Periodic winter start ups ?

[bluesdog]

Fresh oil, full tank of fuel stabilized gas, battery tender, parked where the rodentia cannot start chewing stuff. No benefit to starting it up until I'm ready to ride, IMO.

My feej is safely parked in the ground floor basement, so even if I wanted to start it up, I'd have to wheel it outside each time to avoid filling the house with exhaust fumes

 

[900gc]

Of course, SOME of us ride everyday. Frak that "winter" crap!

Winter Haven. What a cruel joke as inches of wet snow descend upon me as I type.

 

[Top_Speed1]

Battery tender only here, I hop on other toyz n never even think about starting the covered-up Feej

 

[Linc]

Okay, surprised no one else has brought this up... But here are my (no doubt unflawed and perfect) thoughts.

I battery tender the sucker of course, it was down under zero in my town for a week this winter and my baby stays in an unheated garage! But, countless toys (quads, dirt bikes, snowmobiles, generators, snowblowers, tractors, etc.) have taught me that gas in Michigan is fawkin' nasty. Between additives and alcohol, there's a sick varnish and evaporation that happens every off-season and I'm stuck cleaning like a mechanic-maid to get things to run even close to normal, again... yes, that IS with StaBil!

I start mine up once a month for 20 minutes which is well past the warm-up and RPM drop stage. Up on center stand, in 1st gear and just let everything idle along for 4-5 of those minutes. Then a little 4K RPM wind sprint or two and I shut er down.

What did I do? Hopefully, fresh fuel is now in all lines, injectors, hoses, etc. and no varnish or evap will happen. If y'all have a problem with my theorem, if be happy to shoot it down in flames listen to it!

 

[Wayward_Traveller]

Linc,

I do the same thing and have the same issues with my snowblower, mower etc. if I don't start them up and let them warm up once in awhile.

First start of the snowblower is always the hardest each season if I let it set too long... starts fine after that.

Nice thing is the FJR always starts up just like it was the day before when I rode it last.

4.5 years later, stock battery and it still starts right up and purrs like a kitten.

 

[Linc]

Nice thing is the FJR always starts up just like it was the day before when I rode it last. 4.5 years later, stock battery and it still starts right up and purrs like a kitten.

I agree Wayward, I started mine last weekend and it was 20F in the garage. Less than three engine RPMs and she fired right to life with a healthy 2Bros rumble! It is pretty amazing how fuel injection helps with long storage times and cold starts. Also tried to start my carbed Suzuki SV650 once a month, I actually failed last weekend. Even with choke on full, battery charged, the below freezing big v-twin was too much for the little starting system and the battery only lasted about 3 long start attempts. She's a cold blooded girl anyway, so I wasn't surprised.

Anyway, very impressed with the FJRs cold weather performance and the fact it warms up and idles down in less than a couple minutes!

 

[Auron]

Absolutely worse to start it and not run it until the oil is totally hot, which in this weather could be an hour. JMHO

 

[GL4435]

I would like to see a study that proves or disproves the benefit/dangers of starting the bike and just letting it idle. Anecdotal thoughts and people's "beliefs" will not be sufficient.
Without solid proof being submitted, I will post up every 5 minutes to tell how you have not met my burden of proof and are wrong. This will accomplish a few things: It will make me feel smarter, it will boost my post count, and it will make you want to choke me.

So, let's see the studies!!

I thought that periodic starting and running at idle would prematurely foul the plugs ... oh, forgot ... the studies:

H.Yorita, T.Miwa and S.Okabe: Development of Ignition Analysis Method in Spark Ignition Engine, Internal Combustion Engine Symposium 20026072, 2002

D.O.Kern and R.E. Seaton, "A theoretical analysis of thermal surface fouling", Brit. Chem. Eng., 14, 5, 258, 1959.

Bruce D. Bowen and Norman Epstein, "Fine particle deposition in smooth parallel-plate channels", Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Volume 72, Issue 1,15 October 1979, Pages 81-97

"Modeling PWR Fuel Corrosion Product Deposition and Growth Processes (5)", Technical Report 1009734, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, California, USA, 2004

"Spark Plug Faces", brochure "Bosch Spark Plugs 0307", Part 1

The Physics of Racing By Brian Beckman physicist and member of No Bucks Racing Club P.O. Box 662 Burbank, CA 91503 ©Copyright 1991

 

[rbentnail]

I do the same thing as linc, start stuff and let it run a while. No biggie, not seen any detrimental effects. Yet. But I have no case studies either way. I'd like to add tho, if you have carbed bikes run the fresher gas through normally but don't forget to switch to reserve to run fresher stuff thru that way, too. I learned that the hard way a couple of decades ago.

 

[sath182]

I agree Wayward, I started mine last weekend and it was 20F in the garage. Less than three engine RPMs and she fired right to life with a healthy 2Bros rumble! It is pretty amazing how fuel injection helps with long storage times and cold starts. Also tried to start my carbed Suzuki SV650 once a month, I actually failed last weekend. Even with choke on full, battery charged, the below freezing big v-twin was too much for the little starting system and the battery only lasted about 3 long start attempts. She's a cold blooded girl anyway, so I wasn't surprised.

