[linm]

Can someone explain to me what exactly is happening when you warm up the bike?

I know one part is so the oil can spread around the engine parts, but what else is exactly happening. Why must the engine be warm to hold a steady idle?

I'm just trying to better understand the motor a little better. just for curiosity

 

[swjohnsey]

I don't know if this is part of the question but there is no need to warm the bike up in the sense of letting it sit and idle. Just start her up, put your gear on and ride off. Warm her up by keeping the revs down for the first few miles.

The way involves getting everything to operating temperature. Part of the energy that normally goes to making her go is being used to warm up the bits and pieces. The engine clearances are designed around a engine at operating temperature. Things expand when they are warm so you hear more click and clatters when the engine is cold.

A cold engine also accumulates moisture and unburned gasoline in the oil. It takes a while for the oil temperature to get high enough to boil off these impurities, probably at least 20 minutes.

 

[linm]

so the whole thing is basically to just get things to expand?
What causes a bike to stall if not properly warmed up? b/c everything is still a little too tight in the engine?

 

[swjohnsey]

A cold engine needs more fuel because part of it is going to warm up the engine, so the engine tends to run too lean. That is what the choke (actually not a choke but a fuel enrichment circuit) is for, to richen up the mixture when the bike is cold.

Use a little choke when it it cold and gradually bleed it off. I watch my idle speed at stop signs and such. When I notice the idle is above say 1,200-1,300 rpm I take a little choke off to reduce it back to a little over 1,000. You shouldn't be trying to give the engine massive amounts of throttle when it is cold anyway.

 

[eltorito]

Hey SW,
Are you saying that it is ok to ride the bike with "choke on" until it warms up? Just asking cause the owners manual says not to do it.

"If you drive the motorcycle before the engine is warmed up, push the choke lever all the way back as soon as you start moving"

Also it says

"Do not let the engine idle longer than five minutes, or engine overheating and damage may occur"

Just throwing this out there. Would hate to see the dealer not honor anyone's warranty because they didn't "operate" the bike as recommended in the manual. I don't know what kind of damage, if any, could be caused by riding the bike with some choke applied. But if the dealer asks guess what my answer will be

Let Saddam come and play!

 

[swjohnsey]

Hey, since when do guys follow instructions. That is almost as bad as asking for directions.

My bike is waaaay past the warranty stage, but I have to admit that I ride with the choke on . . . a little, just enouth to keep the idle above 1,000 or so. I live where it is relatively warm so this usually doesn't last more than a few blocks. I suspect that it might last a little longer in colder weather.

 

[eltorito]

My wife hates the fact that I am "never" lost. And as far as the dealer is concerned, I always follow the manual

Let Saddam come and play!

 

[nathanielsavaiki]

Manual's are made for the motorcycles, by the people who "BUILT and have RIDDEN" the damn thing. Advice is for people who think they know what they are talking about. If your smart you might want to start consulting your local dealer that might sell you some overpriced parts.

vooooorooom!

 

[mojo ninja]

I agree, I figure they made the manual for a reason. I know that I have a ton of money invested in my pride and joy, and really don't think that 30 seconds will kill me to wait so that the engine can get nice and warm. If you are willing to take that risk, by all means, and you probably will have no problems. But i am going to do everything in my power to make sure that i have no problems

2002 zx-6r
green, of course

 

[swjohnsey]

On all tests of engines I have ever seen it has been shown that warming up an engine is one of the worse things you can do to it. It is far better to drive off as soon as the oil pressure comes up and keep the rpm's down for the first few miles. Manuals are written by manual writers who, chances are, have never ridden a motorcycle. Riding a motorcycle with a little choke on while it is cold won't hurt anything.

 

[eltorito]

Sure. Opinions are like [email protected]#$. We all got one

Let Saddam come and play!

 

[swjohnsey]

Free advice, and worth every penny.

 

[Jon Dilworth]

I'm not saying that you shouldn't following the manual to you motorcycle, but a lot of the things they tell you in there is for when your bike is just a baby. They tell you these things to cover their asses and they do a good job at it. Stricyly obiding by you owners manual is like a guide on how to be an over protective parent to a child. But I would have to say to "linm" that "SW" did a good job at describing on how and why an engine needs to warm up first.

 

[Carlos]

Hola,
If you follow all instructions the manual contains you will spend 15 mins just to check everything it says you must before you ride it. Warming up by riding carefully is in my opinion the best way to go. And I also do the choke thing, start riding with it pulled. I've ridden over 35000 kms on my current bike this way and no problems so far. (It's time for a carb wash and valve inspection soon so if there are any faults I will find out)

Carlos

 

[Dave Leonard]

The reason the manufacturers discourage riding off with your joke on is simply because it's so easy to forget all about it once under way. You can go for miles, and in the meantime your bike is fouling the plugs and piling on the carbon. It is a good habit to always turn off the choke completely before moving off, just like the manual says. If you do forget about it, you may not discover it until you slow down for a stop sign or traffic light, then you'll find out immediately. A real bummer. Also, it is just as true that spending too much time idling or warming up the engine is also a bad idea, like swjohnsey says. The fact is, you shouldn't need to use the choke for more than a few seconds. I always try to turn it off, a little at a time, as quickly as possible. If you find that that you need the choke for 30 seconds or more, your idle circuit is too lean.

 

[Flash Ahhh]

I open the choke all the way to start the engine. Once it is started, I taper the choke off to lower the RPM. I guage this by engine sound, not so much by RPM.

I try to not ride with the choke on. What I do is a get all my gear out, then a get the bike out of the garage and to the bottom of the driveway. I start the bike with choke, nurse the choke down a little, then I put my gear on.

By the time I am suited up, the bike (in my opinion) is ready to roll. If the engine temp is below 130° usually the choke is still on just a tad until I start to ride. If it's over 130° I turn the choke off, even when idling.

I never idle more than 2-3 minutes. If I am taking longer than that to get ready, I let the bike warm up, then I shut it off. Finish what I am doing, then go back and start it.

-Flash

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but habit" - Aristotle

 

[Sled Dog]

I usually just have the choke on when I start her up and then taper off using the engine noise as my guide also.

But here's another question. I currently have my baby in storage, in another month it will be warm enough to ride. However since the end of last season I had a couple of loud a$$ neighbors move on my block (I mean some nights they come in at 2-3 in the am with their music loud, atleast loud for 2-3 in the am) Now I'm no prude I'm 28, like my music loud but before I turn the corner to my block I always shut it down. Now these a$$hole don't know I have a bike, I have been waiting to give these guys a wakeup call (I run a D&D) once I get my bike out of storage, I just wish I didn't have to piss off the rest of my neighbors to show these guys how insenitive they are.

Sorry for the rant.

We be ridin' Ninja 600's never Harleys kid

 

[eltorito]

Sled,
So what was your "other" question?

Let Saddam come and play!

 

[totalbrody]

i do the exact same thing as Flash Ahhh. Seems to work good.
One other thing, don't rev your bike until it's fully warmed up. I'm always seeing newbies firing their bikes up and reving it hard, not smart.