[Other Sport] Motorbikes

[Rowdey]

60th birthday/25th anniversary present from me to my husband. He is chuffed

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Not your standard Monster either.. very nice.. lucky guy.. My nosey Missus just looked over shoulder and walked off muttering 'I'd better go wrap yours then..'

 

[ozzygull]

Not your standard Monster either.. very nice.. lucky guy.. My nosey Missus just looked over shoulder and walked off muttering 'I'd better go wrap yours then..'

He has wanted a Ducati since we started our motorcycle journey over 25 years ago. It was the 998 then, but this is a bit more comfortable then probably the new equivalent, Panigale.

I am lucky to be in a position to be able do this now, and wanted to get him something really special.

 

[wellquickwoody]

60th birthday/25th anniversary present from me to my husband. He is chuffed

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With Termi’s too, wooh

 

[wellquickwoody]

question for all you motor cyclists- or moped riders out there. Is there a reason, before you ride, to start the engine up, and then leave it 5-10 mins while you suit and helmet up? I ask as there are a couple of bikes in our road, and both leave the bike idling for ages before they get on them? its bloody annoying during the day, especially the moped which sounds like a revving F1 car! , but early morning and evening, especially in hot weather when windows are open its infuriating

Everyone should do it, cars n bikes, gets oil around the engine early doors rather than just moving off with most of the oil in the sump at the bottom of the engine. But even more important on two strokes engines (dying breed). Riders just have a useful time slot to do this whilst getting helmet n gloves on.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Absolutely not.
It's become mainstream over the last ten years to tell people they should let their bike run for a few minutes before setting off.
There's no need to do this.
Put your gear on, get on the blooming thing, start it up, away you go in a leisurely manner. You can rag it when the oil and water if it's water cooled are at a reasonable temperature.
I've been riding various different bikes carb'd and injected for over 40 years and never had to let a single one warm up once started. Never caused any problems.
Clutchless gear changing became Internet fashionable about 15 years ago too.
Don't bother with that either. There's always someone who likes to think they've got some clever resolution to an issue that never existed in the first place.
Recent motorcyclists seem to be quite gullible to suggestion and fashion.

Go ask them to kindly move off quicker or suggest they push the bikes down the road before starting them up. Noisy beggars.

Oh yes, and :

Stationary idling is an offence under Section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
The act enforces Rule 123 of the Highway Code.
“You must not leave a vehicle’s engine running unnecessarily while that vehicle is stationary on a public road. ”

From a rider, and bike industry professional of thirty odd years, balderdash Sir! You may have never warmed an engine, but you can guarantee it would show more wear when stripped down than one that has been looked after.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Absolutely not.
It's become mainstream over the last ten years to tell people they should let their bike run for a few minutes before setting off.
There's no need to do this.
Put your gear on, get on the blooming thing, start it up, away you go in a leisurely manner. You can rag it when the oil and water if it's water cooled are at a reasonable temperature.
I've been riding various different bikes carb'd and injected for over 40 years and never had to let a single one warm up once started. Never caused any problems.
Clutchless gear changing became Internet fashionable about 15 years ago too.
Don't bother with that either. There's always someone who likes to think they've got some clever resolution to an issue that never existed in the first place.
Recent motorcyclists seem to be quite gullible to suggestion and fashion.

Go ask them to kindly move off quicker or suggest they push the bikes down the road before starting them up. Noisy beggars.

Oh yes, and :

Stationary idling is an offence under Section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
The act enforces Rule 123 of the Highway Code.
“You must not leave a vehicle’s engine running unnecessarily while that vehicle is stationary on a public road. ”

So your ‘section 42’ paragraph is redundant if people are warming their bikes on their driveway?

 

[Algernon]

From a rider, and bike industry professional of thirty odd years, balderdash Sir! You may have never warmed an engine, but you can guarantee it would show more wear when stripped down than one that has been looked after.

Sorry. You're obviously one of the new trendy riders that has only been riding since bikes became fashionable somewhere in the mid 90s (Foggy mainly)
I suppose if you're going to be giving it lots of stick immediately then yes. You ain't going to do it any good.
In fact there is a train of thought that allowing an engine to sit idling causes premature wear.
If you start it up and ride sensibly any wear will be minimal if any, and who is going to keep stripping down their motor to check. You'll probably cause more wear by your style of riding and lack of maintenance or poor and cheap oil and nowadays crappy fuel causing pinking and blockages and running lean etc.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Did 3 days at Jerez in December, awesome circuit, will gladly go back there when finances permit it. Still need to wrangle my footage from old SD card.

