Ixion FAQ

How should I warm up my engine?

Yebbut, isn't the point of warming it up to get the oil warm[3]? AIUI there're two issues[1]: that an idling engine doesn't spread the oil around as well as a higher-revving one, so some higher-up bits aren't as well oiled as they might be; that colder oil is too thick to do a good job, so revving too high when cold doesn't do the engine any good either.

Are these both valid, oh engine-master?

FWIW, I start the engine, hold the clutch in for a few seconds (IME it reduces the size of the first 'clonk', especially if it's been standing for a while[2]), turn the choke down until it's as low as it'll go without the revs wandering, put in gear and go. I keep it under 5k for the first couple or three minutes.

[1] sometimes I slip in a bit of manager-speak to remind me of the world of work

[2] RTBs ignore that bit - I know your bikes never stand longer than the green-red-amber-green cycle anyway.

[3] bloke-down-the-pub told me that the temperature gauge tells you the coolant temp, not the oil temp ... so when it says fully warm your oil isn't, yet. Bloke didn't have an answer for what air-cooled bikes' gauges showed.

Adam

> Yebbut, isn't the point of warming it up to get the oil warm[3]? AIUI
> there're two issues[1]: that an idling engine doesn't spread the oil
> around as well as a higher-revving one,

> that colder oil is too thick to do a good
> job, so revving too high when cold doesn't do the engine any good either.
> Are these both valid, oh engine-master?

> [3] bloke-down-the-pub told me that the temperature gauge tells you the 
> coolant temp, not the oil temp ... so when it says fully warm your oil 
> isn't, yet. Bloke didn't have an answer for what air-cooled bikes' gauges 
> showed.

My air cooled bike doesn't have a temp gauge at all. Usually it's coolant but if there is none it'll be oil.

I have to say the quickest way to warm up your bike is to start it, put on your lid and ride off gently, keeping the revs low as you said you did. As far as I can see it takes way too long to heat into the engine at idle and it can have other side effects like gumming up plugs etc.

Moj

> > that colder oil is too thick to do a good
> > job, so revving too high when cold doesn't do the engine any good
> > either. Are these both valid, oh engine-master?
>
> Actually, no, cold oil works just as well as hot oil.

> What you're doing is warming up bits of metal which will
> reduce gaps between said bits of metal in bearings etc.

> I have to say the quickest way to warm up your bike is to start it, put
> on your lid and ride off gently, keeping the revs low as you said

Adam

> Yebbut, isn't the point of warming it up to get the oil warm[3]?

> AIUI there're two issues[1]: that an idling engine doesn't spread the oil
> around as well as a higher-revving one, so some higher-up bits aren't as
> well oiled as they might be;

When engine oil was mainly treacle then mayhaps. With modern multigrades that's not really an issue. FWIW top fuel dragsters don't warm their engines up, they get started as late as possible at the staging area.

They're quite happy for their (admittedly very expensive) oil to work from cold.

> that colder oil is too thick to do a good job, so revving
> too high when cold doesn't do the engine any good either.

> Are these both valid, oh engine-master?

> [3] bloke-down-the-pub told me that the temperature gauge tells you the
> coolant temp, not the oil temp ... so when it says fully warm your oil
> isn't, yet.

> Bloke didn't have an answer for what air-cooled bikes' gauges showed.

John

>In a nutshell, warming up an engine by idling takes an
>awful long time compared to an engine under load. All the
>time it's warming up there's an excess of petrol sloshing
>around (even without the choke on), condensation hanging
>around the engine and of course petrol being wasted. The
>quicker you can get the engine warm the better and riding
>it is the quickest way. It will still take about 3 miles
>of normal riding to warm it up though.

And why (once off choke) would there be an excess of petrol at idle?
(Unless you let Nick Turner jet your carbs!)

I ain't disagreeing - but you cite no evidence and I do know that Honda say to warm up stood still. ISTR Kawa rejected claims for carb icing induced crash damage on these grounds also...

Hoddy
Who'll never pull away in the car 'till the airco. blows cold...

> So why do Honda insist their test riders do it and mustn't turn a wheel
> 'till the needle is out of the blue?

> And why (once off choke) would there be an excess of petrol at idle?

> (Unless you let Nick Turner jet your carbs!)
>
> I ain't disagreeing - but you cite no evidence and I do know that Honda
> say to warm up stood still.

> ISTR Kawa rejected claims for carb icing
> induced crash damage on these grounds also...

John

>>that colder oil is too thick to do a good
>>job, so revving too high when cold doesn't do the engine any good
>>either. Are these both valid, oh engine-master?

>Actually, no, cold oil works just as well as hot oil.
>
> Spose that's wot multigrade is all about innit. Is warming up different for
> monograde oil?

>>What you're doing is warming up bits of metal which will 
>>reduce gaps between said bits of metal in bearings etc.
>>
>
> Oh, I didn't know that - I thought it was to smear warm oil over the smooth
> curved surfaces.

>>I have to say the quickest way to warm up your bike is to start it, put
>>on your lid and ride off gently, keeping the revs low as you said
>>
> Yebbut the quickest way to warm it up isn't nessecelery the best (ie, least
> engine wear) way izzit.

Moj