Warming up the engine?

[sharethesecret]

Is it necessary to "warm up" the engine before riding? If so...for how long- and why???

Mel

 

[RJ2112]

Is it necessary to "warm up" the engine before riding? If so...for how long- and why???

Mel

The short answer is that it's still a good idea, but not as necessary as it was before electronic ignition and fuel injection became common. The bike runs acceptably as soon as it starts, and automatically adjusts everything to keep it pretty close to ideal.

In times gone past, riding a cold bike was a really finicky affair.

Now, the biggest concern is that the engine oil is thicker when the motor is not at operating temperature.... it's harder to pump around the engine and provide lubrication where it's needed. You can put a big enough load on the motor to make the oil film break down, and have contact between a rotating part and the bearing surface.

A liquid cooled bike tends to warm up pretty quickly... less than 5 minutes almost always. You CAN ride on sooner than that.... but it's best when doing so to avoid hammering the throttle until the motor has reached normal operating temp.

On the earlier bikes, -04-06, the indication that the bike was still cold was that the first two blocks of the digital tach would blink until the bike came up to temp, then go solid.

 

[FB400]

I like to get my bike to at least 1 bar (on 2006 model no temp reading).

Typically, I roll the bike out of the garage, start it and let it run while I put on my gear. If it is still only 1 bar when I head out (cold weather) I will short shift for a couple of miles to keep the revs low until the temp comes up.

Like with your car before you ask the motor and trans to do any heavy lifting it would be better to get the engine and oil at operating temp. Is it really necessary? Not sure but been driving for 25+ years and always followed this practice. Never had a problem this way even if it is overkill, it works for me

 

[MrMogensen]

Just keep the revs in the lower part to begin with - you don't have to stand and wait for the engine to heat up unless you startup in very cold conditions!

 

[motojoe122]

Pretty much what everyone's said....put your gear on, take that last sip of coffee, etc. The way I see it is, would you go running before you stretch?

I usually start the bike, finish my coffee, feed the animals, get my gear on, and kiss the gf bye before heading to work.:thumbup:

 

[champion221elite]

I do a short warm-up if starting out with a cold engine. It's pretty much just long enough to put my gear on and do a pre-ride inspection. I check my bulbs, chain and tires. Usually the engine has warmed to 120-130 degrees by the time my helmet is on, and I'm ready to go.

 

[MrMogensen]

Pretty much what everyone's said....put your gear on, take that last sip of coffee, etc. The way I see it is, would you go running before you stretch?

I usually start the bike, finish my coffee, feed the animals, get my gear on, and kiss the gf bye before heading to work.:thumbup:

I read i a car-magazine not long ago, that letting a modern car heat up in idle before driving was pointless. Something about that oil would get around the various engine parts faster if you started driving right after startup (low revs of course). Furthermore the engine would reach the best temperature faster when driving (pollute less!).
Can you transfer this to modern bikes? Is the journalist stupid?

Anyways I'd stick to letting it heat up idling if I had to head down the highway shortly after taking off... otherwise I'd just go ahead with low revs to begin with like I wrote before.

 

[RJ2112]

I read i a car-magazine not long ago, that letting a modern car heat up in idle before driving was pointless. Something about that oil would get around the various engine parts faster if you started driving right after startup (low revs of course). Furthermore the engine would reach the best temperature faster when driving (pollute less!).
Can you transfer this to modern bikes? Is the journalist stupid?

Anyways I'd stick to letting it heat up idling if I had to head down the highway shortly after taking off... otherwise I'd just go ahead with low revs to begin with like I wrote before.

Riding the bike with LIGHT loads applied (not too much throttle) will warm the motor quicker than idle will. The number of motors we have seen in the past few months with bearing damage are almost certainly happening due to bikes being ridden hard, before they are warmed up, possibly wtih too light of an oil in the motor.

 

[Chaosratt]

I follow somewhere in the middle. I start the bike as soon as I walk up to it and then continue putting on gear. By the time I'm done with that the gauge is reading a temperature and the book says it's safe to ride at that point. Keep it easy in low RPM's until the engine finds it sweet spot of 160f+. For me this is usually about the time I get out of my neighborhood and onto the main drag.

