Bike warm-up?

**wbks** · 26th December 2008, 09:02

This 'warmup' buisness is PC crap. I just start my zx-r up let it idle for a minute or two then you have to work the redline- its the only way you can get it at full performance before you ride

**discotex** · 26th December 2008, 09:21

Originally Posted by madbikeboy

Yeah, I'm not sure that I agree with your manual, here's why...

My GSXR has a motor finely stuffed with all sorts of nice exotic metallurgy - getting the motor up to temperature is partly about warming the oil, and getting stuff flowing - it's also about equalising all the tolerances of the individual components so that they fit and mesh correctly. I won't ride until Scoot is up to temperature correctly.

I think Honda of all people know how to treat an engine to make it last. Not suggesting you rape your bike straight out of the garage. Until you're at operating temp we're talking 1/4 throttle and half the redline max.

There are countless articles online that explain why idling a cold engine is bad but largely it comes down to contamination of the oil and wasting your time. In my case it can overheat the cats with exhaust full of unburnt fuel.

The tolerances aren't that tight that it's an issue in road engines. It's not like a rotang where you have steel and aluminium next to each other which can warp. And even rotaries are better warmed up while driven gently.

Originally Posted by madbikeboy

Then it's the turn of tires and brakes - riding in a straight line at 100kph will put heat in the tire from the carcass flex as stated above, you're trying to get heat into the tire, not just heating the surface, so starting with some heat is good, and then being timid and progressively pushing the tire rather than finding out the grip limit by accident...

Yep riding at 100km/h will eventually heat the tyre. Having done warmup laps at Taupo just waiting for the tyres to get warm vs actively using gas/brake I can say the difference is night and day tho.

If you do 0-80-20-80-20-80-20 in a straight line your tyres will be warmer than 15 mins of motorway riding.

**Motig** · 26th December 2008, 09:35

Yep, let the bike warm up while putting gear on- I'm fine with that. BUT all this paranoia about warming the tyres up. Good grief, race track yes but arn't the majority of you just riding to work for gods sake next it'll be changing the oil, brake fluid, checking valve clearance etc before you push it out to the driveway for a wash

**wbks** · 26th December 2008, 09:41

Even on the road you can get the front washing out on a cold sharp turn when you are taking it easy. I remember someone on this site, specifically, scratched their new paint job on their bike when they went to ride the bike at full lock out of the shed or something like it and the front tire being stone cold just drove forward and down she went!

**Headbanger** · 26th December 2008, 10:03

Originally Posted by wbks

Even on the road you can get the front washing out on a cold sharp turn when you are taking it easy. I remember someone on this site, specifically, scratched their new paint job on their bike when they went to ride the bike at full lock out of the shed or something like it and the front tire being stone cold just drove forward and down she went!

I wouldn't be blaming that cunning stunt on the font tire, I'd be looking a little further back, Around the seat area, Probably a direct connection from that area to the throttle hand.

**Headbanger** · 26th December 2008, 10:05

Engine warm-up.

Since I had the cam fitted to my bike it seems impossible to bring her up to anything close to a good operating temperature by just letting her run.

Whether I leave her for 3 minutes of 10 she still runs like a bitch until she has a few minutes of road use under her belt, And by then (unless Im heading out of town) I'm usually wherever I was heading to.....

**wbks** · 26th December 2008, 10:07

lol sure but you can't say you haven't noticed the difference in response from the front from when you ride out of your driveway onto the road and after 30 mins of hard accel or breaking

**Headbanger** · 26th December 2008, 10:13

Never noticed because I'm so skilful that those low level computations are performed by my subconscious, and I fine-tune my riding accordingly.

**Headbanger** · 26th December 2008, 10:14

Thought I would have a look into Harley engine warm up,found this article.

http://www.americanrider.com/output.cfm?id=1021933

So, what is a person to do to properly warm-up the engine? Basically, give the motor a chance swell up and get its clearances act together. The bit of extra piston/cylinder clearance or piston ring end gap won't matter if you keep the loads and rpm moderate during warm-up. The lower clamping pressure holding the heads in close proximity to the cylinders aren't so important at half-throttle.

Why not just let the engine idle until it is warm? This is important. A cold engine generally needs the choke to run at all. Chokes are relatively crude devices and dump too much fuel into the engine, more than it needs. This extra fuel washes oil off cylinder walls, finds its way past loose pistons (and ring gaps) and down into the oil. Other byproducts of combustion find their way into the crankcase and engine oil as well. These include: water, acids and carbon particles.

The best way to minimize all this contamination is to warm the engine as quickly as is reasonably possible. "Reasonably possible" includes placing a load on the engine by actually riding the bike. One or two horsepower are needed to idle an engine, but it takes 10 or so to go down the road. More horsepower develops more heat, hence, the heat from the 10 warms the motor faster, reducing corrosive oil and engine contamination.

If you keep revs below half-way to redline and the throttle below one-half, you'll have no trouble with blow-by or overstressing cold and still loose parts. Long ago, before emissions standards and too many lawyers with time on their hands, General Motors learned that engines lasted longer if they were warmed by driving the car. I have ridden with that recommendation in mind for 40-plus years and preached it to thousands. It makes sense and seems to work.

But please, never "drop the hammer" on your cold Harley motor and never red-line it until fully warm. By "fully warm" I mean that the oil, all of it, engine, gearbox and primary are up to operating temperature. This usually requires about 12 miles at 65 mph. Warm oil is a reliable sign that all the parts are well lubed and that all clearances are within the tolerances of what Harley-Davidson intended.

So, I recommend that you ride your bike moderately just as soon as it is safe to do so. If the engine warms enough to reliably respond to the throttle, ride.

**discotex** · 26th December 2008, 10:16

Originally Posted by Motig

Good grief, race track yes but arn't the majority of you just riding to work for gods sake next it'll be changing the oil, brake fluid, checking valve clearance etc before you push it out to the driveway for a wash

You mean I'm not supposed to do all that?

**Taz** · 26th December 2008, 10:27

I also just start up. Idle for 30secs or so and then ride off. Both on the duke and the Beemer. I run the kdx til it'll run ok when the choke is turned off. Doesn't take long.