⚠️🚨Why Do BAD COLD START habits Destroy your engine?⚠️❄️How can you prevent it?

[@vincesacca5025]

I am 73 years young now. Riding motorcycles since I was 16. The feelings of freedom and relaxation. Learned what you're explaining when I was in high school and college mechanic classes. I've always believed if you take care of your machines, they will take care of you. It's nice you bring this topic to your many viewers. Goodbye for now my friend.

[@kevinbourke4038]

In my youth I flew light aircraft ( Fuji Aero Subaru) and for first flight of the day, when starting the piston engine from cold, and I live in Melbourne Aust. - the engine would 'rattle' and run as rough as guts. Wait in the holding bay for 5' or so, let the engine idle at about 1000 RPM then wait & listen to the engine 'settle' - no rattles no vibration. By the time I did my start up checkes & preflight checks, the engine would be running smooth as silk ! The tolerences of aircraft engines are/were more 'relaxed' - mind you, that was way back in the late 60's I ride/warm up my Honda exactly as you outlined Stuart. Am a 78 yo 'born again motorcyclist. And may I say riding a motorcycle is like flying a plane. No I cannot explain why, not in only a few sentences, would be another 3 paragraphs, at least.

[@rob-fb5xs]

I bought a motorcycle once, and the seller’s grandmother, who was there at the time, said to me that riding that bike was like flying on the wings of an aeroplane. It was such a lovely, and unexpected, thing to hear her say. Never forget those words.

[@frizzlefry5904]

adding to you aircraft point, I fly a 912 rotax, I hand rotate the prop first, when it starts, hold it at 1800 rpm to stop backlash until up to nominal oil. temp before flight....

[@paulyflyer8154]

Great comments 👌

[@teecee3918]

Do these Start Up/ Warm Up procedures apply equally to Carburetted/ Fuel Injected bikes ?

[@frizzlefry5904]

@@paulyflyer8154 I forgot to mention the 100 hour oil changes, theres a thing !

[@dashamac]

Good engine management advice, Stuart. Reminds me of the stories about taxi cabs getting a million miles out of their engines because they never got a chance to cool down, just a change of driver.

[@aaa111912]

it's the same with fleets of trucks that are in use 24/7 .

[@frankburnett4642]

It’s utter rubbish if you actually listen to him he contradicts himself all throughout the video and he deletes comments that don’t agree with him

[@marcomalo02]

From Kentucky USA...Come over and ride the twisties with us. We have roads you won't believe. Show up with your gear and we'll loan you something decent to ride.

[@petehealy9819]

I couldn't agree more, as a Cali boy living in KY almost 20yrs now. Absolutely gorgeous backroads everywhere. Wow, Stuart, how I'd love to join you and a few fellow Kentuckians if you ever came over to ride!

[@Byley-e7h]

You could invite that Max wrist bloke on You Tube ? That would be interesting 😄

[@slawomirkulinski]

It's not about having some twisties. More about all roads and distances being smaller, much smaller by American standards :D. This requires much more attention but also gives you more sudden opportunities to stop and rest. I feel the difference between my roads in UK (Cambridgeshire, so it's Stu's neighbourhood) and my roads in Poland and Germany.

[@marcomalo02]

@@slawomirkulinski I'm not getting your point here. We have a lot of great roads in all elevations here, well maintained and lightly traveled. You're welcome also. No shortage of rest stops either if that is a requirement.

[@alexhoffam4170]

Is this offer limited to Stuart.

[@peter7624]

I've always grimaced when friends have started their bikes and started revving them. It's not rocket science, but new riders do need to be made aware if they have little in the way of mechanical knowledge. Great informative video Stu.

[@admiralbeez8143]

35 years winter driving in Canada. Make sure you’re using synthetic or good oil to the correct spec. Start the engine, and immediately start rolling, keeping the revs below 2000 rpm.

[@marksimpson5218]

This is spot on Stuart, I’ve been doing this for years. The oil will take a good six miles before it’s up to temperature.

