Suzuki's new 250cc Fuel Injected bike.

[user removed]

Fortunately here I can ride mine at least once a month year round.

regards
Mech

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by kawboyCAFE

no its not. and i should know, i've been a mechanic my whole life. whoever told you this was a bad thing to do, they are obviously not mechanically inclined. what was it that was suppose to happen if you did this? i am really interested what kind of crap someone told you.

If you are a real mechanic you should be well aware that idling is a BAD way to warm an engine as it takes an exceedingly long time to achieve operating temps vs putting a gentle load on it. Additionally real mechanics are well aware that the most wear in engines takes place on start-up... yes, because of the second or two of low oil pressure but mainly because of the cold temps- so it logically follows that starting engines but not long enough to achieve operating temps and/or starting them in a way that has a long warm-up period would be detrimental compared to only starting them when they can be quickly and fully warmed up AND on top of that, be warm enough LONG ENOUGH for acids and other condensate to largely be purged from the oil and crankcase. "Whoever" would be numerous OEMs and, well, just about any entity/individual that has obtained the data to back it up. Another thing real mechanics do is more or less stay up to date on new tech including maintenance and repair tech...

[redpoint5]

Like most things, balance is key. I believe once a week to be excessive for preserving an engine during winter months. Perhaps an easy ride once a month or so would be most beneficial.

[alvaro84]

I'd never start an engine just to have it running for a while. However, I hope I can take real rides this winter, more than the last one. It was disappointing to have at most one week between the beginning of January and the middle of March when I could ride to work... this winter was quite different from what I'm used to lately...

[redyaris]

Originally Posted by kawboyCAFE

no its not. and i should know, i've been a mechanic my whole life. whoever told you this was a bad thing to do, they are obviously not mechanically inclined. what was it that was suppose to happen if you did this? i am really interested what kind of crap someone told you.

Suzuki DR200 Owners manual says

"CAUTION
Running the engine too long without riding may cause the engine to overheat. Overheating can result in damage to internal engine components and discoloration of exhaust pipes.

Shut the engine off if you cannot bigin your ride promptly."

Suzuki GS500E Owners Manual says nothing about warming up the engine it discribs how to use the chocke

Kawasaki KLR60 Owners Manual says

"CAUTION
Do not let engine Idle for more than five minutes, or engine overheating and damage may occur."
Then dicribes use of chocke...

Yamaha WR250RXL Owners manual Says

"CAUTION
For maximum engine life, always warm engine up before starting off. Never accelerate hard when engine is cold!"

My Toyota Owners Manual Says
" Engine should be warmed up by driving, not idleing."

It is clear that almost all engine manufactures recomend minimum idleing; which is only long enough to insure that lubrication is adequit, which is less than 30 seconds!

[kawboyCAFE]

whatever you guys want to think is fine with me. turning on the choke and warming it up, then letting it idle is not going to hurt it. that just shows how little you guys know. have you guys never let your car idle for more than 30 seconds? please. my bike is watercooled, so i dont think its going to overheat from idling, especially in the middle of winter. actually, this is kinda funny, because you guys are telling me i am wrong, yet you guys are the ones having problems with your carbs come spring time. hilarious.

[Frank Lee]

You bring up good points. Upon further reflection, some sporadic starting and idling here and there, in the big picture, isn't going to hurt anything but I doubt it helps anything either especially if it isn't done for long enough for the oil to reach operating temp and burn off the cold start impurities i.e. moisture and blowby. So just idling until the coolant temp gauge says it's warm may not be enough.

Years ago I did that sort of thing, then I stopped doing it... I can't say there was any quantifiable difference in the spring as to whether there were carb/fuel issues or not. So for me that's just another reason to not do it.

At any rate, the data re: idling being one of the poorest ways to "warm up" remains true and it is especially poor practice to do that on a regular basis.

[alvaro84]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

At any rate, the data re: idling being one of the poorest ways to "warm up" remains true and it is especially poor practice to do that on a regular basis.

Agreed, I don't do it. It comes with a bit of uneasy feelings to ride Teresa cold (the big single needs half the max rpm just to shift into 2nd of 5th), but I can deal with it Otherwise, she just starts and runs in the winter just the same she starts with a higher idle and can feel a bit lean for a minute or two (probably cuts choke a little early - she's watercooled, fuel injected), but that's all.

Anyway, we had no problem with Ciliegia's carbs after winter either.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by kawboyCAFE

this is kinda funny, because you guys are telling me i am wrong, yet you guys are the ones having problems with your carbs come spring time. hilarious.

I haven't had troubles with the carbs ...

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by kawboyCAFE

no its not. and i should know, i've been a mechanic my whole life.

I've seen too many people doing too many things they'd better not do, and all referred to the age-old line "That's how it's always done / That's how I've always done it."

We'd still be in he stone-age if no-one ever challenged these ideas.

whoever told you this was a bad thing to do, they are obviously not mechanically inclined.

As seen in the previous answers, they are in the good company of motorcycle manufacturers.


- It's wasting gas, while going nowhere.
- Where do the exhaust fumes go in those 10-20 minutes ?
- As it's dead cold, the bike will use an enriched mixture - wasting even more fuel.
- It's reducing the fuel in the tank, while it's a good thing to have the tank as full as possible to keep condensation and corrosion away.
- Start-up wear is at its worst on a cold engine. It shows up in oil analysis wether an engine does many cold starts / short trips or not.
- Long idling is disapproved by the manufacturers - especially on air-cooled bikes.
- Idling with the bike tilted on the side stand can even lead to uneven and localised insufficient lubrication.
- I no longer have my Suzuki manual (nor the bike), but IIRC it wasn't even recharging the battery at idle rpm - barely keeping up with demand.


While my bike stood unused - months on end, up to a year ! - the battery was stored warm and dry, and on a trickle charger.
My bike went away with the original Yuasa battery in it, after 8.5 years.