Anyway, very impressed with the FJRs cold weather performance and the fact it warms up and idles down in less than a couple minutes!

Are you a member on any of the SV forums? I hear that can be a symptom of tightening valves. Either that or it's because you still have a curvy.

On topic, I just took the batteries out and put StaBil in the fuel. Neither of my bikes have been touched since Jan when I left for training. This weekend though, i'm going out in anything that isn't a downpour or blizzard.

 

[Linc]

Are you a member on any of the SV forums? I hear that can be a symptom of tightening valves. Either that or it's because you still have a curvy.

On topic, I just took the batteries out and put StaBil in the fuel. Neither of my bikes have been touched since Jan when I left for training. This weekend though, i'm going out in anything that isn't a downpour or blizzard.

I am a member over at SVRiders forum, haven't really thought about valves needing adjustment yet since I have 18K miles on the motor... but that may be past the recommended adjustment interval. She'd kinda my unloved stepchild bike as far as PM goes, probably should look at the adjustment schedule!

Thanks for the heads up, I'll do a little research over there...

 

[Graham Downunder]

Personal opinion is start it up about every 4-6 weeks , run it till it reaches at least 2 bars so maybe 10 minutes . if you have throttle lock use it to hold the revs up above 2,000rpm . AS for water condensation in the oil there is so little space for enough air to get more than a couple of drops of water its silly. When the water is warm you will find the oil is warm enough. Make sure you are using suitable oil range say 0-40 w or 5-40 w , you will find the engine spines up and starts much faster with these thinner oils and they still more than meet the requirements of 20-40w . Make sure the exhaust gasses go outside and you have fresh air to breath if doing in a garage .

 

[SwollenRaccoon]

Maybe a bunch of you have started the bike to let it run during storage season for years, but what's the point?

Keep the battery healthy, as with a battery tender. Fire it up in the spring and go riding.

Here in Minnesota, I've been pulling the battery in the fall, storing it in the basement, and giving it a charge about every month or so. (Gotta get me one of them newfangled Battery Tenders one of these days). Fill the gas tank as full as you can (with Sta-Bil added), plug the exhaust (against critters and moisture), and go stay indoors for 4 or 5 months. Been doing it that way for 35 years now, and have NEVER had a problem.

The original poster said his battery is hooked up to a battery tender. Why start the bike? I don't get it. (Well, at least not often enough).

 

[Enn]

Maybe a bunch of you have started the bike to let it run during storage season for years, but what's the point?

Keep the battery healthy, as with a battery tender. Fire it up in the spring and go riding.

Here in Minnesota, I've been pulling the battery in the fall, storing it in the basement, and giving it a charge about every month or so. (Gotta get me one of them newfangled Battery Tenders one of these days). Fill the gas tank as full as you can (with Sta-Bil added), plug the exhaust (against critters and moisture), and go stay indoors for 4 or 5 months. Been doing it that way for 35 years now, and have NEVER had a problem.

The original poster said his battery is hooked up to a battery tender. Why start the bike? I don't get it. (Well, at least not often enough).

I do exactly the same except that my bike stands in a car shelter with temps going down to -25 C in some months. Still no problems in starting it up in late April with regularly charged battery.

Also I do not see any good reason from engineering point of view why to just start it during winter if you can't ride. Most parts that do not like long standing are those related to riding like brakes, suspension, power-train ..., where the rubber parts become rigid or calipers/rotors corroded. But if you can't ride, then just letting the engine run won't add much value, does it?

 

[Jer]

I put my bike to bed in late October with fresh oil and stabilizer and leave for California. It is quartered in a carport with a battery tender attached. I cannot start it until I arrive back in late April, and it starts up after two or three revolutions. This is with an original battery five years old and I am not certain it will not have to be replaced this year. I think that the new owner will find it to be in great condition when sold this spring.

 

[Steel_Gin]

On a Battery Tender and have not started it this winter. Piled a bunch of crap around it so it's hard to get to, stopped any urge I had every time.

 

[SoCalFJR1300]

What is this Winter you speak of??

94 degrees and Sunny here today!

 

[JT Pedersen]

Entertaining thread. Talking with my MG's mechanic, he said the best thing to do was treat the fuel, park it in the garage, and simply leave it. Granted, most of the machinery he's discussing is 30+ years old.

Me, as long as fuel system's been treated, and battery's tended to, I know there's no merit in starting during the off season.

After 25 years of doing it, I also have yet to discern any problems with gratuitously starting the bike during the off season for mental health reasons. I do it because I like to from time to time. When I do do it though, I run it long enough to 'try' to minimize condensation issues, make sure the pipe have dried out, that sort of thing.

After all, it does make me feel better afterward. FOr those 20 minutes or so, I can mentally escape, dream of the season to come, and drink my beer. 'cuz, gotta tell you, by the time end of February roles around (January some years), I'm getting antsy.