SuzukiSavage.com - Winter (West Michigan) Commuting and Engine Warmup

Dreanimal

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Winter (West Michigan) Commuting and Engine Warmup
09/01/21 at 10:19:15

I have a very short commute to work (<2miles) so my S40 is my primary method of transportation. It is stock outside of a supertrapp and an LED headlight. Any tips for speeding up the warm up in the winter? We've had a few mornings with temps below 55°F and the engine still hasn't reached operating temp by the time I get to the office. It is garage kept but the garage was built in the early 1900s so there is no insulation or heat.

Currently I give it about 5min to idle, never needed to use the choke as it fires right up without it.

Any tips for accelerating engine warm up are appreciated. I'm thinking at this point the only options are: 1. let it idle longer 2. take the long way to work 3. get a heated blanked for the block.

Thanks,

Drean

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Dave

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Re: Winter (West Michigan) Commuting and Engine Wa
Reply #1 - 09/01/21 at 12:41:58

Idling an engine is not good......the Savage has incredibly low oil pressure and flow at idle speeds. The cam and rockers are horribly starved for oil at idle speeds. You should start the engine up and ride away gently as soon as you can.......you may need to leave the choke on a notch or two.

Take the long way to work, and definitely go on a 30 minute ride weekly to get the moisture baked out of the oil and the battery charged.

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ohiomoto

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Re: Winter (West Michigan) Commuting and Engine Wa
Reply #2 - 09/01/21 at 13:44:38

Dave is right. Option 2.

It's the internal operating temperature that needs to rise. The ambient air temperature has very little to do with that. My bike probably takes 5-6 miles to warm up when it's hot out and 7-8 miles when it's colder. This is for the first run of the day. It generally warms up faster if it's been sitting for less than 3-4 hours on subsequent starts. I never let it idle either. I get on it and go. Even in temps below 40.

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Dreanimal

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Re: Winter (West Michigan) Commuting and Engine Wa
Reply #3 - 09/02/21 at 03:46:04

Thanks for the input guys. The long way into the office is a viable option for now but when temps start getting down around 10-15°F I think it will be tough to swallow. I'm going to raise the idle for the cold days and let it warm up that way. with a mechanical oil pump a higher idle should give higher pressure.

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Winter (West Michigan) Commuting and Engine Wa Reply #4 - 09/02/21 at 03:59:20 If it's sitting on the sidestand then the cam starves for oil on the high end. The design is such. A 2x4 under the sidestand MAY be sufficient. See what the local geniuses say.
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Dreanimal YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 21	Re: Winter (West Michigan) Commuting and Engine Wa Reply #5 - 09/02/21 at 04:03:02 I didn't think about it with regards to the lean. I'll look into getting a swing arm stand to keep it level.
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ohiomoto Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 2781	Re: Winter (West Michigan) Commuting and Engine Wa Reply #6 - 09/02/21 at 09:25:52 Your bike should be running pretty lean at those temperatures. Just use the choke accordingly.
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Gary_in_NJ Serious Thumper Offline LS650 Cafe Racer Posts: 2633 Amongst the Twisty Roads	Re: Winter (West Michigan) Commuting and Engine Wa Reply #7 - 09/02/21 at 09:52:55 Dreanimal wrote on 09/02/21 at 04:03:02: I'll look into getting a swing arm stand to keep it level. Because of the location of the rear brake cable and exhaust, you'll have a hard time finding a rear stand. For what it's worth, I use a front wheel stand for my bike. I ride it on and walk away.
Back to top	A life-time student of motorcycling. LS650 Cafe, DRZ400SM, FZ6N, SV650S, CB900C, Ducati ST2, CB550F-SS My LS650=> http://suzukisavage.com/yabb2.2/Attachments/Left.JPG IP Logged

Eegore Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 8523	Re: Winter (West Michigan) Commuting and Engine Wa Reply #8 - 09/02/21 at 09:58:06 Gary has the right idea here. A front tire stand is more efficient.
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zipidachimp Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1429 surrey, b.c. Gender:	Re: Winter (West Michigan) Commuting and Engine Wa Reply #9 - 09/02/21 at 13:25:25 Bolt one of these to a 2x10 plank and roll it on. Works a treat! https://www.harborfreight.com/motorcycle-wheel-chock-69026.html Cheers!
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Hiko Senior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 250 Tauranga New Zealand Gender:	Re: Winter (West Michigan) Commuting and Engine Wa Reply #10 - 09/02/21 at 14:56:15 Constant short runs in cold temps I think I would go for the heat blanket Better for the bike and better for you Remove blanket jump on and ride a bike that is nicely warmed up Whats not to like?
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Winter (West Michigan) Commuting and Engine Wa Reply #11 - 09/03/21 at 09:50:37 Use that 2x10 to load it on a big U Haul and move South. Problem solved
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Gary_in_NJ Serious Thumper Offline LS650 Cafe Racer Posts: 2633 Amongst the Twisty Roads	Re: Winter (West Michigan) Commuting and Engine Wa Reply #12 - 09/03/21 at 10:07:49 I got this one because in my research it was found to be very stable. It doesn't require it to be mounted, and works well up against the wall (allowing you to ride onto it). https://www.kapscomoto.com/us/venom-universal-motorcycle-wheel-tire-chock-sel...
Back to top	A life-time student of motorcycling. LS650 Cafe, DRZ400SM, FZ6N, SV650S, CB900C, Ducati ST2, CB550F-SS My LS650=> http://suzukisavage.com/yabb2.2/Attachments/Left.JPG IP Logged

Dreanimal YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 21	Re: Winter (West Michigan) Commuting and Engine Wa Reply #13 - 09/03/21 at 10:55:44 Thanks for the input guys. I think the path forward is a vertical stand, high idle warmup for a minute or two and taking the long way once a week or so to make sure it gets fully up to temp somewhat regularly. I'd never move south, couldn't find anywhere better than Michigan if I tried.
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Ruttly Serious Thumper Offline Thumpers Rule Posts: 5149 Manteca , CA Gender:	Re: Winter (West Michigan) Commuting and Engine Wa Reply #14 - 09/03/21 at 11:46:42 Harbor Freight has a similar wheel chocks , possibly cheaper
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