Do you warm your bike up before heading off?

[cowboyz]

Wondering how many leave their bike running idle to warm up before riding off? How long do you leave it idling for?

Myself, I start the bike when I get on it. By the time I push it backwards out of the carport and get my shit together to ride it has probably been running for a minute and I ride off. Short shift until the temp lights up 3 bars (where it always sits except in town where it gets real hot - fan kicks in at 6 bars) and then away.

interested in the theories behind it and service intervals. I change oil and filters between 8 and 10,000ks and my bike has done 105,000km without any engine work.

[banditrider]

Warms up while zipping jacket & sticking skid lid on and then while parked on the footpath while I close the gate. Then there's plenty of 50km/h stuff where the bike doesn't need to go over 2,500revs or so. Fuel injection helps of course...

[cowboyz]

Am interested to see already 6 people say it is a must do and yet no comment on why. Is there a secret I am missing?

[sinfull]

I tend to give her a good warm up of 3 or 5 min while i'm chucking a bit of gear on ! then wander out and switch off b4 the fans kicks in (if i aint got my shit together by then) Different story on a ride if i stop, as there should be a good film on most working parts, though the auto choke can be a pain at times so usually wait till it dies down !
Bit of a fanatic with oil and filter changes and do them at around 5000 k

[Hitcher]

Warming up the bikes is an integral part of the Hitcher's getting ready to go ride routine. There's nothing quite like the rorty growl of an FJR1300 running at 2,500rpm through a pair of TBRs to cut through the silence of a suburban Sunday morning.

[Trudes]

I start mine and leave it idling while I sort out my ear-plugs, helmet and gloves and then don't rev it out much until it's warmed up a bit more. I do it mainly because otherwise it runs a bit like a hairy goat when it's really cold and I'm sure it's a good idea to let the oil warm up a bit before making it circulate about under load (could be wrong, but it makes me feel better), also our driveway is quite steep, so don't want it to stall going up because it's cold.

[banditrider]

Am interested to see already 6 people say it is a must do and yet no comment on why. Is there a secret I am missing?

Not a mechanic but a bit of temperature lowers the viscosity of the oil and lets it get in the nooks & crannies a bit easier. Modern oils are supposed to provide a more uniform viscosity over a wider range of temperatures though...

Maybe tommorrow morning you could try a 10,000rpm take off from cold and see what happens...

[JATZ]

My routine goes: start bike,put lid on, scratch arse, put gloves on, tootle down to the corner, check for trafic,push choke in, then ride like a nanna to work.
Works for me, bikes air cooled if that makes any difference

[Papa Bear]

Wife and I always leave our bikes idling while we do up jacket, gloves etc. Never liked the idea of riding/driving straight away on a cold motor.

[wharfy]

Am interested to see already 6 people say it is a must do and yet no comment on why. Is there a secret I am missing?

It allows the oil to be fully circulating and the engine parts to expand to close to there normal operating tolerances before being put under high stress.
Internal combustion engines are designed to run at over 100 C. (Thats why liquid cooling systems are pressurized so they don't boil at "normal" temperature and why you should NEVER open the system when it is hot as it releases the pressure and the liquid will BOIL instantly)

[Mike748]

I have to be sitting on the bike to warm it up, so it's start, helmet, glasses, gloves and go. I do take it gentle till tyres and motor is warm though.
I used to let it warm up before leaving but I plugged the kick stand kill switch back into the ignition circut after giving myself a bit of a fright (once was enough).

[Usarka]

Nah, it's like sex - enough lube and you can get down to action straight away even if she doesn't like it.....

[sinfull]

Ok ok You got me, i'll own up ! Its cause i thrash the bike from the minute i ride out the gate ! AND the tyres are cold , i know i know slap my wrist i'm bad, but damb its a rush ! Got to love virtigo !!!

[Grub]

Ok, first the engine. Like all things made of metal, their machined tolerances are set up to be at their optimum at normal operating temperature. As engineering gets better and HP is one of the most important marketing figures, the tolerances get less margin and more precise. Of course the discussion is hugely different for a 2 stroke where you can have both a cold and hot piston seizure so warming up is mandatory. A 2 stroke piston is super-sloppy in the bore until it's warmed up and grown to fit the bore properly.

Overhead cams, while pretty carefully engineered now with oil baths to run in, used to be starved of oil in the first few revolutions. I used to puke when I would hear an engine start from cold and be run straight up to 5000rpm to 'warm er up'.

Rubber seals. I'm a bit out of date on these in modern engines but if you don't fully warm up a rotary, they leak and then shread. It's not too far a stretch to thing of water pumps, steering pumps and aircon units all having he same issues if they're not allowed to grow with heat and close up the tolerances.

The next factor is the oil. Not so important with hi-tech oils as it used to be but oil does need to be warm and up to it's rated viscosity before it does its job properly. If you kick it to life and boot it off down the road there could be parts of the motor running in very little uesful oil.

Finally, look at the mileage taxis and police cars get because they're running 24/7. It's not unheard of for them to have done 350,000km when everything else on the road dies 100,000 short of that. Might just be something in it.

[McJim]

My engine is basically 70s technology and it needs to warm up for a few minutes just to get the oil circulating and up to temperature so it's protecting the engine from excessive wear.

My bike has done 53,000km with no engine work in respect of wear.

More modern bikes with fuel injection can be ridden more or less as soon as you start them. Modern tooling means they can be manufactured with lower tolerances (i.e. the cylinders and stuff fit better). Older carbed stuff has more character...which can leak and stuff.

[marioc]

Yep warm it up in the time it takes to have a ciggy :yes:

[Coyote]

I used to warm it up when I first got the bike, when I cared about it

[cowboyz]

Not a mechanic but a bit of temperature lowers the viscosity of the oil and lets it get in the nooks & crannies a bit easier. Modern oils are supposed to provide a more uniform viscosity over a wider range of temperatures though...

Maybe tommorrow morning you could try a 10,000rpm take off from cold and see what happens...

No. Because that would just be silly. Quite different to running up the road at 3000 though.

Heres a thought. At what (low) temp does 10-40W become too thick to move round the engine? Does it really get cold enough that the pump has trouble getting the oil to the top of the engine? When was the last time anyone pulled a sitting engine apart - even sitting for a long time - to find it dry at the top?

[Grub]

Heres a thought. At what (low) temp does 10-40W become too thick to move round the engine?

The internet is your friend Here is a chart and full explanation (http://www.aa1car.com/library/motor_oil_605.htm)

This is the bit just above the chart which has the exact temp for each rating

"MULTI-VISCOSITY OILS

Most modern motor oils are formulated from various grades of oil so the oil will have the best characteristics of both thick and thin viscosity oils. Multi-viscosity oils flow well at low temperature for easier starting yet retain enough thickness and film strength at high temperature to provide adequate film strength and lubrication.