My GSXR 750, eldest brother on Fireblade and our dad (old man Rivers) and his Aprilia RSV4 Factory. Let your imagination speculate as to who was the fastest…

3 Albion season ticket holders in that pic

In the meantime, if anyone is particularly bored here some footage of me pottering around Brands GP last week.

 

[Algernon]

So your ‘section 42’ paragraph is redundant if people are warming their bikes on their driveway?

I've been waiting for this.
I suppose you could contest it in court.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

I've been waiting for this.
I suppose you could contest it in court.

What would there be to contest? If you’re on private property it’s not really anyone else’s business?

 

[Algernon]

Did 3 days at Jerez in December, awesome circuit, will gladly go back there when finances permit it. Still need to wrangle my footage from old SD card.

Which one are you? I don't see any perm.

 

[Algernon]

What would there be to contest? If you’re on private property it’s not really anyone else’s business?

I'm sure the old bill will understand. Have a beer, calm down, it's Saturday night.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

I'm sure the old bill will understand. Have a beer, calm down, it's Saturday night.

I’m not arsed to be honest, I don’t ride on the road, but I do know that myself and every single track day rider I’ve met all warm their machines before heading onto the circuit.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Which one are you? I don't see any perm.

Alas, I’m not really Darren Freeman, however, about 20 years ago I did have an afro which could have passed as a 70’s style Keegan perm. Sadly I seem to have used all of my hair up with such a ridiculous barnet.

 

[Algernon]

Alas, I’m not really Darren Freeman, however, about 20 years ago I did have an afro which could have passed as a 70’s style Keegan perm. Sadly I seem to have used all of my hair up with such a ridiculous barnet.

I figured you weren't.
I'll just have to guess you're the good looking one in the picture.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

question for all you motor cyclists- or moped riders out there. Is there a reason, before you ride, to start the engine up, and then leave it 5-10 mins while you suit and helmet up? I ask as there are a couple of bikes in our road, and both leave the bike idling for ages before they get on them? its bloody annoying during the day, especially the moped which sounds like a revving F1 car! , but early morning and evening, especially in hot weather when windows are open its infuriating

As others have said, there are very good reasons for warming an engine up before putting any load on the motor. In a combustion engine many tight tolerances change as everything starts to get warm.

From my personal experience, I switched from an RG500 to a GSX-R 750 for the 1986 circuit racing season - first 4 stroke I ever raced so I got in on a Suzuki GSX-R maintenance course at the factory in Crawley. On thing that stuck in my memory that day was "30 seconds" - 30 seconds is the time it takes, starting from cold, for oil to get pumped from the sump to all parts of the top-end [camshafts mainly] - if you give the motor significant welly in this window of under-lubrication the wear factor will go through the roof and you might even seize something.

With my old TZ350 two-strokes we even used a softer spark-plug to warm those up until we got 70 degrees on the temp gauge - they didn't idle either so needed constant but gentle blipping of the throttle, which was probably more annoying, except most of the paddock were doing it anyway.

Hell, even my [4 stroke] lawnmower gets 3-4 mins on tick over before I move off ....

 

[B-right-on]

I've got a 2017 Harley and I always let it tick over for a couple of mins before I go. My reasoning was that, like me, the bike runs better when warm.

It may or may not improve the life by reducing wear, but in my mind the engine is designed to run hot, being air cooled I don't need the water system to heat up but the engine does, the oil needs to warm up and coat all the relevant parts before it's subjected to stress imo. It's something that was explained to me when I first got a bike 45 years ago and have just followed it ever since.

Incidentally, I do the same with my diesel van and car, albeit only for 20-30 seconds.

 

[nickjhs]

In fact there is a train of thought that allowing an engine to sit idling causes premature wear.

Yep totally agree, engines like to be at temperature, the quickest way to get them there is with the revs up not idling. Obviously you don't start it and tear off, but leaving the thing idling when cold is a misinformed myth.

 

[Albion my Albion]

question for all you motor cyclists- or moped riders out there. Is there a reason, before you ride, to start the engine up, and then leave it 5-10 mins while you suit and helmet up? I ask as there are a couple of bikes in our road, and both leave the bike idling for ages before they get on them? its bloody annoying during the day, especially the moped which sounds like a revving F1 car! , but early morning and evening, especially in hot weather when windows are open its infuriating

Because you are not as cool if people don't notice you suiting & helmeting up and without the noise why would they notice. It's a pride of ownership thing.

 

[ozzygull]

Planning a long trip next summer and knew my seat on my Kawasaki is blooming uncomfortable after an hour and half, I thought I better get a more comfortable one. Managed to find a second hand seat and sent it to “holy goat customs“

They did a really nice job, if anyone is thinking of doing this for their bike, I would definitely recommend them.