I notice that under 160F the engine will bog a bit if I get on it hard. I assume that is it's way of telling me to hold off for a little bit longer.

 

[Wildcat_drvr]

One of the reasons for warm-up of our bikes('08 Raven here) that the dealer told me was that the FZ6's engine does not have steel cylinder liners,he told me the cylinders are lined with a ceramic material and Yamaha wants the pistons, rings and other parts to heat up to the proper tolerance specs. I was told not to get near the red-line until the engine was at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. LOL I'm usually in 6th before 35 -40 MPH! Sounds like cheap insurance to me. I try not to take-off until 160 F. Well going for a moonlight ride now!:thumbup: Rich:rockon: EDIT: The thermostat doesn't fully open until 183 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

[QwickFliCk]

I like to get my bike to at least 1 bar (on 2006 model no temp reading).

i do the same everyday i ride:thumbup:

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

I read i a car-magazine not long ago, that letting a modern car heat up in idle before driving was pointless. Something about that oil would get around the various engine parts faster if you started driving right after startup (low revs of course). Furthermore the engine would reach the best temperature faster when driving (pollute less!).
Can you transfer this to modern bikes? Is the journalist stupid?

Anyways I'd stick to letting it heat up idling if I had to head down the highway shortly after taking off... otherwise I'd just go ahead with low revs to begin with like I wrote before.

With most new cars running 5W20, a much thinner oil (energy conserving) it gets thru the engine faster than the 10w40 most Fz's use.

As for warm up, I pull the bike out of the garage, start it (let it idle), then helmet/glove up. The RPM's are just dropping down when I pull out of the driveway(SW Florida). I keep the RPM's low (under 3500) until it reaches at least 160 degress's before any flogging.

 

[djstrong]

See previous thread for about the same responces:

http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-general-discussion/30677-when-fz6-warm-enough-riding.html

Regards,
DJ

 

[Nelly]

I get on and ride, after two Km's the engine is up to temperature.
I don't ride the nuts off it when its cold. And I have synthetic oil in it. So theoretically its thinner when cold and thicker when warm. So I reckon that all the bits that need oil, get them.

In 2008 we had a post put up by a member from Greece called Wolf?
He was a coastguard first responder. Who basically had the dilemma of having to get to the rescue boat ASAP and waiting for his bike to warm up.
There was great debate.
If I recall correctly the general consensus was that it was ok to just get on and ride.

Nelly:thumbup:

 

[novaks47]

I shoot for one bar before taking off as well. Keep in mind, that the oil takes longer to come up to temp than the coolant or anything else for that matter. Even if the gauge shows that the engine is warmed up, the oil probably isn't. If it's cool outside(under 70F), the oil will take a while to come up to temp.

On one of my cars, I have an oil temperature gauge that I installed. I found that once the factory gauge registered that the car was up to temp, the oil gauge said otherwise, showing barely 120F. Remember, the temp gauges only show coolant, and maybe head temp at best. It usually took several miles(2-5) of city driving for the oil to reach a good temp of around 170+F, and that was after the factory temp showed all good. If it's cold outside(under 60F), and there's no stops for a while, it can take even longer, as much as 7 miles. Normal oil temp for that 2.0L 4-cylinder was 260-280F, 280 being the number when it was hot or I was giving it a good workout. lol

Once my FZ shows temp, I still take it easy for a while, then gradually ramp up my riding, to let the oil really get up temp. Is it really necessarily? Probably not. lol But it makes me feel better that I'm not thrashing an engine with oil that ain't ready to fully do it's job yet. If memory serves, oil isn't really doing it's best until it's at least 150F(as far as flow). On our bikes though, it's probably a non-issue, as they seem to warm up fast, and the oil system is very well designed. I do plan on keeping the FZ for a very long time, so I'll continue to take it easy upon start up and the first few miles of riding. If nothing else, it'll keep my deer-to-motorcycle incidents to a minimum on my mountain road commute. LOL

 

[RJ2112]

I shoot for one bar before taking off as well. Keep in mind, that the oil takes longer to come up to temp than the coolant or anything else for that matter. Even if the gauge shows that the engine is warmed up, the oil probably isn't. If it's cool outside(under 70F), the oil will take a while to come up to temp.