A thin oil such as a straight 10W or even a 20W oil designed for cold weather use would probably not provide adequate lubrication for hot weather, high speed driving. Likewise, a thicker high temperature oil such as SAE 30 or 40 would probably become so stiff at sub-zero temperatures the engine might not crank fast enough to start.

Multi-viscosity grade oils have a wide viscosity range which is indicated by a two-number rating. Popular multi-viscosity grades today include 5W-20, 5W-30, 10W-30, 10W-40 and 20W-50. The first number with the "W" refers to the oil's cold temperature viscosity, while the second number refers to its high temperature viscosity."

[duckonin]

Yep have always let any motor run for a bit before putting under load, chainsaw's, diggers cars, your motor tell's you when it is ready to work, had a small 409 trader diesel she did 675,000 k's and still goes well today, motor never touched just plain old oil changes, in fact I have never had to do any work on a motor I have owned except plugs oil or basic stuff...

Two of my chainsaws are over twenty years and go as well today as when they were first made..Warming up seem's to work for me....

[Kittyhawk]

if not done properly you can crak parts on and within an engine. Because the adjustment for cold metals to hot , expansion and contraction plays a major role in warming up your bike. also effects different types of fabrics on the bike and therefore react differently from a standing cold start to being hot and ready to ride.

warm up - think of it like sex get the circulation of ya lubes flowing to various areas of the engine, up and down pulsating pistions need it. :buggerd:*please note diagram on left is a horozintal sliding piston

Its a must with any engine.....warm up ya bike, car or anything with an engine, flow those lubes for a couple of mins slide onto you bike and ride!! it takes a couple of mins to respect an engine with doing a simple warm up it will last good and proper for many years to come

[HRT]

Fire mine up while I'm getting the lid and things on, close the garage etc. Usually bugger all warm up time but just take it nicely for a bit until temp is starting to come up

[yod]

......Older carbed stuff has more character...which can leak and stuff.

nice...i like it:niceone:

[madmal64]

Yep I do.
The dash on the Ape flashes "cold" until it reaches 35c. I usually leave it until it reaches at least 50c. Thats only a couple of minutes from the 35c mark. It just doesnt seem fair to pull my bike out of the garage and give it heaps without the chance to wake up and warm up.

[cowboyz]

The internet is your friend Here is a chart and full explanation (http://www.aa1car.com/library/motor_oil_605.htm)

This is the bit just above the chart which has the exact temp for each rating


cheers. it was a bit of a "homework" question if you like. And by your research 10W40 is effective from -10F (thats about -20degrees). Certainly wouldnt get anywhere close to that round here.

So. How long do your surpose it takes to pump oil from the sump to sump then? (in seconds)


Yep have always let any motor run for a bit before putting under load, chainsaw's, diggers cars, your motor tell's you when it is ready to work, had a small 409 trader diesel she did 675,000 k's and still goes well today, motor never touched just plain old oil changes, in fact I have never had to do any work on a motor I have owned except plugs oil or basic stuff...

Two of my chainsaws are over twenty years and go as well today as when they were first made..Warming up seem's to work for me....


good o . I have run my last bike, and current bike over 100,000km. Never sat there and warmed them up. Never had any motor problems. reg service with oil/filters/plugs. So we are even there.

And then motors are getting more and more realiable.

Whats the difference in the bike sitting still and motor doing 2000rpm (choke on) and the wheels going round and the bike doing 3000prm?

[cowboyz]

Yep I do.
The dash on the Ape flashes "cold" until it reaches 35c. I usually leave it until it reaches at least 50c. Thats only a couple of minutes from the 35c mark. It just doesnt seem fair to pull my bike out of the garage and give it heaps without the chance to wake up and warm up.

Interesting.

Funny how one thinks if the bike is moving that equates to the bke being thrashed.

[ZK-Awesome]

I make sure my SJ50 scooter warms up for a few minutes at the start of the day. Get my helmet out, start it up, and then sort my shit out for a fewmins (helmet on, gate open, gloves on, shoes tied...) Once I get out the gate and onto the road I take it easy for the next k or so. I find that if I don't warm it up and be aggressive with the power, the engine jerks as I throttle up.

I've got used to warming up engines from flying though

[P38]

I always leave the C50T idling until it comes off the fast idle mode before riding anywhere.

Usually about 3-5mins from cold.

I believe it's a good habit to get into to preserve the longivity and reliabilityof the engine.

As well as changing the oil religiously at the prescribed periods with a high quality lubricant and filter.:yes::yes::yes:

[cowboyz]

find myself thinking that with the constant comments on "wouldnt buy that bike - ks are too high at 40k? 50k?" at over 100k without leaving the bike sitting to warm up one would think it is a testament to longivity and reliability?

[Chrislost]

Am interested to see already 6 people say it is a must do and yet no comment on why. Is there a secret I am missing?

1) oil viscosity...
2) the pistons expand at a diferent rate cos their diferent metals to the bores/block and therefore while everythings cold their rattling around in the bores etc etc.(at least on the modern "hyperbikes")

cant say that a 10k launch dead cold would be much good for anything....:jerry:

[CookMySock]

I never warm it up. Modern engines in good condition need about 2-3 seconds at the outside before they have full oil pressure to the main bearings. The main bearings MUST be oiled fully before loading them.

Choke, stand, ignition, kill, clutch, start! and as soon as it fires quickly before the engine revs build I whack it into first gear, let revs stabilise, then ease clutch out and ride off 4-5 secs max. Ya gotta be quick tho, or else the revs build to 3,000rpm then first gear goes in with a hellava MUNT.. sounds too harsh for me...

Also have to be really ready on the clutch, because you will have 3-4000 rpm on and the bike will want to GO!! Vtwin 650 does anyways, hehe.

Having said that, I barely touch the throttle for nearly 3-4mins and I keep the revvs under about 4,000rpm, and throttle openings tiny - just blip it up gears gently. Within 5 mins I am on the open road and I have a few bars on the temp gauge, choke fully off, and up to 100-115k/hr. Sweet as. Goose it, but don't cane it for another 5mins or so (this time can vary lol.) Vtwins lurrrve being goosed heh.

This 5-20min warmup thing is just pedantic bullshit IMO. If it makes you FEEL BETTER then do it, by all means - thats a good enough reason.

DB

[YellowDog]

Modern bikes are designed to be started and ridden (or so the manual says).

If you thrash the bollox off it whilst the engine is still warning, it won't last too long.

Common sense and all that good stuff.

[Ghost_Bullet]

I have never warmed anything up in general.The car or bike get warm in the light running after startup and take off. For me with a Guzzi, if I warm it up, only the engine is gonna get wamr anyways... the two drive boxes will remain stone cold until the bike gets movin.

I can see some reason in warming, but then I dont.

I have a Celica of which, never ever warmed up except for being in action. over 330 thou km's and still strong. hell and some of those warm up running on the move, were not exactly gentle.... lol back in my young days.

[cowboyz]

Funny how one thinks if the bike is moving that equates to the bke being thrashed.