[@233kosta]

Idling the engine for 15 minutes is not only inefficient, it causes dofferential engine warm up, so you can cause more wear that way, not less. Give it 10-15 seconds (maybe a minute) and ride gingerly for 10-20 miles. Understand, this is not just about revs. You need to keep the engine load low too. That means not asking for too much torque. It's better to rev a bit higher than to increase the pressures inside the cylinders. Also, this should go without saying, but if you have a quickshifter, KEEP OFF IT for those 10-20 miles.

[@johnrickards1908]

Thank you Stuart, I would definitely do all that if I could get the bugger started! 😢

[@frankkemble2103]

I used to have a friend at college with a then brand new Honda CB350 G5. ( 1976 ish) He did run the bike in very hastily but from 500 miles on and when starting from cold, it was choke on, start, warm for a minute while he put his gloves on and then it was full throttle and full revs in each gear down the Bolham straight near Tiverton. Sounded and looked very impressive until he seized the camshaft which induced a lovely rear wheel lock up slide. He managed to claim a top end rebuild on warranty but I never felt that it was the bikes fault and I had warned him repeatedly. My rule of thumb is to be gentle for the first ten minutes as if running it in all over again, medium revs and light throttle.

[@andypaddon8531]

Best film for a while. Love it when you impart some "old man" practicals knowledge and skills. Thanks.

[@clivegoss5734]

Thanks a lot Stuart, I was taught this when I started riding and driving 56 years ago. Same principle then as now, thanks for the fantastic content, keep it up please.

[@stuartfillingham]

thanks Clive!

[@tauncfester3022]

One thing about motorcycle unit engine/gearboxes is the engine oil is also the gear's oil. And the sooner you can get the gears moving, even if it just moseying along at 18 to 25 mph, the quicker the engine will warm up. The gears do mesh and run together in neutral, but they aren't actually taking up a load which generates a little heat. Just something I notice with my little Cub Honda is it's such a small engine that it's better to ride it gently after letting it warm enough to idle so it warms more quickly. It may not have the pick up it normally has at first, and it's best to take a route that doesn't force you to accelerate to keep up with faster traffic until it's had a couple minutes to warm. Small engines gain heat slower and shed heat faster than big engines in cold temperatures.

[@JohnMcClain-p9t]

I've been doing this more than fifty years, had to listen to it just to hear it in a deep British accent. It goes well with my "antique" Triumphs!

[@bradfieldb]

Thank you for articulating what I’ve instinctively been doing for decades

[@simonthomas5367]

Royal Enfield'e running-in guidance for my new Himalayan does advise turning over the motor for a couple of minutes from cold before riding off. Another 200km to go. I remember my Grandad lending me his Rover Metro 100, 30 years ago. I was using it regularly for a month. The first long journey I did I had lots of steam coming out of the exhaust along the main road. Not a gasket leak, just sitting water. He'd regularly used the car every day but just to go into town to buy the papers. My month blasting along the A140 did it the world of good!

[@AlexNorman-g9s]

Hi Stuart, thanks for video. It's interesting to reflect how the massive improvements in car and motorbike engines have taken us further away from a basic understanding of the engineering involved. It is important to be "at one with the machine" and be gentle when needed and give your bike a bit love.

[@scubasteve524]

Love this vid. Great information. I live in cold wintery Japan with its dry cold winters and hot as the sun humid summers. I usually try to get the engine warmed up and the heated grips, but now I will just do a 1to2 min warm up then off I will go and just watch those revs. Most mornings now are between -2 to 0 Celsius right now so anyone want to chime in with starting the bike in the bitter cold.

[@ChasDean-d8y]

This is a good video imo. For what it's worth, I agree totally. I, too, have about 60 years of constant motorcycling, and have found the two most important times in a bike's life are running in, and cold starting and subsequent treatrment of the engine. Good stuff Stuart. You might not convert the crazed muppets with deep pockets, but most riders will benefit from your advice.

