[James.]

Do any of you guys like to turn your motorcycle on for five minutes over the winter hibernation period for a warm up just to  let it tick over.Now I know there are many think that is the worst thing you can do for whatever reasons and they will only have a battery tender/trickle charger connected over the cold period.I will do to  it maybe once a week.Problem is with an air cooled engine exactly how long should you let it run for.I will do it till the revs drop to 1200 rpm.Any thoughts?

[Karl Childers]

For me it depends on the climate. When I lived in the colder damper north east I changed the oil filled the gas tank, added Stabil, hooked up the battery tender and on carbureted bikes drained the float bowls. They then went into the long sleep till Spring rolled around and I could ride them. If you ran them you would only be adding a lot of condensation to the oil which would not get burned off in the manner that a full ride would. In the arid southwest where I live now my down time is shorter and on a warm dry day I may run the bike till it's nice and warm. I still do a full gas tank with stabil and the carbed bike gets its float bowl drained again. In those locales those methods have worked well for me. If I had any doubt I would go with the long sleep method for storage and definitely put it up with fresh oil in the crankcase.

[AzCal Retred]

Ditto for KC's methodology. I generally roll out the old Bullets every couple weeks and let them idle until the barrel is warm to the touch, just to keep the "spirits" happy. South West "winter" is waaay easier on our hardware that the East Coasties have it! 

[axman88]

If I start one of my machines during the winter, it's because I intend to ride it.  My 20 - 25 minute commute may, or may not fully warm up the engine.  In some cases, that amount of RIDING, (not idling), my C5, is definitely NOT enough, the case is only lukewarm when I arrive.  This may not be best for the bike, but it's what I want, I'm not calling in sick, and I'm not riding the bus.  If the engine doesn't last as long as a result, I'll fix or replace it, ... if I live that long.

Machines are created to serve man, not the other way around, unless you are working in Jay Leno's garage.

Rant over, to answer the question, as I understand the issue, the engine needs to run long enough, such that the crankcase exceeds the boiling temperature of water, so any condensation in the oil will be vaporized, and then maintain this temperature for a sufficient period such that this vapor will be expelled.  The length of time to do this will depend on many things, including environment temperature and humidity, and starting temperature of the engine.

It's interesting to consider that burning a quantity of gasoline results in a mass of water greater than the starting mass of the gasoline.  Then there is the C02.

2 C8H18 + 25 O2 = 16 CO2 + 18 H2O

Winter idling doesn't seem like a good idea to me.  Besides being dubious in terms of engine conservation, the energy is certainly wasted.

[AzCal Retred]

A "cool winter day" for me is likely equal to early summer morning for you!   

Emissions from my puny occasional efforts is immeasurable, especially compared to blowing up Nordstream 2, or burning off oil well flare gas, or even railroad non-emissions diesel-electrics, i.e. virtually all railroad diesel-electric engines.

It's like obsessing over saving water by putting a brick in your toilet whilst living next to a golf course, or saving the earth by unplugging your phone charger if you live in Las Vegas.

We don't live in a world with rules or consequences; well maybe just for the hoi-polloi. My oil gets changes often enough there's no acid build up. Saving the Urth will devolve to birth control, more family farms/less agribusiness, more PV & Wind power.

[James.]

A "cool winter day" for me is likely equal to early summer morning for you!   

Emissions from my puny occasional efforts is immeasurable, especially compared to blowing up Nordstream 2, or burning off oil well flare gas, or even railroad non-emissions diesel-electrics, i.e. virtually all railroad diesel-electric engines.

It's like obsessing over saving water by putting a brick in your toilet whilst living next to a golf course, or saving the earth by unplugging your phone charger if you live in Las Vegas.

We don't live in a world with rules or consequences; well maybe just for the hoi-polloi. My oil gets changes often enough there's no acid build up. Saving the Urth will devolve to birth control, more family farms/less agribusiness, more PV & Wind power.

"California dreaming "on such a winters day.

[gizzo]

https://youtu.be/-21MwnRHvl8


I wouldn't do it. Unless I was riding somewhere.

[AzCal Retred]

If I lived somewhere with real cold or humidity I might not either, but here it's relatively dry & temperate. The fuel always has Sta-Bil & a bit of Marvel-Oil, the oil is Mobil-1 and gets tossed every 1,500 or so, "winter" is maybe 3 months for us, I think we're all good. Even if it merely serves to enlighten my spirits, I doubt it does any harm to these old dinosaurs. They are in better shape now than when I bought them, to be sure.