Whats the difference in the bike sitting still and motor doing 2000rpm (choke on) and the wheels going round and the bike doing 3000prm?


1) oil viscosity...
2) the pistons expand at a diferent rate cos their diferent metals to the bores/block and therefore while everythings cold their rattling around in the bores etc etc.(at least on the modern "hyperbikes")

cant say that a 10k launch dead cold would be much good for anything....:jerry:

I understand oil viscosity. and dismiss point 2 on grounds of my first quote. comments on my second quote?

[FilthyLuka]

Yep warm it up in the time it takes to have a ciggy :yes:

If your real hard core you light the ciggie with the exhaust...

[Chrislost]

I understand oil viscosity. and dismiss point 2 on grounds of my first quote. comments on my second quote?

there is no diference... that counts as warming it up no...?
although my bike does idle at 1200rpm

[duckonin]

A cold motor needs a lot of battery power, not so much a warm motor...Why do some motors have to be decompressed to fire up cold ? but not when warm..

Basic Q's and A's really

[skidMark]

Let it warm up till its off choke...lid etc on..so gets 2 mins or so.

My zxr i did oil and filter change every 4,000 k's...

Except the timei let it get to 5,000 then did a trackday.

It went bang. :bye:

[avgas]

Yep - i wait the 3 seconds it requires to move warm oil all around the engine. At 5 seconds i'm gone.
I really would like to see someone ride off with a cold engine. That only worked on my RG150 bump starting it. and sure enough 5 seconds later it had started warming.

[Jiminy]

I warm her up.

On my old bike, a little too much throttle before she was warmed up would kill the engine. Not user friendly if you're taking your first curve of the day.

She warms up in less than a minute, I can hear the engine settling nicely. That's about the time for me to put my helmet and gloves on and close my jacket.

[saltydog]

The R1 likes choke every time, the carby model sits about 2.5-3rpm while warming up. By the time I get the helmet and gloves on the note of the bike has changed the temp guage has gone to 40C. Get on and ride her off the choke, gently, down until I've got her on the throttle. By now shes 46C, look left, look right and we're off at 50C.
Every time just like a ritual.
She cruises 78C, 5000rpm @127kms, redline at 11,000. When shes hot, up until 102C the fan kicks in and brings her down in temp, whereby at 95C it cuts off again.
Thats my baby. I've just been sussin her cooling out.....but yes always warm up

[BadCompany]

I can't be bothered reading the already three pages. But incase your wondering, at 6.10 I start the bike up and give it a little rev to keep it alive. Then I bugger off, brush my teeth grab what I need for the day and gear up. Then ride off about 6.20. So ten minutes of warming up, and the difference is very noticeable, much smoother and more responsive take off.

Oh and I service every 5000k's

[CookMySock]

A cold motor needs a lot of battery power, not so much a warm motor... needs a lot of battery power for what ? starting do you mean ? I would not think so, unless it was old or something was really wrong with it and it was really difficult to start.


Why do some motors have to be decompressed to fire up cold ? but not when warm..Well, they don't really. It just makes it easier to kick-start them - not so much force required on the kick-start to boot the bitch over.

DB

[Usarka]

at 6.10 I start the bike up and give it a little rev to keep it alive. Then I bugger off, brush my teeth grab what I need for the day and gear up. Then ride off about 6.20. So ten minutes of warming up, and the difference is very noticeable.


Yep, $1.75

[cowboyz]

there is no diference... that counts as warming it up no...?
although my bike does idle at 1200rpm

Maybe you misunderstood the question.

The question is whether you leave your bike still to warm up before riding it. I say it make no difference but I am not advocating thrashing or even revving it hard as soon as you start riding it. just riding normally. There are cases (one just above) that leaves his bike for a full 10 minutes to warm up.

[BadCompany]

Maybe you misunderstood the question.

The question is whether you leave your bike still to warm up before riding it. I say it make no difference but I am not advocating thrashing or even revving it hard as soon as you start riding it. just riding normally. There are cases (one just above) that leaves his bike for a full 10 minutes to warm up.

Yup. Just a wee 250, doesn't get warm very quickly. When I take off after ten minutes the temp gauge has barely moved.

[icekiwi]

Kick it in the guts....
Helmet on ,tuck my shirt in ,close the garage,feed the cat,kick the dog,put my boots on,find some socks,breakfast an by then its sitting round 50-60 deg an off to work...
New bike or not pays to get everything warm engines might have tighter tolerances but are still built to allow for thermal exspansion etc etc

[FLYMO]

yeah for sure
always had that beaten in to me
old timer at heart

[CookMySock]

On my old bike, a little too much throttle before she was warmed up would kill the engine. Not user friendly if you're taking your first curve of the day.Dangerous too. Thats what the choke is designed to prevent.


ten minutes of warming up, and the difference is very noticeable, much smoother and more responsive take off.See above.

DB

[Usarka]

Check you're oil viewing window (if you're bike has one).

On the side stand it is usually showing empty. Only shows correct level once the bike is upright.

What if that means the oil doesn't splash around as efficiently when on the side stand.....

:sherlock:

(haha that'll f*ck ya)

[BadCompany]

Dangerous too. Thats what the choke is designed to prevent.

See above.

DB

C'mon, its past bedtime a little more help here :P What am I looking up for?

[DEATH_INC.]

Warming it up has nothing really to do with oil...it's all about the different expansion rates of different parts and even different areas of certain parts. The most wear happens if you load 'em up cold, cause the parts are different shapes than they are when they're hot, so ya get different high and low spots.
Husky did a test back in the 80's on a 430 (I think), they got two identical bikes, one was warmed for 5 mins before use and the other was thrashed from cold, I can't remember the exact figure, but the warmed up one lasted lots longer ( four or five times from memory) than the other.

[cowboyz]

FFS! Why is it coming up over and over again that if you dont leave your bike on it stand to warm up then the only alternative is that you must be thrashing it???????

Its not rocket science that if you thrash a bike when cold things are going to go pear shapped. What about riding it up the road when cold. Do people know how to ride up the road without thrashing a bike?

My bike pulls about 2000rpm in 4th at 50kph. The choke will take it to 2500. Whats the difference?

[DEATH_INC.]

FFS! Why is it coming up over and over again that if you dont leave your bike on it stand to warm up then the only alternative is that you must be thrashing it???????

Its not rocket science that if you thrash a bike when cold things are going to go pear shapped. What about riding it up the road when cold. Do people know how to ride up the road without thrashing a bike?

My bike pulls about 2000rpm in 4th at 50kph. The choke will take it to 2500. Whats the difference?
Easy, load is the difference. Loading it is what makes it wear....
Even riding carefully you put load on it...OK?

[smokeyging]

needs a lot of battery power for what ? starting do you mean ? I would not think so, unless it was old or something was really wrong with it and it was really difficult to start.