[@peteeldridge1783]

All good advice. My dealership also recommended starting a cold bike before putting on helmet and gloves just to allow a short time to allow some oil to reach the valve gear before riding off. Keep up the good work 😀

[@chrisweeks6973]

That's my SOP; has been for decades. 👍

[@marco-58]

Always learn a bit more useful info from your excellent channel, even though I’ve been riding since 1977. All the best.

[@RichPober]

I let the bike warm up enough for the carburettors will run smoothly, without me having to fettle the choke as I starting off. If I'm having to fiddle with the choke, then I know the engine is not warm enough. Also, a good quality oil helps maintain the engine, as it will have additives that help it to adhere to the metal surfaces better than cheap oils.

[@insatiable_mind]

That was a great description of what’s going on in the bike internals. Excellent advice!

[@richardyardley5127]

Really good advice Stu. I've always used the 3000 rev rule with a cold engine and head off soon after I start the engine, holding onto lower gears longer than I normally would do, to this rev limit for at least 5 minutes, if not more. Car owners have a bigger problem than bike owners I think because during the winter, the temptation to leave your car in the drive idling for 10 minutes to burn off ice from the windscreen can be overwhelming lol 🙂

[@speedtriplerider7853]

Great explanation which totally vindicates the way I manage me bike.

[@kdato774]

Yeah, this how I learnt it. Turn it on, get on and ride -- but cautiously for a few minutes. No idling.

[@brikfiend]

I put my bike in a giant oven at Gas mark 6 for 15 minutes to warm it up before riding but you have to be careful when setting the temperature or the plastic and the tyres melt !

[@richardwalker4518]

I'm glad someone thought to cover this subject. I still from time to time come across young guys who jump on a motorbike, and its in gear and haring off down the road pulling rpm's as soon as it's fired up. Generally I chuckle quietly to myself thinking, they must love expensive repairs;-). I usually work to an oil temperature of 60c, as to my understanding the oil itself doesn't work properly below that. Also with cars, if turbocharged, let em idle for a couple of minutes before turning the engine off (especially if using on the Motorway) so the turbo can unwind and cool a bit.

[@mazdamaniac4643]

Aye, these folks with turbochargers either don't know or ignore that the oil is pretty much the only thing keeping their precious turbo cool. I've changed quite a few turbo's over the years and nearly all of them had the same problem, choked up with burnt oil in the bearings and what's left of the seals because they weren't allowed to cool down properly. It's dead easy to see when you've taken a shaft out and it's rainbow-coloured from one end to the other from excessive heat tempering. These more modern turbo's with additional water cooling seem to be a good idea, if only to give the engine oil an easier time of it.

[@davidhill5540]

I agree with you about haring from cold, but it's probably someone who buys the bike from them that will get the expensive repair bill

[@richardwalker4518]

@@davidhill5540 Yeah, you can imagine these Hares are the ones who trade up every couple of years to the new model, up to the point where they bankrupt themselves;-)

[@TerryBarton-e7e]

Great information I hope people take your advice. However cylinders cylinders expand when heated. Thank you for your content.

[@steveray8056]

Hi Stu, agree! Living in Canada, where our temperatures range from +35C in summer down to -40C in winter. Golden rule, start engine and let run for 30 seconds, then put in gear and drive off slowly - nothing above 3500 rpm, for the first five minutes of driving. Oh, if it gets down to -40C we will not turn off our vehicles (probably not riding at this temp 😂😂) unless we plug into an “engine heater” or park inside a garage. 😊😊😊

[@farmoboy83]

I live in a southern european country where extreme cold is not frequen. Never once warmed up and engine. 2 petrol Cars Over 200000k and 2 bikes, One of them my daily with Over 80000km. Just sensible with throttle till the oil is hot enough.

[@Phiyedough]

I don't have a bike on the road at the moment but for many years I have treated engines the way you recommend. My 2008 Chevrolet Spark was about the cheapest car you could buy when it was new but it is still on the original exhaust system. That is largely down to only starting the engine when I know it will be run up to normal working temperature.

