I always warm up till I feel heat on the heads then go easy the first couple miles and I have had good luck not having oil leaks. The colder it is outside the more I let it heat up, even in my trucks that have 350,000 miles on them with no engine work.... Not because of Evo but that is how I do any engine.

 

yeah that ^^^^

 

My philosophy also.

 

Myth! I bought my 1990 bike new and back then it was common knowledge that after a few thousand miles base gaskets may start to leak. It was also common knowledge that replacement gaskets would cure the problem, however the internet continues to repeat 20+ year old 'news' as if it is still a problem. I have never run any of my bikes until the rockers are warm, in 40 years of riding - that's a waste of time and gas!

If they do leak, they are easy to replace, just use decent ones. This topic is one of those that distinguishes the occasional leisure rider from the practical one - no way when going to work, at the crack of dawn, am I ever going to sit with a bike engine running for a few minutes, to wake and annoy my neighbours. It ain't necessary!

 

The bolts that hold it together would expand with heat also, so I say its a myth.....

 

My vote is myth. Yes, they can leak and the factory paper gaskets will leak at some point. But, that's gonna happen with the factory gaskets no matter what you do, some day. Those old paper gaskets just eventually get dry and fall apart.

With that said I believe in letting the bike warm up some before riding, especially in cold weather. It's an air cooled engine, big pistons, thick oil, etc.. Things are expanding at different rates, aluminum and steel. I don't always wait for the rockers to get entirely warm but, I do ride her real easy for a couple of miles till everything is warm.

 

Yes, let the bike warn up until the rocker cover start to get warm. Metal expands or swells went it get hot, that helps seal up the engine. Cold engine means cold oil, cold oil makes high oil pressure, high oil pressure and a load (driving when cold) on the cold engine creates leaks. I know a guy, his base cylinder gasket would leak on a cold start. Wipe them clean as soon as it warmed up, and then after a few hours of riding They where some what dry. He was kind off lazy about doing maintenance on his bike. In the cold mornings when he went to work he didn't have the patience to let it warm up. He don't do that now, after I told him why his base cylinder gasket where leaking, even though the damage is done.

 

When I first crank my cold Evo the oil pressure can be 45 lbs at idle and after about a minute it's in the 20's and closer to normal riding pressures. If I hit the road cold my oil pressure would be around 55lb.

 

My favourite indy reckons oil gauges on an Evo are a darned nuisance and should be banned!

 

I know they say that about me too.