DB


When the oil is cold, it is also thicker, so the starter does need more energy from the battery to start the motor....does down here in the south in a -5 frost i can tell you.
anyway personally with all vehicles i have driven in the past i don’t warm them up neither, but just chug down the road at low revs, and i have’nt had a problem.....touch wood.

[Chrislost]

Maybe you misunderstood the question.

The question is whether you leave your bike still to warm up before riding it. I say it make no difference but I am not advocating thrashing or even revving it hard as soon as you start riding it. just riding normally. There are cases (one just above) that leaves his bike for a full 10 minutes to warm up.

one would assume that the less "cold" revolutions you do the better for then engine?
on saying that you would probably take longer sitting still to get the bike to the same temp...

in the end each to their own...
:whocares:

(i do wait for the steam to finish outa the exaust before riding)

[BarBender]

Warming it up has nothing really to do with oil...it's all about the different expansion rates of different parts and even different areas of certain parts. The most wear happens if you load 'em up cold, cause the parts are different shapes than they are when they're hot, so ya get different high and low spots.

Thats what I've thought re different expansion and contraction rates and engine reliability over time.
Agree with C.Lost. In my experience warming a bike is as personal and varied as riding style. I choose to let the my bike idle until it hits about 35-40 degrees and pootle around for at least 10 or so minutes. I ride with guys who start their bikes up, hit the road and progressively ride their chokes out. All good. Whatever cooks your mince.

[Patch]

Treat your bike like a woman - they enjoy it more when you warm them up :bleh:




FFS! Why is it coming up over and over again that if you dont leave your bike on it stand to warm up then the only alternative is that you must be thrashing it???????

Its not rocket science that if you thrash a bike when cold things are going to go pear shapped. What about riding it up the road when cold. Do people know how to ride up the road without thrashing a bike?

My bike pulls about 2000rpm in 4th at 50kph. The choke will take it to 2500. Whats the difference?
Four words - Chill Pill

[Owl]

I like to warm my bike up before riding. Occasionally it will only get a minute, so I’ll nurse it until it’s up to operating temp.

[Pwalo]

FWIW I've been told by a couple of mechanics, that it's best to start the bike up, let it idle for a couple of minutes at most, and then ride off. Let it warm up a bit before giving it any serious revs, and all should be good. Besides riding off gently allows your tyres to get a bit of heat into them. Works well on the commute.

Wether oil is hot or cold the important thing is to have it reaching all parts of the engine, so as long as you're not idling your bike at 7k rpm to warm it up (racing bikes excluded), it's not a problem.

[fergie]

I always start my bike while im getting ready, it raises the excitement levels, sounds bloody awesome,fills the shed with fumes,and pisses off the missus! yeehaa!

[Deano]

Maybe tommorrow morning you could try a 10,000rpm take off from cold and see what happens...

I know someone who did rev their bike hard when it was cold - the motor developed a nasty knocking sound.

[dipshit]

Easy, load is the difference. Loading it is what makes it wear....
Even riding carefully you put load on it...OK?

Some load is good though. Why? Because bike excessively idling with chock on/rich mix, no load on the rings, allows petrol to contaminate the oil. Benzene is good at breaking down your engine oil... particularly mineral based oils. Idling also results in lower oil pressure, so less oil getting to the top-end.

Quite a few late 80's bikes could suffer from pitted and scored cams if excessively idled to warmup. Low oil pressure while idling and the oil getting broken down by fuel contamination.

15 seconds of fast idle and then gently ridden until fully warmed up to normal operating temperature is all that is really needed.

[PrincessBandit]

Let it warm up till its off choke...
What's a choke? Only kidding!!!


Kick it in the guts....
Helmet on ,tuck my shirt in ,close the garage,feed the cat,kick the dog,put my boots on,find some socks,breakfast an by then its sitting round 50-60 deg an off to work...

And you do this every morning? In that order?



Fuel injection helps of course...

Absolutely!

Used to let the ginny warm up for a decent few minutes otherwise she'd throw a hissy and conk out before I got up the street. The bandit i must admit to basically only starting once im sitting on it, so only probably gets 20 seconds or so before i move. Ever since the GN jiggled off it's side stand by my letter box (in my very early days of riding) while clearing the mail I've had an aversion to leaving a bike idling while I'm not on it.

[Deano]

Because bike excessively idling with chock on/rich mix, no load on the rings, allows petrol to contaminate the oil.

Excessive idling is silly. Why would anyone do that ?

I let mine idle until the temp guage kicks in at 35 degrees, (about when the choke cuts out) then ride it nicely until it hits normal operating temp.

[Mikkel]

When the 250 starts on full choke it goes to ~5,000 RPM after 10 secs. I gradually take the choke off until it's idling 'smoothly' with the choke completely off. Then I go in and put my jacket and helmet on. Grab my backpack and my gloves. Set the alarm and lock the door. Put on my backpack and my gloves and then I ride off.

As to the why - I think that has been covered.

[CookMySock]

My bike pulls about 2000rpm in 4th at 50kph. The choke will take it to 2500. Whats the difference?There aint bugger all difference. ;) Once the engine has oil around the load-bearing parts (2-3 seconds) it can be partially loaded, which will warm it up quicker.

Two strokes I would say are a completely different kettle of fish. I would suggest they are best not warmed up whatsoever. Start 'em and go! Ride it in a reasonable fashion until it is warm though.



I ride with guys who start their bikes up, hit the road and progressively ride their chokes out. All good. Whatever cooks your mince.And this summarises it nicely. It makes little or no difference as far as the bike is concerned, provided its not caned. The most important part is how the rider feels. If it feels good baby, do it!

DB

[dipshit]

Excessive idling is silly. Why would anyone do that ?


Did you read this thread..???

[imdying]

Only the 2 strokes... 4 strokes I could care less about.

[young1]

I also push the bike out of the garage, start it up and then alarm the house and close the garage, normally while putting my helmet on. I then sit on the bike and do the gloves before riding off slowly down my residential street.

[Blossom]

Ok so I am one of the yes I do but I dont know why. My brothers always told me too, husband always does and it says to in the instruction manual and whilst I am normally the first person to fight authority, well I love my bike and if it loves me back just a wee bit longer cause I warm her up first then bring on the conformity....:2thumbsup

[portokiwi]

I allways let my bike warm up....... Just like a lady warm her up treat her gently, Thats just a good cover that I am slow first thing in the morning.
Nothing better then a dawn breaker:2thumbsup

[HornetBoy]

I let my bike warm up for about 5-10 mins (its a oil boiler remember :Punk:) and once the idle revs settle i get going and take it easy up to 100kph and let it sit at that for a bit ...then were off :first:

I certainly notice the differece when i ride the bike without warming up -have to pull alot more throttle to get it going and feels incredibly slow and un responsive.

[_Shrek_]

start her up put helmit & groves on :ride: gently till operating temp then....