[@davidjones8680]

My late uncle Cedric always kept his beloved motorcycles in a heated garage.

[@michaelg2x]

I'm an engineer, working for a large car maker for 30 years. I confirm Stuart is right.👍

[@Mark-jw7wr]

Brilliant video thank you. I found you taking the time to provide deep explanation as to the how and why of cold start engine management, beyond simply what, was wholly helpful. Loving the channel as always.

[@charlesbarnett2724]

I've listened carefully to what you've said in this video Stuart. Very interesting. My 2019 Himalayan is regularly run on short journeys such as you discribe. Between 10 and 20 minutes (to and from work on the farm two days a week for example). Its nearly done 13,000 miles now and has been serviced properly. The engine sounds sweeter than ever, to be fair. That said, you do have me questioning my decision not to take the car on some of these short journeys, especially in the winter.(if nothing else for the amount of mess on the roads 😂)🤔 I like to think I ride in a sympathetic manner. My start up routine is idling whilst I open and close gates for example, then through the gears as you described. Holding gears a little longer whilst not ragging the engine and at the same time avoid mauling the engine through excessive torque. For me that has always felt an instinctive thing. Plus as a middle aged man with fair sprinkling of the old bone rust of arthritis from years of cold wet starts, I know how I like to warm up MY working parts .😂😂😂😂 Great video as ever Stu. Thank you.❤

[@johndouglas479]

True story: In 1994 I bought a new Ducati 900ss. In the owners handbook, I came across the following (and I’ve never forgotten this as it made me chuckle then - and still does now)….a sentence stated; ‘Never start a cold engine…’

[@Taking_Care_Of_The_Business]

Insurance for longevity 100% proven😂

[@stevewalker2047]

Good morning Stu. Good advice and exactly what I’ve been doing . I also check the brakes when first pull away.

[@thaddeusgabryszewski5769]

Thanks!

[@stuartfillingham]

Thank You Sir!

[@andrewhayes4246]

All good advice Stu, although modern surface finishes and matching of materials minimises that. Aluminium pistons, nikasil coated bores and aluminium blocks is much better than ali pistons in steel liners.

[@timparker9235]

sound advice, exactly how I do it - thank you

[@tonjaarrambide4541]

Mr. Fillingham, you are so right about the way to warm up a cold engine. My wife’s Subaru Forester had an automatic idle up feature upon cold start up, and my diesel truck has an optional idle up feature I use in the winter. Cheers

[@paulcuthbert8353]

Wise words, Stuart! And this advice applies to any ICE vehicle! Much appreciated & keep up the great content! 😎👍

[@anthonycoleman5761]

Great information Stuart , I always felt bad by not starting the bike up in the winter when it was in the shed , but now I know I was doing the right thing 👍🏻😄 thanks

[@paulmewett528]

Once again, great information. Cheers mate and Merry Christmas to you and Paula.

[@johndavis-tn3il]

I was all set to disagree with you on this topic, but that didn't happen. Thanks for the video!

[@pasha_exodite6475]

I've already known about 100% of things you're talking about before I've watched this video. But still, you're telling the story in such a magnificent way, that I've enjoyed watching it from the start till the very end.

[@mikethebikemt07tracer]

Spot on advice there Stuart. So many people appear to let their engine idle to warm up these days. We never used to do that in years gone by. They are only taught to pass their test and nothing else,

[@papertiger795]

Thanks for this, it makes perfect sense. Ill do my best to incorporate it into my rides in the future.

[@GreenComotion-ei6zw]

Good words of advice, Stuart. I will try and abide by them going forward. Cheers!

[@markir9]

Yeah, good advice. I've recently bought a new (relatively) high power 2 stroke chainsaw. The advice regarding that is: doing a cold start and immediately using full throttle, high revs and high load will absolutely result in piston scoring and premature engine failure! The good advice is: idle for approx 30s then do short time interval cuts until the exhaust manifold is clearly putting out heat (perhaps a few minutes in this case), then feel free to do full throttle for extended cuts without worry. Obviously 2 stroke chainsaw is a bit different from 4 stroke motorcycles (and cars), but the basic mechanics of cold start and part thermal expansion is similar (the chainsaws are perhaps a more dramatic example as you can kill them with poor usage procedure in a few months)!

