Warming up a bike
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,903
Likes: 1,122
From: 48.067222,12.863611
1. A cold engine is experiencing the worst, most accelerated wear.
2. You should warm up your engine oil as quickly as possible, without damaging anything.
3. The quickest way to warm up an engine, without damaging anything, is to drive it slowly for the first few minutes.
4. A fuel injected engine should be started and then run long enough to get the oil pressure up, and to make sure the oil is fully circulating inside the motor.
5. 30 seconds is more than enough.
6. Then ride it gently, and not at high rpm, for the next few minutes.
Good to go.
2. You should warm up your engine oil as quickly as possible, without damaging anything.
3. The quickest way to warm up an engine, without damaging anything, is to drive it slowly for the first few minutes.
4. A fuel injected engine should be started and then run long enough to get the oil pressure up, and to make sure the oil is fully circulating inside the motor.
5. 30 seconds is more than enough.
6. Then ride it gently, and not at high rpm, for the next few minutes.
Good to go.
Banned
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 7,406
Likes: 834
From: Straight Jacket Memories and Sedative Highs
Cracks me up when you get the guys who say it is air cooled if you let it idle it will melt down. I wonder if they ever go anywhere with a stop light.
I try to let everything warm up a bit. Not perfect every time. But by the time, I get the bike turned around, garage door closed, ect, I feel ok. Plus not hammering it right out of the driveway.
I was raised on dissimilar metals.
I try to let everything warm up a bit. Not perfect every time. But by the time, I get the bike turned around, garage door closed, ect, I feel ok. Plus not hammering it right out of the driveway.
I was raised on dissimilar metals.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,800
Likes: 307
From: Houston, Texas
I'm for oil pressure and go. I commute every day on my bike and want to be kind to my neighbors. I start and go every day. Just ride easy until it gets a mile or two down the road. I've done this in freezing temps to 80 degree mornings. My commuter bike made it a 112,000 miles doing this and I only rebuilt it then because I had the money and wanted to rebuild while it was still running good to save money. My indy said the wear was normal and the worst part was the lifters and valve guides.
The newer fuel injected bikes don't require the same warm up as the older bikes and especially the bikes with carburetors. Of course if you can and your neighbors don't mind, it damn sure can't hurt anything to let it warm up a little. Even if it's not necessary.
The newer fuel injected bikes don't require the same warm up as the older bikes and especially the bikes with carburetors. Of course if you can and your neighbors don't mind, it damn sure can't hurt anything to let it warm up a little. Even if it's not necessary.
Road Captain
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 673
Likes: 252
From: Alberta
I start up in garage, maneuver onto driveway and then go. I keep the RPM below 3,000 until I see the oil pressure drop back to around 35 Lbs +/- (where it stays when fully warmed). Otherwise I don't worry about it with the newer engines, fuel injection and synthetic oil.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 3,522
Likes: 3,697
From: South Texas
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 11,471
Likes: 2,998
From: Charleston, SC
I "had" a carbed 03 Dyna for years that I had to play with the choke for 20 minutes every morning. Yeah, No thanks.
These days I just start the bike (a bike that runs better than any Carbed bike I've ever ridden) and just go. I don't warm it up, but I'm not hard on it right away.
Thank Fuel Injection.
These days I just start the bike (a bike that runs better than any Carbed bike I've ever ridden) and just go. I don't warm it up, but I'm not hard on it right away.
Thank Fuel Injection.
Last edited by lp; Aug 25, 2018 at 08:09 AM.
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 943
Likes: 41
I start up, let the engine fast idle. During this time I visually check the bike out to make sure tires are good and all my bags and fasteners are latched etc. When the the tach drops a 1000 rpm's I'm ready to roll.