[Brett]

With either cars or bikes that I have owned, I always let them warm up before putting them under any significant load. The bike, I normally wheel out of garage and start, head inside and put on helmet and gloves and by the time I am back outside, it is sitting at around 35 degrees. I then ride it like a nana untill temp gets to between 65 and 70 degrees. On cold days, during open road riding, it may not actually get any warmer than 68 or 69 degrees, and on a hot summer day, it will often run at about 82 degrees. With cars, I take the attitude that I will drive it from cold, but only low revs and low load untill the engine has warmed.

Interesting story, when I was a teenager, my weekend and after school job was working in a panel beaters. We had a couple of Toyota Starlets as courtesy cars. I worked there for 4 years and for almost every day of those years, they were started cold and them minute they hit the road, they were thrashed. They had nearly 300,000kms on them by the time I left and were still running mint.

[Badjelly]

The next factor is the oil. Not so important with hi-tech oils as it used to be but oil does need to be warm and up to it's rated viscosity before it does its job properly. If you kick it to life and boot it off down the road there could be parts of the motor running in very little useful oil.

Sorry to be a boring tech geek, but I was doing a bit of research on gearbox oils recently and can't resist the opportunity to share.

That should be "down to its rated viscosity". The viscosity of oils decreases with temperature. And the effect is surprisingly large. The quantity used to characterise the change of an oil's viscosity with temperature is the viscosity index (VI):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viscosity_index
It's an arbitrary scale on which a good mineral oil without viscosity-improving additives will score 100. Synthetic oils go up to 400 (less change in viscosity with temperature). From my reading of various tech sheets, the kinematic viscosity of a VI 100 oil will drop by a factor of 10, yes 10, between 40 C and 100 C.

[Cajun]

I heard a number of different things, and alot of it varys from bike to bike, from carb to Fi.

personally i fire it up, warm it up for abotu 10-20 secs before taking off, and take it nice and easy until its warmed up.

Alot more Carb based bikes do not like working correcctly warmed up a bit, where FI bikes are happy to get on and go once turned on.

Where i have heard other storys of some bikes (vtr1000f) that warning up on sidestand lots, can cause issues quicker than if not.

So personaly perference depending on your invidual bike.

[98tls]

In theory i would say an oil pump finds it much harder to get thick/cold oil to where it should be if the bikes left to idle for long periods when cold,even at fast idle the pump isnt really working hard.A few blips on the throttle will get oil circulating better.

[Magua]

Full choke for around ten seconds, then I leave it to idle while I put my gloves and helmet on.

[Mort]

I tend not to mainly because :


I only use the bike on a minimum of 50 Km journey
It runs/drives fine whilst warming up
Its warmed up within 2 minutes
I don't thrash it from cold
I use synthetic oil because its better for cold starts
If I'm doing a track day I make sure the engine is properly warmed up before going out

[CookMySock]

In theory i would say an oil pump finds it much harder to get thick/cold oil to where it should be if the bikes left to idle for long periods when cold,even at fast idle the pump isnt really working hard.A few blips on the throttle will get oil circulating better.Usually the pump will be up to working pressure in seconds, and then its relief valve will bypass, even at idle. Once the oil has thinned a bit due to warming, the relief valve will close off, pushing all or most of the oil through the engine, until the revvs rise and it will relieve again.

The problem is, thick oil presents quite a high loading to a high speed bearing. Full explanation http://www.joegibbsdriven.com/trainingcenter/082106.html

Key sentence ;

In an operating bearing, if it becomes necessary to increase speed, ZN/P will increase and it may be necessary to decrease oil viscosity to keep ZN/P and the coefficient of friction in the design range.

The only way to decrease oil viscosity is to let it warm up properly, or put a thinner oil in it to begin with.

The bottom line is, if you revv an engine hard with a too-thick oil in it (oil is too cold or wrong SAE rating) then you will spin a bearing in its housing.

Further reading ; http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=%22oil+wedge%22+temperature+viscosity


DB

[breakaway]

Whats the difference in the bike sitting still and motor doing 2000rpm (choke on) and the wheels going round and the bike doing 3000prm?

Pull in the clutch when you're rolling around doing 3000 RPM and see what happens.

[98tls]

Usually the pump will be up to working pressure in seconds, and then its relief valve will bypass, even at idle. Once the oil has thinned a bit due to warming, the relief valve will close off, pushing all or most of the oil through the engine, until the revvs rise and it will relieve again.

The problem is, thick oil presents quite a high loading to a high speed bearing. Full explanation http://www.joegibbsdriven.com/trainingcenter/082106.html

Key sentence ;

In an operating bearing, if it becomes necessary to increase speed, ZN/P will increase and it may be necessary to decrease oil viscosity to keep ZN/P and the coefficient of friction in the design range.

The only way to decrease oil viscosity is to let it warm up properly, or put a thinner oil in it to begin with.

The bottom line is, if you revv an engine hard with a too-thick oil in it (oil is too cold or wrong SAE rating) then you will spin a bearing in its housing.

Further reading ; http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=%22oil+wedge%22+temperature+viscosity


DB Interesting read.Yea i know its sad i find reading about oil interesting:( Was reading an article the other day on the internet about oil pumps etc and had a chuckle when they tested an aftermarket oil pump on a Harley,seems a few in the states had had problems after having there bikes idling at around 900 rpm with oem oil pump because it sounded good:beer:upon testing the oil pump at those rpms it showed it wasnt pumping bugger all if at all anything.

[Toaster]

When my bike was in one working piece I backed it out, started up and left it running while I farted around with gloves, helmet and fumbling for the garage door remote.

Usually has a bit of warmth in it after a nice slow ride down the gravel drive to the road listening to the deep rumble of the v-twin.

[EJK]

My bike stalls on the lights if I don't warm it up... Low power bike you see?

[yod]

like the toastmeister said; i start her up and then let her run while i'm arsing around getting gear on....can't hurt, can it

[CookMySock]

a nice slow ride down the gravel drive to the road listening to the deep rumble of the v-twin.hehehe, ooh.. hehehe, ooh, hehehe, ooooh. Yep.


My bike stalls on the lights if I don't warm it up... Low power bike you see?/me points at teh choke.. just enough so the revs rise a little bit..

DB

[FilthyLuka]

My bike stalls on the lights if I don't warm it up... Low power bike you see?

It happens, talk to Xerxes about traffic lights and stalling :p



/me points at teh choke.. just enough so the revs rise a little bit..


You really shouldn't ride your bike with the choke on...

[Biggles2000]

Starting:
The initial few seconds after hitting the starter is the critical time for engine damage mostly due to low oil pressure. Modern oils are great things they flow easier when cold and stick better to the internal bearing surfaces than the old types of oils. We used to say that starting a motor from cold caused 100km of wear. Reving the motor up from cold with no oil pressure causes damage and shortens the service life of the vehicle.

Warm up:
After the oil pressure comes up it is usually fine to ride off but do not let the motor race until the motors temperature has come up. This lets the internal tollerances to standardise, the pistons to fit the bores, the oil flow to increase as the oil thins (cooling), the tyres to warm up etc etc etc. Think of this as a race warm up lap.

