What kind of temperatures are your bikes operating at? I commute about 7km's one way each day, barely hit any stoplights and average 90 km/h so my temps are hovering between 50-60 for the 9-12 minute ride. I warm her up for about 1-2 mins. Curious as to what you guys are doing and how comfy you are with opening her up at lower engine temps. I'm debating whether I should warm her up for 5 minutes and try to reach 50 deg before I even start riding.
I'm making it a poll just to grab poll lovers attentions. If you can elaborate what kind of ride times and conditions (stop/go/freeway) your riding in that would help.
I wait a few minutes for a temperature to register on the guage then I ride. It also says in my manual not to idle for more than 5 minutes after startup.
The time it takes for me to fire up the bike, put on my gloves, wheel it out of the garage and wait for the door to come down... about 1-2 minutes I guess.
Then I take it real easy until the temperature gets up in the lower mid range of the gauge (no numbers... not sure what temperature the thing runs at)
I usually just let it warm up while I put my helmet and gloves on. The temp doesn't even register until it hits 35...and in the min or two it takes me to put my stuff on it's usually at least at that.
I'm the same as most, run it while I get suited up. My bike is in an underground, so it's never really cold, and it warms up faster riding that idling. I just take it easy for a bit, but that's for tires as well. No numbers on my temp gauge, but it's usually no lower than if I was on a long highway run in the summer. Coming home in traffic last night (white rock to Van) the fan actually came on a few times!
My riding temps vary from -10C to 40+C, (ambient, not engine coolant temps) and I mostly maintain the Manual Method.
Warm up for a few seconds (while I adjust my farkles and gear) and ride away.
Riding motorcycles is a lot like the Fat Lady in a Wagner opera.
(Huns in Horns?):roflmao
Neither she, nor I, sing at full tilt until we're fully warmed up.:thumbup
I bump start mine in the AM (down the driveway) being a motard , it don't have much coolant to warm up anyway? so I just take it easy for the first bit .
HOWEVER I learned about letting the tires warm up a bit more when it's freezing out :rolleyes it now takes twice as long to get grip , and I paid for that saturday by sliding my ride down the tarmac in the orchards of east Kelowna .
It's nice to have a temperature guage. I just warm it up until it is at the low end of the operating range and go. These days, it doesn't go a lot higher any way.
First, start the bike, put riding gear on and, ride on. At first, pretty easy untill she hits at least 45. Then bang as hard as I feel like. What is as important as warming up to me is cooling down. More at this time of the year than ever! My last 4 or 5 minutes are pretty easy too, I wouldn't want her to cool down too fast.
im with most...gearing up while warming it up.
take it easy....i got no temp gauge tho,should that be a concern?
only a warning light.Think i should be putting one on?
I've still got 15W40 oil in mine and is becoming hard to start after leaving it in the parking lot all day. Does it make a huge difference to go to 10W40?
i know i should wait until the bike finishes warming up... but that's like 5-10 minutes! so i now half warm up, then set out half choke...
then turn the choke all the way down a few minutes later...
temperature? TOO COLD (near the bottom of the gauge as there are no numbers)
when it's chilly out... it runs just below the middle.... when it's not chilly it runs 2/3 of the gauge... when it's hot... it runs a little higher with the fan always on
I've still got 15W40 oil in mine and is becoming hard to start after leaving it in the parking lot all day. Does it make a huge difference to go to 10W40?
How old is your battery? Batteries loose their ability to provide electricity as they get colder (and older). That, combined with the gas being that much farther from its flashpoint (colder (air temp too)) combines to make the bike harder to start. I doubt running lighter oil would help starting.
The wrong battery for your bike, a tired charging system or corroding electrical connections can also all add to this problem. I once sold a bike in part (I now realize) because it had become unreliable only because the former onwer had installed a gell battery on a bike not able to fully charge a gell battery. Going back to the stocker greatly improved the bikes starting reliability. :rolleyes
I'm going to have to post an adverse opinion stily1.
My previous bike, a beemer, was very particular about the weight of oil, when it came to "cold," weather starting. Around 0C it would be somewhat sluggish, and was obviously putting a strain on the starter.
However, when I switched to the "Manual recommended," lighter weight oil, it was an easier spin/start. Thus, around October, I switched viscosities.
I will defer to the Owners Manual, or the more common Disclaimers.
YMMV.
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