A question for you biker boys

[S2central.net]

WHY o why o why do lots of biker boys like to start their bikes and watch them idling and warming up before they ride off ?

It does my head in - we have a neighbour with a hairy looking/sounding bike... The noise resonates all round the gaff and I'm sure he wakes everyone at the skrake of dawn when he leaves.

I knew other biker boys in the past that would do this - standing in the rain beside their beloved 2-wheelers - waiting for the engine to be warm enough before they would ride off.

Are bike engines *that* twitchy and/or prone to stalling that they cannot be ridden safely when cold ?

Sorry for the mild rant... I'm not anti-biker or anything - just don't understand !

I'll get revenge on him some night, take the exhaust off the S2 and let it idle outside his doorway at 3am. Arggggg

OMG - I am turning into Mr. Mildrew !

Paul

[flossymeister]

might just be because bikes rev higher and so put more stress on parts - so they let the bike get the oil warm on tick-over for a few minutes before riding off..... and they usually do the same at the end, too. I don't know if its just to lower the risk of stalling - might well also be to stop stressing cold components?

In an ideal world you should do the same with a car AFAIK, its just no one bothers with modern cars because (a) they don't rev so high (b) maybe less tweaked components? Its usually only riders of high performance sports bike that do this warming up thing.... so maybe ferrari/lambo car owners do something similar too?

just a thought.... i don't own a bike or a car!!

Tim

[HPmuirt]

WHY o why o why do lots of biker boys like to start their bikes and watch them idling and warming up before they ride off ?

3 reasons..

1. On older bikes, with a manual choke (like mine) it is usually because the choke is difficult to set at the correct level (mine has the ba5t4rd choke spring from hell), so as you ride along and the engine warms up, the engine can stall and you fall off, particularly if like me, you balance it at the lights and creep forward on the clutch BTDT
On newer bike with injection, they can still be twitchy when not fully warmed up. Remember that the latest ZX10 is putting out nearly 200 horses from a 1 Litre engine, which is F1 territory

2. Simply to allow you to put the key in the ignition, close the garage door, then put you skid on, then your gloves. It is much harder to do that in the opposite order as the gloves get in the way, so put the key in first.

3. To piss off moaning Mr. Mildrew type neighbours. BTDT too

OMG - I am turning into Mr. Mildrew !

Happens to us all matey

Cheers n

Si

[Fat Audi 80]

might just be because bikes rev higher and so put more stress on parts - so they let the bike get the oil warm on tick-over for a few minutes before riding off..... and they usually do the same at the end, too. I don't know if its just to lower the risk of stalling - might well also be to stop stressing cold components?

In an ideal world you should do the same with a car AFAIK, its just no one bothers with modern cars because (a) they don't rev so high (b) maybe less tweaked components? Its usually only riders of high performance sports bike that do this warming up thing.... so maybe ferrari/lambo car owners do something similar too?

just a thought.... i don't own a bike or a car!!

Tim

When I have read the Audi manuals they recommend that you get in the car and drive straight away avoiding going over 4k until the oil is up to temperature. I think Idleing is worse for a cold engine.

Cheers,

Steve

[HPmuirt]

When I have read the Audi manuals they recommend that you get in the car and drive straight away avoiding going over 4k until the oil is up to temperature. I think Idleing is worse for a cold engine.

Cheers,

Steve

I too thought that idleing was worse, but it stops ya falling off and looking like a tit

Cheers n

Si

[S2Roo]

Well..

On my ZX10R I have to let both the turbos warm up, and check the nitrous system for any leaks before checking the supercharger pully........

On a more realistic note, a lot more bike still have carbs than cars, and not one carb but four(I have a FZR600) , I personally find that until the bike has warmed up a little that are prone to stalling when pulling up to traffic lights.

Also when on a bike its very hard to not rev it high when you first ride it as they have low torque levels and high power levels, so to let the oil warm up before its reved high, I leave it ticking over. And my neighbours love me too!! Its not too bad actually as 3 out of 4 neighbours already have bikes.

S2Roo

[Jas11n]

For me, it's number 2 of Si's reasons.
To be totally honest, I never did that outside my house on a morning though, I'd get the bike out of the house (yes I did say house) kit up and then let the bike freewheel down the street before starting her up (Fireblade with a carbon race can ). This woke the people up down the street, but I didn't really know any of them Thus I kept on the good side of my neighbours.

"Biker boys" try saying that in the middle of the bulldog bash

[SR71]

I try and be a little considerate, Paul, at 6am and keep the rpms down and let it idle in the garage. This also has the added bonus of getting me high on NOX emmissions before I go for a ride.

I always wear ear-plugs on my bike so maybe I'm not aware of how noisy it really is!



To get to work the terminal is on the other side of the airport and from my house the road runs right along the runway and around the end back to the terminal, which means the bike has to be ready to race a departing aircraft down the runway to the end and then back down the other side to the terminal.

Whereupon at 12000rpm, everything needs to be nice and warm first.

My bike is FI'ed and isn't prone to stalling but its just about warm by the time I've wheeled it out the garage, locked the garage up, fitted my ear-plugs, bone-dome and gloves.

I've always thought it is purely to ensure the lubricity of the oil is at its best before you put a load through the system.

But I stand to be educated.

[Jamo]

Remember that the latest ZX10 is putting out nearly 200 horses from a 1 Litre engine, which is F1 territory
Si

Not really as the bike engine dont produce much torque!

Remember torques rules not BHP.

[HPmuirt]

Not really as the bike engine dont produce much torque!

Remember torques rules not BHP.

Neither do F1 engine M8. Do the maths, it works out at about 225lb/ft torque at 18,500rpm (but they have virtually flat torque curves anyway)

A power bike might have 75 - 110 lb/ft torque, which considering they are about 1/3rd the weight is about the same

Cheers n

Si

[WabTheKing]

i thought leaving say a 2stroke engine ticking over was bad as the piston glaze over? hence why they dont get much of a run in on a new engine

[S2 Ant]

To get to work the terminal is on the other side of the airport and from my house the road runs right along the runway and around the end back to the terminal, which means the bike has to be ready to race a departing aircraft down the runway to the end and then back down the other side to the terminal.

Top Gun moment

[s2carlo]

I don't understand the idle warming eather.
It's bad for the engine, or so I am told, and there is no need to.
I own 2 bikes, 1200cc, 4 cil, 16V and a V-twin with injection.
I just start & drive of, no problem.

Also have owned several different, older, bikes, also no problem.

I hate waiting with a running engine.

[HPmuirt]

I hate waiting with a running engine.

Yeah, traffic lights pi55 me off too

Cheers n

Si

[mickey_205]

i always do it on my bike as my engine is tuned and need to warm it up or if i pull away on a cold engine and rev it it will blow as there wud be no oil pressure. on my bike its al about revs as there is no low end torque like the v twins mine limites at 16,500 rpm at min. so i let the engine warm up and so idles with no choke then i can pull away. but i never do it early in the morn as i have to a twin carbon race cans.