Warm Up ?

Do you allow your VFR to warm up before heading out? Or, do you do as I do ...let the oil circulate ( ~ 20 seconds) and then ride easy until it reaches full operating? I'm curious, as there are valid arguments regarding each approach.

 

Never less than 1 1/2 minute warm up here, more below 40 degrees.

 

I just get on and ride. Sometimes the thing is in gear within a few seconds of the bike starting. I don't scream away though. Some common sense has to come into play here. For the most part, I always did that with my cars too even when I lived in Winnipeg where the temps would go down to -30 F often in January and February. So cold, we suffered from square tire syndrome. Didn't have the bike then though.

 

I warm it up a bit. I rarely take off before the temperature shows on the indicator, it starts showing around 95-96 Fahrenheit.

 

I realize that I probably should so the same, I just never really have. Well maybe not 95 but for a few moments at least.

 

Old habit, always let my bike warm up before I ride. I was told many years ago (like 40+) that letting the oil warm (& thin) was better for wet clutches. Whether that's true or not? Never had a problem with clutches.

 

If I waited for it to show on the gauge, I would never leave home :biggrin-new: Seriously, I give it a minute or so and then ride it gently for the first couple of mins.

 

Don't know if its the same thing but on my old Yamaha TY175 trials bike I made sure there was nothing in front of me when I kicked it into gear for the first time!

 

Thanks all. One mode of thought is that idling with no air movement causes overheating in the heads. Example...coolant temp =150 real head temp ???. it' called localised overheating. If all of the engine was up to operating temp then this would not happen. That is why some experts - say start it up and ride gently...engines warm up a lot faster under load and the heat distribution across the engine is more spread out. I could be wrong, but I'm going with the latter.

 

My default mode for many years was to let it warm at idle...now I know that static and moving are not the same when it comes to the VFR

 

I don't wait per say for the engine to warm up but do keep the rpm's LOW for the first few miles. This is with any outside temperature.

 

I never considered static vs. moving temps. I usually let the coolant temp gauge reach at least 120-150 F before pulling off. Gives me a chance to give the bike bike a quick once over and get my game face on before facing Atlanta traffic. And maybe it is just me but it sure seems like throttle response is better once the displayed temperature gets above 140 or so.

 

My general rule of thumb is I start her up as soon as the garage door is open. Put on my riding gear, helmet etc. once completed away I go... Warm up anywhere from 1min on a warm day to 5min this morning to get rain gear etc on.

 

Yup, me too.
I like to be surrounded by the thunder of the big V4 while I put on my riding gear. Sometimes this is a minute and other times it is a few minutes. The way I see it, the coolant is circulating, the oil sis circulating and temps are slowly building at the same pace as my anticipation of the ride that will follow. Kind of a foreplay thing I suppose.

I think that any concern for localized overheating went away with the adoption of liquid cooling. Forward movement doesn't do much for the heads but it does make the rad more effective. Something we find out when stuck in summer traffic.

Just my 2 cents.

 

I just wait till my temp gauge to register any reading before moving off.

 

I let mine warm up long enough the idle comes down to 1500 so it doesn't chatter the gears so bad when I clutch it and drop it into first gear.

 

++++++++1 I normally do this
However now I live in a sucky neighborhood so I just start the bike and roll quietly out the there.

 

Exactly what Jethro said...he hit it on the head

 

I'm with Jethro too. Start her up and by the time I get on my gear, she is registering on the temp. gauge. Then I take er easy until the temp hits 150. Then I ride normally.

Jose

 

I never leave with the bike showing less than 45ºc and preferably 60+, done it with all my bikes and they definitely run better when warm