Some motors do not seem to be damaged by bad starting, like the old low power push rod toyota motors, but even now the new vvt performance toyota motors won't let the motor operate over 6000rpm until the motor has trached 75 dec C.

Yes I do carefully start all my motor without reving them and I do let them warm up while I put my gloves and lid on. I also ride slowly until the motor has warmed up to its operating temp.

[fridayflash]

I habitualy warm my bikes as i do my car and van,for a few minutes at
least,but i have wondered if this is always best? hmmm

[cowboyz]

Pull in the clutch when you're rolling around doing 3000 RPM and see what happens.


completely lost me here. Whats your point?


Interesting that the concenous (sp?) is that cold oil is harder to pump round than hot oil. This statement on its own is true. however 10W40 has a low temp of -23 deg. This means that even on a cold morning (lets say 3 deg) the oil is 26 deg hotter than its lowest effective tempature so one would think the pump would have no trouble at all pumping it around the engine.

Load: All motors work better under load. It is not good to rev any motor, hot or cold in neutral. Without the load on the motor you can do serious harm to the internals. Leaving a bike with choke on revving in neutral can only be a negative thing.

[Quartermile]

I make sure my SJ50 scooter warms up for a few minutes at the start of the day. Get my helmet out, start it up, and then sort my shit out for a fewmins (helmet on, gate open, gloves on, shoes tied...) Once I get out the gate and onto the road I take it easy for the next k or so. I find that if I don't warm it up and be aggressive with the power, the engine jerks as I throttle up.

I've got used to warming up engines from flying though
lololololololol, you warm up a scooter:scooter:

[BOGAR]

Like alto of people responding here i let my bike warm up first. it isn't hard to do as i roll it out of the garage start it up and then proceed to close and lock the garage and put my jacket, skid lid and gloves on. i do a quick check of the house, roll down to the gate to open and shut once through and by then the bike is usually nice and warm. i noticed a BIG difference in response with the bike when i tried running it cold :cold: , felt like it had lost a lot of horses.

[Renegade]

i voted must warm up, only because i care about my bike, if it was my old bomb of a ute i just start it hook reverse and thrash it cos i couldnt give a shit about it, but i think everyone knows the reason to warm engins up 1st.

[cowboyz]

Are you suggesting I dont care about my bike?
The issue is not if you warm your bike up or not but rather how you warm your bike up. Weather it is warming up sitting on the sidestand or warming up while running up the road.

[Naki Rat]

Between living rural and having the 100kmh zone virtually outside the gateway, and the words of me dear old Dad imprinted on my brain ("90% of the wear happens in the first 6 miles"), the Sprint is left idling while I kit up with helmet, etc.

Works for me.

[MotoKuzzi]

Get gear on, back outa the garage, roll it to the street, roll it down hill in neutral hit the start button as Im rolling, drop it into second gear and short shift until I have a few K's up then ride normally. Don't see anything different from a static warm up. In fact with cars they used to recommend doing just that, rather than prolonged stationary idle with choke on washing the bore.

[sinfull]

Between living rural and having the 100kmh zone virtually outside the gateway, and the words of me dear old Dad imprinted on my brain ("90% of the wear happens in the first 6 miles"), the Sprint is left idling while I kit up with helmet, etc.

Works for me.

Same position a Naki Rat ! with the 160 k area just outside the gate i have no choice ! Do however take off in the deisel without warming it (knowing full well the oil is prob f....d by now too but like its a car !
But i do see ya point here Cowboyz, if you can ride away at low revz the oils should be well spread throughout the engine within seconds (on a modern machine) so it shouldn't be a problem

[CookMySock]

Are you suggesting I dont care about my bike?hez saying the same thing as the other warmer-uppers - "I FEEL better if I do this, because it FEELS like I am doing something for it, and I LIKE it."


The issue is not if you warm your bike up or not but rather how you warm your bike up. Weather it is warming up sitting on the sidestand or warming up while running up the road.Yup, the non-sit-arounder warmer-uppers agree - it is possible, even desireable, to warm up your bike on the move, and no thats not what we call "caning it".

Hey, its about mince, and how you like your monkey spanked..

DB

[Swoop]

Short warm-up.

[banditrider]

F1 warm-up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSHToyGIxWE

[motorbyclist]

I warm up while i get my gear on, chuck cat our the door etc etc. give it maybe 5 minutes on the really cold mornings but nothing more

several reasons:

i live on a windy road, and nothing starts my day better than a good blat on a sunny morning

carburetor means it doesn't run too well for the first 90 seconds (my dirtbike wont even take off or rev without choke on for several minutes)

i've seen what happens when you start a bike and go blatting away immediately - stuff heats up at different rates and whaddaya know you've cracked the piston to your yfz450 quad and you've barely made it to the end of your driveway

oil needs to get pumped to places it's needed, and should be appropriately warmed to get to the right viscosity

why is viscosity important? all the load/speed/friction calculations the engineers make for your motors, particuarly the journal/bushing type bearings have viscosity as a major factor - these can be found everywhere from camshafts to gearboxes to both the piston and crank ends of the conrod (depends on the motor, obviously).
without going into theory on hydrodynamic bearings - too thick an oil means you're outside operating parameters, doing more damage to you bike in the first 5 minutes than you will over the course of the day
(too thin an oil has similar efect, which is why it pays to replace it every now and again)



would you run your bike on vege oil from the kitchen?
would you run with oil not properly coating the engine parts?
no?
well seeing as you have to stop to put on jacket/helmet etc, why not start the bike first and let it idle while you kit up - that way there's no need to nana it and no harm done

[motorbyclist]

F1 warm-up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSHToyGIxWE

i hear those are so finely toleranced that they have to keep warm water pumping through them or they'll seize up


Get gear on, back outa the garage, roll it to the street, roll it down hill in neutral hit the start button as Im rolling, drop it into second gear and short shift until I have a few K's up then ride normally. Don't see anything different from a static warm up. In fact with cars they used to recommend doing just that, rather than prolonged stationary idle with choke on washing the bore.

why not start bike first, then put gear on etc?

[dipshit]

F1 warm-up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSHToyGIxWE

Oh dear, another wank session for the VIPs

[Shadows]

Engine oil is distributed more effectively throughout the engine when it is under a little pressure. This is not acheived with stationary idling but with gentle riding for the first couple of km.

[motorbyclist]

Engine oil is distributed more effectively throughout the engine when it is under a little pressure. This is not acheived with stationary idling but with gentle riding for the first couple of km.

what?

how does riding affect oil pressure? oil pump is mechanically driven by the crank, not the wheels!

idling will put oil under pressure, revving will add pressure but do alot of damage until the oil has had time to get to where it's going

[xwhatsit]

It happens, talk to Xerxes about traffic lights and stalling :p
Motherfucker! Where did you see me do that? That's happened a couple of times lately. Accelerator pump sticking, starves the engine of fuel when you crack the throttle open as soon as the lights turn green.

