I was just reading an ad for a VFR and the guy mentioned that he always warmed up his bike to 150+ before starting out, implying that was good for the engine. I have only owned my Gen 5 for 2 months, but have done the same as with my car, start up, run for 30 seconds, then start out, riding easy for the first few miles, before getting the rpms above 5K. Am I making a mistake? Are motorcycles (VFR in particular) different? I would particularly like to hear from mechanics, or experts, since I am sure we all have an opinion based on nothing (I always do).
As an ASE trained technician, holding a craftsman skill level aircraft mechanic, and being a self proclaimed expert in motorized vehicles by hobby and interest, what you are doing is perfect.
I'm sure you'll get a bunch of different opinions with this. A quick glance through the owners manual doesn't mention anything specific (2007 VFR). Any modern fuel injected anything can pretty much be driven away as soon as the engine starts. These days the idea of warming an engine up has more to do with oil getting to the top end. Not so much about being able to digest fuel properly. Some old timers confuse the two. There is nothing wrong with what your doing. Your bike will probably last as long as you care to drive it. If its cold out maybe extend the warmup time a little. 150 degrees every time is a little excessive to me. Any engine warms up sooner under a load anyway. When your bike is just sitting there idling your getting no miles per gallon. Former ASE certified Auto Tech.
Maybe the owner that mentioned the 150* warmup had a VTEC model, and I don't think that engages until the temp hits 145? Disclaimer: A monkey with a chainsaw is a more accomplished mechanic than me. I've always done the same as you Flash.
I'm not a formally trained mechanic but I've been turning wrenches long enough to know that your way seems pretty like a pretty solid process. As a rule for my bike, if it starts right up and idles without choke I feel that means the old girl is ready and I just get going. The only vehicle I let warm up religiously is my old Rx-7. It hits fuel cut above 4.5k if it's not up to operating temp.
Yep, you'll get a lot of different opinions on this. Here's my wooden nickel's worth: modern engine tolerances and lubricants suggest to me that a 30 second to 1 minute warmup is fine for ambient temps above freezing (I usually allow my engines to warm up for a couple minutes or so when it's below freezing). Now I'll throw a wrench in the works by mentioning that my wife's 2012 normally aspirated Subaru Forester has a blue light that goes out when the engine, exhaust, and/or various emission control devices have warmed up enough to drive it. And this light often takes more than 2-3 minutes when temps are above freezing and about 4 or so minutes when it's below freezing. Anyway, as a former engine lab tech, I can confidently say that engine lube oils reach normal operating temps in just a few minutes (or less). And, as many of you surely know, engine lube oils perform the vast majority of IC engine cooling.
My regular practice is to warm up at least 1 minute in mild weather, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes in cold temps and keep revs low until i see water temp begin coming up. Old habit maybe, can't hurt ! I had English and Italian sports cars long ago, and none wanted to run right cold.
From all of my experience with air cooled VWs, a long warm up time creates hot spots on the heads and it dilutes the oil with gas, or can. While a water cooled engine is cooled more efficiently, the same rule applies and I have to agree with thegreatnobody.
Your friend could be referring to the engine temperature at which the VTECH will activate. I'm not sure of the actual temperature ... but when the engine temp is below about 150, the vtech will not be active even if above the 7000rpm range. Vtech will only be activated when the temp is above about 150, and the rpms are above the 7000 range (actual temp and rpm may/will vary with the model year of bike). But even then, it's not necessary to wait for the engine to be above that temp in order to ride it. Living in WI, there have been many a cold morning commute to work in the early spring/late fall. Some of those mornings the engine never even got warm enough for the Vtech to activate.
