting it warm, 60 seconds is fine, but takeoff GENTALLY, its not JUST about the revvs of the bike, keep it low, but not low enough to labour it, it causes just as much damage, just as opening wide throttle whilst its still warming, i personally ride in 3,000-4,000rpm on the NC30 with a 14,000rpm redline. below 3,000rpm she labours on anything more then level road, and im light enough to not need to rev it passed 4,000rpm before hooking the next gear and riding smoothly. after 5km of that, i slowly work it out further and further, then after 10k temp gauge will be @ 90degrees C, all is well, and the engine gets a fair flex throughout the range, typically gets one dose to 12,500rpm in 2nd at around 20km of my commute. My commute is 30km, and for the last 10k i tick along in top gear pretty much @ low revvs (but not labouring!) and let the temp gauge roll down a bit before pulling into work, and letting it idle for a further 20-30 seconds to keep circulation and alow even cool down.

Thats all just me! and maybe im a weirdo, but the VFR400 seems to like it, and the long commutes are good for it.

cant say ive pulled it apart and checked it out internally, but seen many water cooled modern singles, in blown up state and near blown up state and listened to how the rider was riding it etc and what they expected they should be doing to run it in etc... and oh dear there are some "different" theorys out there, and if im looking at their barrel they obviously didnt work :P