My engine is most unhappy from cold. Big bog/flat spot just above idle, idles very low, occasional misfire, and heaps of crackling and farting on the over-run (much more than usual). Partly because the engine's a bit sad anyway, but mostly because it's air-cooled and carburetted. Hence, ever since owning it, I give it a good 5 minutes or so while I get my gear on. Even when warmed up I still give it a few seconds to circulate the oil when starting.

I dunno about these modern close-tolerance water-boilers with injection systems, but it would seem to me common sense with an air-cooled carbed bike to give it a thorough warm up. If you want proof, just listen to the tappets; noisy as hell from cold, but quiet when hot. Tolerances closed up, the big gap you could hear banging away is closed. Carbs and intake tracts also need to be nice and warm before they'll atomise fuel properly (at least that's what teh intarweb tells me), so the carburettion will be all up the tree. And of course there's all the oil stuff people have been waffling on about.

[Patch]

. . . warming up while running up the road.
This is considered riding/driving with a cold engine, definately not warming up.




Its a bit sad to read quite a few think their bikes have chokes when they do not.


Consider what might happen if a:

Aeroplane
Jet Fighter
Truck
Train
Bus

were not warmed up properly. So what makes your bike so fucking special that it does not deserve the first 4-5mins most important time in its short life??

[MotoKuzzi]

i hear those are so finely toleranced that they have to keep warm water pumping through them or they'll seize up



why not start bike first, then put gear on etc?

Mainly because at 5am it wakes the neighbours and my dog starts to howl, so I roll it down the road and wake the neighbours further away. But its a habit I have stuck with elsewhere, I ease into the ride gently over a few K until I'm ready to open up.

[tzrmike]

I have a two-stroke, and apart from the fact it coughs and splutters when cool, it also smokes like a steamtrain! Its much happier (and cleaner) when warmed up for a while.

Four strokes, I warm them up a bit, then ride/drive carefully until full temperature is reached. As mentioned this allow time for the other components to warm up, including the rider! I think this is the best way, especially with cars, as you need to get the gearbox and diff up to working temps as well.

Also, I work with refridgeration compressors, and in the past, did a bit of work with stand-by diesel generators. Now, both of those use crankcase heaters, especially in the case of the generators, where the heaters keep the coolant, oil and block, etc at full operating temperature. This is so if and when the generator has to start, it can be generating at full power/full load literally within a matter of seconds. The refridge compressors are normally started with (depending on the size of the compressor and the control system) 50-66% load, switching to 100% load after about 30-60 seconds. I don't think they'd be too happy or have a long life if they were under that load from cold.

[gunnyrob]

My Beemer has an air cooled engine. If it idles too long at rest it can overheat.

[Shadows]

what?

how does riding affect oil pressure? oil pump is mechanically driven by the crank, not the wheels!

idling will put oil under pressure, revving will add pressure but do alot of damage until the oil has had time to get to where it's going

No shit the wheels don't drive the oil pump. How stupid do you think I am?

Yes, I agree revving a cold engine will fuck it. No argument there. But I never mentioned "revving" the engine. I was talking about putting it under a tiny bit of load with gentle riding. By gentle I mean basically riding just above idle for a little bit. The oil gets to the top end faster that way, the engine warms up faster and more evenly while running more slowly than if left screaming with full choke on, and plugs don't get fouled up with rich running.

Plus, with the price of fuel at the moment at least it's getting used to propel the bike down the road instead of going to waste.

[gijoe1313]

Daisy always takes a little while to fire up when shes been sitting around for a while. Sometimes I have to roll her out and let her sit in the sun for a wee whiles and then kickstart her into life.

Then she likes to warble and burble away for a few minutes warming up and tickling her throttle a little before she feels set to streak off! :yes: Now that Betsy is in the stable, I also give her the same ol'treatment.

I also do the same for Pippi but she just wants to putter out ASAP and get some road beneath her! (shes having a wee rest at the moment!)

As for my Hornets, I always like to fire them up and let them run a wee bit just to get them warmed up a little before gently riding along with them.

[dipshit]

The issue is not if you warm your bike up or not but rather how you warm your bike up. Weather it is warming up sitting on the sidestand or warming up while running up the road.

Then why didn't you have one of those options in your poll?

[dipshit]

how does riding affect oil pressure? oil pump is mechanically driven by the crank, not the wheels!

Well on my bike idle is 1200 rpm. Riding quietly down the street with very little throttle in the first few gears is around 3500 to 4000 rpm. The latter option will have more oil circulating the engine with still very little load on it.



idling will put oil under pressure, revving will add pressure but do alot of damage until the oil has had time to get to where it's going

Even where you live will make a difference. One place I lived at had a very steep driveway to get up first thing, which demanded a bit of load to get up, so I did tend to allow the bike longer to warm up on idle first before heading up the steep driveway.

But when living at a different place at the top of a hill, my vehicles had a very easy time healing downhill on pretty much a neutral throttle to warm up. And now i am living on a flat street there is no problem for my SV quietly riding off down the road after 20 seconds or so of fast idle.

[mbazza]

As per most other posts. I warm the strom up by idling it while I gear up. Usually has one bar up when I set off and at least two bars before I need to reach speed limit. Yours with warm oil. Cheers.
:2thumbsup

[alanzs]

Turn on the machine with choke engaged. Let it idle till it hits the 3,000 rpm roar, turn choke off, rpms drop to about 1250. Put on gear; suit, earplugs, lid, gloves, in that exact order. Swing leg over bike, roll out of garage and away I go.
As the bike has carbuerators, it doesn't go so smooth when cold, hence the warm up.

Also, the old lady next door (who has never said hello to me in years???) has a whiny little fucking dog that she releases every morning a little before 6:00 am and it whines and howls incessantly. It's part of the payback to keep the neighbours happy. If the dog has been whining especially loud, waking me from my beauty sleep which I so desperately need, I may even leave the radar detector siren on for that LOUD, 150 db blasting, chirping blaring sound. WARM BIKE=RUN BETTA

[jade]

My Bike gets 5-10mins of idling before work before I make the 2 minute journey to work, when I take off I keep it below 4000revs for a few minutes, wouldnt get above 5000 revs before work..
If you try and take it up through the revs even after a 5-10min warmup, you will quickly see by 7000revs that it wont do it/doesnt like it
when its warm - redline every gear every time

[dipshit]

My Bike gets 5-10mins of idling before work before I make the 2 minute journey to work,

Why not walk or cycle to work and save your bike all that grief every morning?

The less cold starts a bike has over its life the better off it will be.

