Cold Motorcycle

[Drowned Rat]

Hi there guys. Looking for some ideas on how to keep a motorcycle engine warm when it's parked overnight. I drive mine to work and I work 24 hours so it sits in the cold overnight. Let me qualify "cold". Low 40's, this is Arizona. Anyway, in the morning she's pretty cold blooded. It'll start fine, but it shifts hard and runs rough until it warms up. I thought about a heating pad or something, but there has to be a better,(right) way to do it. I've seen dipstick warmers for cars, but that won't work with this bike. Any ideas? I do keep it covered so rain isn't a problem, not that it ever rains anyway.<br />Thanks.<br />DR

 

[fseries]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

i know people who sleep with their bike you might try puttin in your house ....just a thought

 

[Bondo]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

When was the last time it had a Good Tune-Up,+ the Carb.s Balanced,or otherwise Looked At,..??....<br /><br />See if you can find the Root Issue,..... Instead of treating the Symptoms...??....

 

[scottatwork]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

I agree with Bondo, 40's is not that bad of a thing if the choke is working properly.<br /><br />I got my bike started at 28 degrees and with a dead battery! She ran good long as the choke was on until she got warmed up.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

Bondo, had the carbs adjusted about 8000 miles ago along with a tune up. The other maintenance, I do myself. I think it runs pretty good, it's just when you first start it, it runs great in idle, but when you go to take off it bogs a little until it gets warm. That's normal for carbed bikes isn't it? I was just trying to come up with a way to shorten the warm up period.

 

[dk990496]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

i cover mine at night with a heavy blanket and then tarp it but mine are old they are 1977 and 1980 and some times it startes better if i just kick start it and let it worm up for a few minutes instead of using the electric start

 

[one more cast]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

Sounds like every jap bike i've ever owned. I would run them with the choke partly closed until warm up. If it has adjustable low speed jets you can turn them out a little to make it run richer.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

8000 miles is an Eternity to a motorcycle,...... Isn't It....??...<br /><br />My motorcycle experience was Along time ago,.....<br />But,... The Last year I had My 750 Honda,.. I ran it til the roads were Snowcovered,......... <br />It started,+ Ran Just Fine..Down to,.. Well, Below Freezing.............

 

[tommays]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

if we are talking older carb style there were accelerator pump kits but that was way back when around 1982 <br /><br />but it made my suzuki much better in the winter with that shot of gas in each carb to get it fireing.<br /><br /><br />8000 miles is just enough vacation to forget about work <br /><br /><br />tommays

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

OMC, good guess, this is a Yamaha. <br /><br />8000 miles is a long time, and it's about due for another service. I believe the book says to tune it every 6000 but that always seemed a little too frequent for me. It's funny though, I keep it in my garage at home and it never misses a beat when I leave from there. That's why I was thinking if I keep it warm...<br /><br />I know, it's a dang motorcycle, not a baby. It's kinda my baby though.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

8000 miles is just enough vacation to forget about work

Darn tootin'!

 

[Trent]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

Dont know if you want to spend this much. But you can buy one of these heaters and glue it to the bottom of the engine. Plug it in and it keeps the block warm. They work very well.<br /><br /> web page

 

[KM2]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

Being a Minnesotan we often plug in our cars and it's not to charge the battery. I would look for the magnetic type heating device. It attaches to the crankcase and heats it up. Popular here to use them on ATV's.

 

[Trent]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

Like the Pic KM2.. Makes me think of my buddy when he was younger..they are cute!!

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

Actually hate to start this, (Ya Right)!<br /><br />40 degrees obviously isnt that cold, but if you switched to a full synthetic oil, it would start right up and shift and run like it was warmed up.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

I am using syn oil LD and it is better than the thicker dino oil I was using. I'm running 5W40 (yellow cap)Mobile 1 in it right now.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

OK, forget the Mobil 1. I tried it in a bike, once.<br />Get yourself a genuine bonafied motorcycle oil.<br />It has to double as tranny fluid, so get an oil that is designed to work in a bike tranny.<br /><br />I would use Spectro Golden 4 syn blend, or Honda's branded oil. You will notice the difference in shifting immediately. And it doesn't suffer from oil sheer and start clunking the tranny after 500 miles like regular oil does.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

roscoe, when I first got the bike, I used the factory syn blend 20W50 and on a really hot day i.e. >110*, the motor would get too hot and it wouldn't shift for anything. Tried other brands with same effect. Tried Mobile 1 and it fixed it. No more shifting problems when hot and the moter runs cooler too. The cold bloodedness is there with either oil. Mobile 1 does have a "Motorcycle" oil but it's about $8 a quart.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

Originally posted by Drowned Rat:<br /> Mobile 1 does have a "Motorcycle" oil but it's about $8 a quart.

Use the Mobil1 motorcycle oil, you dont use enough to make it really expensive, its better for your bike. I doubt now that it will help your problem though. Sounds like a carb or injection issue, whichever. Maybe time for a visit to the dealer, Cringe!

 

[gewf631]

Re: Cold Motorcycle

Originally posted by Drowned Rat:<br />It'll start fine, but it shifts hard and runs rough until it warms up.

With all these posts, I'm surprised no one asked for specifics (year/model).<br /><br />Starts Fine - what is your starting procedure?<br />Shifts hard - do you mean the clutch won't engage, or that you've got to stop on the shifter?<br />Runs rough until it warms up - if your choke was working, it shouldn't run rough. It may bog a little on hard acceleration, but it shouldn't run rough. Does the idle increase as you apply the choke?<br /><br />My '93 Honda (GL1500) sits outside 365 days a year, in Northern Illinois, and I frequently ride to work when it's in the middle 30's. As long as I don't stomp on the throttle, I have no problems.