Warm up bike? Yes or No???

dlim

Joined
Apr 4, 2022
Messages
99
Location
Seattle, Washington
Bike
2007 ST1300
I hear many opposing views and opinions on this amongst people I ride with. Some claim warming up the bike (up to at least 1 bar), allows fluids and metal bearing surfaces to warm up and expand. They claim this reduces engine wear over time.

The other side of the camp claims it's not necessary, as long as you are easy on the RPM's until the bike is warm and you don't 'crack' the throttle. The motorcycle doesn't have a choke and is fuel injected so why warm up. They argue it's not dissimilar to a car engine.

What say you ST-Owners.com??? Warm up, or NO warm up???
 
I warm it up with a gentle ride down the hill and continue from there. Mainly with the clutch lever pulled in - the revs are too high when it is warming up for the slow speed I need to ride - downhill through narrow village streets. I don't think I ever have the engine running outside the house unless it is much later in the day and I have been / need to work on it. Simply polite neighbour consideration. I get on it and go.

I think that the note in the owners handbook may be more to do with safety. When warming up, the engine can occasionally surge. - which is very unnerving if you are riding and not are prepared for it.
 
With regards to longevity I believe it will make little difference as long as you show the engine some respect for the first mile or so. This is why multigrades are specified, they'll sort out the viscosity and modern oils will cling very well to high wear areas for cold starts.
With fuel at £7.00 a gallon I'm not going to sit on the drive for long.
And who warms up a car engine anymore and they seem to go forever without too much cossetting.
Upt.
 
Upt' North said:
With regards to longevity I believe it will make little difference as long as you show the engine some respect for the first mile or so. This is why multigrades are specified, they'll sort out the viscosity and modern oils will cling very well to high wear areas for cold starts.
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On EFI with it's idle raise such ain't an issue, but with my carb set I'll see that it the SC26 plant idles well without choke before leaving the premises, prevents risk of stalling/tip over/blocking an intersection, and takes as long as putting my gloves on, checking a few zippers, place my butt in the seat and retract the side-stand... so like under a minute till I put the choke off again, and then I'll see to keep RPMs below ~2800 till the temp needle has raised into the black field...
And who warms up a car engine anymore and they seem to go forever without too much cossetting.
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Well, also there I maintain a regime of taking it gentle while not fully warmed...
 
I usually back the bike out of the garage, start it up, get off, put on my gear...by that time the idle has dropped down to normal speed. Similar routine with the 1991.
So...two or three minutes max?
 
I've read in a couple of places that an ice should not have a big load imposed on it until the oil pressure stabilizes - i.e. don't floor it and race off from a cold start. That said, my GMC van's oil pressure gage rises over 15 to 30 seconds before it stops moving - probably due to the mechanical pointer. I wait about that long on my bikes too before clutching and shifting to drive away. I think my owners manual for my '10 ST said to let it get to 1 bar and that is what I did - every time.
 
MaxPete said:
Oil circulation is nearly instantaneous and so sitting still doesn't really do anything but waste fuel.

So, once they start-up, I warm up my bikes by riding gently for the first couple of miles. In fact, since they are all old (the newest is 40 this year), I ride them gently most of the time.

Pete
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Since I'm NOT newer than 40, I always start by riding gently...

Rob
 
Carborated engines do need warm up for a little while... until it's warm enough for the temp gauge to register warming.
Fuel Injected engines do not need that kind of warm up. Maybe 30 seconds just to start some circulation and, as mentioned, going easy on the throttle for a mile or more. The sensors and computer in a FI engine manage engine speed to prevent any bogging down and oil or other fluids begin to circulate right away. So in a FI engine any extended warm up only results in burning more gas.
 
Note that there is criss-cross function and balance with everything.

Valvetrain (cams and buckets) have worse wear at idle speed and low-RPMs when oil-pressure is lowest and spring-pressure exerts highest pressure.

I just turn it on and let it idle while I put on jacket, helmet, boots & gloves. Then I hop on and ride off. Low gears and throttle openings for 1st couple miles. Some may notice on modern automatic cars that it won't shift into top-gear until warmed up?
 
DannoXYZ said:
....Some may notice on modern automatic cars that it won't shift into top-gear until warmed up?
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Some have noticed that Honda's DCT bikes shift into top gear at the same speed and throttle opening as when stone cold and after riding 300 miles in 100F.
 
I’ve been letting the bike warm up to one bar, then start my commute. Now that it’s getting colder here in the northwest, it’s taking longer to warm up, hence the conversation.

Seems like to consensus for the most part is: NO warm up.

i just dont want to damage the bike or adversely effect the the thermostat or fuel injectionsystem by not allowing proper warm up.
 
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