On one of my cars, I have an oil temperature gauge that I installed. I found that once the factory gauge registered that the car was up to temp, the oil gauge said otherwise, showing barely 120F. Remember, the temp gauges only show coolant, and maybe head temp at best. It usually took several miles(2-5) of city driving for the oil to reach a good temp of around 170+F, and that was after the factory temp showed all good. If it's cold outside(under 60F), and there's no stops for a while, it can take even longer, as much as 7 miles. Normal oil temp for that 2.0L 4-cylinder was 260-280F, 280 being the number when it was hot or I was giving it a good workout. lol

Once my FZ shows temp, I still take it easy for a while, then gradually ramp up my riding, to let the oil really get up temp. Is it really necessarily? Probably not. lol But it makes me feel better that I'm not thrashing an engine with oil that ain't ready to fully do it's job yet. If memory serves, oil isn't really doing it's best until it's at least 150F(as far as flow). On our bikes though, it's probably a non-issue, as they seem to warm up fast, and the oil system is very well designed. I do plan on keeping the FZ for a very long time, so I'll continue to take it easy upon start up and the first few miles of riding. If nothing else, it'll keep my deer-to-motorcycle incidents to a minimum on my mountain road commute. LOL

Good info.

 

[texcollect]

So I guess we all warm our bikes up when we start, but how many of is let the bike cool off when we stop ?

The last mile of my rides always ends up in my subdivision and by the time I have toodled through the neighborhood to my house the engine temp is usually over 210 degrees. When I shut the bike off I use the kill switch but leave the ignition on so the fan continues to run. If you watch the temp gauge it will continue to rise up into the 220s. I usually let the bike sit this way while I get my gear off etc then I restart the bike and watch the temp gauge until it drops down below 190 or so. Then I hit the kill switch again and continue this cycle until the temperature stays below 200.

This was a procedure that the dealer told me to do when I was in the break in period but I figure if it makes sense to do it then they why stop when the miles increase.


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[MrMogensen]

...
The last mile of my rides always ends up in my subdivision and by the time I have toodled through the neighborhood to my house the engine temp is usually over 210 degrees. When I shut the bike off I use the kill switch but leave the ignition on so the fan continues to run. If you watch the temp gauge it will continue to rise up into the 220s. I usually let the bike sit this way while I get my gear off etc then I restart the bike and watch the temp gauge until it drops down below 190 or so. Then I hit the kill switch again and continue this cycle until the temperature stays below 200.

...

The part about letting the fan help cool down makes great sense, and I do this too if my bike has more than 2 blocks on the display when I finish riding.

The rest of it I don't really understand?
Any bike or car does a bad job of cooling down when in idle. If the FZ6 is trapped in traffic and hereby not being able to gain much speed then the engine (at least the coolant which is measured in display) will run hotter. 100km/h down the highway cools the radiator way better than the fan during idle. I'd recommend that you just ride nice and easy (not too slow) on the last bit, and turn off the engine when the ride is finished (letting the fan do some hard work with engine turned off if display states its hot)...
And if you restart the bike several times your are just going to wear down the starter faster.

 

[iSteve]

Not sure if running the fan with the engine off does anything but cool down the radiator. Without the water pump running can't see it making any difference.

I personally don't do anything special for warm up other then waiting till the temp shows up on the display. We have ceramic coated sleeves that are stable over a huge temperature range. And the piston and rings should be at operating temp way before the the coolant starts doing it's job.

 

[GTPAddict]

I don't think it's so much about the oil as much as the engine temp. The oil has pretty much covered and oiled everything that is gonna get covered and oiled in the first 10 seconds the engine is started. The main reason for the warm up is for proper combustion, and to heat the metal (the rods, pistons, and rings especially). Cold metal is very brittle and doesn't give much, and a cold engine is not very efficient (hence the bog some people mentioned). Fuel injection helps a lot with this, but you still need the heat.

Just my .02