[cowboyz]

This is considered riding/driving with a cold engine, definately not warming up.
Its a bit sad to read quite a few think their bikes have chokes when they do not.
Consider what might happen if a:

Aeroplane
Jet Fighter
Truck
Train
Bus

were not warmed up properly. So what makes your bike so fucking special that it does not deserve the first 4-5mins most important time in its short life??
Interesting to note you are comparing your bike against heavy machinery. I drive heavy machinery for a income. Certainly wouldnt compare the kwaka to anything in the shed.
What makes my bike so special? Well to start with, it is still running like the day it was built without the need to sit in the shed for 5-10 minutes idling before I pootle off to work in the morning. I dont see benefits in any engine reving while in neutral. Especially if the bike is air cooled. Not moving = no cooling so overheating is a real possiblilty.


Then why didn't you have one of those options in your poll?
did you read the first post in conjunction with the poll or just jump in premature?

[Stormer]

As with most others, mines doing the warm up thang while I`m closing up the garage, putting on gloves and generally getting my shit together for the ride.

[dipshit]

did you read the first post in conjunction with the poll or just jump in premature?

It would have been more balanced to have an option for "ride it gently until operating temp is reached"... so people don't think not idling your bike for ages and riding off down the street instead, doesn't equal not warming your bike up.

[Daffyd]

I work on the basis that at idle the oil pump is barely turning and it takes longer for the (cold) oil to circulate properly. Therefore, I start the bike and ride off gently until it warms up. But, I never, never, rev it hard until it is properly warmed up.

[doc]

I work on the basis that at idle the oil pump is barely turning and it takes longer for the (cold) oil to circulate properly. Therefore, I start the bike and ride off gently until it warms up. But, I never, never, rev it hard until it is properly warmed up.

Yep pretty much my thoughts . Don't think excessive idling with the engine on the side stand is a good idea.

[munterk6]

Whatever harley riders do, I do the opposite.....soooooo...I start it, rev the shit out of it, and take off at full noise, coz I can!
Ive been woken at rallies by harleys so many f@#ken times Im traumatised. What is it about harley guys needing to start up at 3:18am and idling for 25 minutes then shutting down and leaving later on?????? :beer:

[Daffyd]

Whatever harley riders do, I do the opposite.....soooooo...I start it, rev the shit out of it, and take off at full noise, coz I can!
Ive been woken at rallies by harleys so many f@#ken times Im traumatised. What is it about harley guys needing to start up at 3:18am and idling for 25 minutes then shutting down and leaving later on?????? :beer:

Coz they can?

[CookMySock]

:corn: :corn:

DB

[freddy72]

I always let it warm up for a couple of minutes before i ride while i get it out of the garage and put my gear on if i don't my bike doesn't feel like it runs right for the first 5min.

[HungusMaximist]

I've been nice to the cbr, I warm it for about 2 mins or so but it's a frikking bitch to wait that long. I don't really know if it makes a huge difference or not, if there's any research done on this but generally I feel nicer and the bike feel nicer after a warm up.

Iam supposedly to warm it up till 60 degrees but a good 50 degrees will do.

I've got on/off auto-choke so everything is all good.

[CookMySock]

[...] I feel nicer and the bike feel nicer after a warm up.There is no better reason to do anything.


DB

[xgnr]

Nope, just start her up, jump on and ride.

Admittedly I would never give her heaps until at operating temp.

In fact the manual sez not to warm it up.

[glice]

I get it out then start it up and put all my gear on then off I go gently for a bit.

[megageoff76]

I get it out then start it up and put all my gear on then off I go gently for a bit.

I think thats all that is needed.

I saw someone earlier post that they let it idle for 5-10 minutes before setting off, what a waste of gas!

[pritch]

If you thrash the bollox off it whilst the engine is still warning, it won't last too long. Common sense and all that good stuff.

I like that "common sense" bit. :yes:

With the VFR I run the engine while I do the hat and gloves thing. Partly to be sympathetic, and partly because the engine runs a bit fast until it warms up enough to wake up the temperature gauge (35C). It's actually easier to ride the first block or two in start/stop town mode when warmed up a little.

Something similar with the SJ50 but am concerned that there may be a fine line between warming up and oiling up. It seems to 4 stroke for about two hundred yards from cold whatever I do .

[pritch]

Coz they can?

Not all of them. :whistle:

At the only Cold Kiwi I went to, people were trying to start their bikes at 4.00AM while the bike was frozen. The hopeful ones were still trying to bump start their bikes in deep slush when we left (after waiting for the ice to melt off the bike).

It sort of leads one to the conclusion that the insomniac types knew there was a problem before they left home...

[crazefox]

na get on it and thrash the fuck out of it:Punk::Punk:

[vifferman]

The question is whether you leave your bike still to warm up before riding it. I say it make no difference but I am not advocating thrashing or even revving it hard as soon as you start riding it. just riding normally. There are cases (one just above) that leaves his bike for a full 10 minutes to warm up.
I can't be fucked reading through all the replies to this to see what people think or say, but it seems like the consensus is that it's best to wreck your engine by leaving it idling some considerable time before riding away. For some bikes, excessive idling does more harm than good, whereas if you ride away after a couple of minutes, the rising and falling of the revs, and the gears whirling away in the box ensure the oil gets properly circulated.
I get all my gear on except for gloves and helmet, start the bike, put gloves and helmet on, and ride off. Note that I don't thrash the engine just because I'm riding off before the temperature's at 60-summat degrees (when the EFI is no longer running rich) - I keep the revs moderate.
I've read so many articles in motoring magazines that do not advocate idling the engine until the thermostat (if it's a watercooled engine) opens.

For the cars, I don't even wait that long: all our vehicles have EFI, so I just wait until the idle's not all lumpy, and drive off. I don't rev, thrash, or load up the engine.

[vifferman]

Yep pretty much my thoughts . Don't think excessive idling with the engine on the side stand is a good idea.
No, indeed not. Some older (boxer) BMWs had problems with oiling up the left-hand cylinder if this was done, and there's a school of thought that camchain tensioner failure on VTR1000s may be hastened in part by excessive idling on the sidestand. (On the VTRs, it's usually the front tensioner that fails first, and this one gets less oil as the CCT slopes down towards the head, whereas the rear one slopes up, getting more oil).

[Maki]

Idling to warm up the bike is a waste of fuel. It also seems to be bad for some bikes. There is no reason for it so I avoid it.

[Badjelly]

I can't be fucked reading through all the replies to this to see what people think or say, ...

Yeah, I know what you mean: I couldn't be fucked reading your post.

[MotoKuzzi]

I would have thought,the role of the thermostat in controlling temperature on water cooled bikes should eliminate the need for prolonged warm up. I always remember being told the best thing for a car was to get on the road as soon as possible and up to operating in the shortest possible time. ( without thrashing it )

[Trouser]

I always remember being told the best thing for a car was to get on the road as soon as possible and up to operating in the shortest possible time. ( without thrashing it )

Your right. The longest way to warm up your bike is to let it idle.

[vifferman]

Yeah, I know what you mean: I couldn't be fucked reading your post.
LOL!
You are too kind, three kind even.