Do you warm your bike up before heading off?

[crazefox]

na get on it and thrash the fuck out of it

[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.