[@andrewhannam.]

On any fuel injected engine I always wait until the idle does it's first change. O2 sensors need to warm up before they get an accurate reading. Before all the engine management gets real live data it runs a tad richer and uses more fuel which as you noted about cold combustion is bad. So I agree with everything you have said with an added part about waiting until your cold start fast idle changes (most if not all fuel injected engines have 3 idles, cold start fast, cold and then the lowest operating temp idle). In practice, start engine let run for the 1-4 min till first idle change. Then set off gently for 5-10 mins depending on outside temp (big difference in warm up times -6C is almost twice as long as say 15c). *any idle of 15 min or over is bad!!!!!

[@gudgengrebe]

Thank you for doing this. I didn’t know about not starting the bike for 10. minutes during the winter when it’s off-road. Not that I’ve done that, but I didn’t know it would be harmful. I also didn’t know about the water getting into the oil. As usual I have learned a few things watching your videos.

[@KRAM-zb2vc]

Brilliant video as always Stuart and some really good advice on the cold start procedure 😌👍🏻

[@edz1980]

Hello Stuart another good informative film. With the W650 would warm up the engine til it could run without choke and take it easy. Short winter runs the oil got emulsified. Once a week would take it for a good ride to cook out the water. Now its not a daily commuter when laid up for winter its never fired up until one has too. Before storage, drain carburettors, clean and set plugs, couple drops of oil in the bores,fresh oil and filter. Strap clutch lever in and leave it. Once a month charge battery and turn over the engine eith kick start. ( Always remove fuel) Vaccum hoses. Come spring turn on the tap. Pull out choke fire up. Works for me. Keep up the good work 👍🏻

[@kelvinjolley6264]

Totally agree with you about the W650 ,it takes about 4 to 6 miles to totally warm my W650 up so it's ticking over nicely without choke.a great bike.

[@newlife155]

Clutch lever sounds right, would keep plates apart..

[@davidmacgregor5193]

Hello again, Stuart, doing too many short rides can damage your engine as it won't get up to it's optimum operating temperature to evaporate any water vapour that has condensed and built up in the engine oil. I remember forty years ago, I mainly used my Triumph T140E to commute to my workplace and back home, Ia daily distance of about ten miles. One cold winter morning the Bonneville wouldn't start, after I investigated the problem, it turned out that there was so much water in the oil that it had frozen up and there were chunks of ice in the oil. I used a blow lamp on the enging cases to thaw out the ice in the oil. I then started her up and did an oil change. I did notice with the Bonneville that when parked overnight the oil in the clutch would stick the plates together, I'd pull in the clutch lever, give the kick starter a few prods until I could feel that the clutch plates had freed themselves. That was a common procedure on the Meriden Triumph models. Too much heat can also damage engines, to pass today's strict emmission regulations, modern engines tend to run lean, that leaness makes the motor run hot. My H-D Sportster is EFI fuelled, it runs so hot in the summer that I can smell the hot oil, when that occurs I will stop off at a cafe for a coffee and let the motor cool down before continuing my ride. My old Benelli 900 Sei used to run hot too as the six cylinders are very close to each other, I installed an oil cooler from a USA export Honda CB650, a cooler was stock fitment on these Honda models, fortunately the cooler fitted the Benelli without any major modifications.

[@logangodofcandy]

Who the hell is stopping for coffee in the middle of the day? The cafe racer idea is actually insane to me

[@davidmacgregor5193]

@@logangodofcandy I am now a state pensioner so I have time to stop off at a cafe when I'm out riding, I do have a mid afternoon coffee most days whether I'm riding or not. I don't ride everyday like I did when I was working. I'm not a coffee shop racer these days.

[@stuartfillingham]

you can stop for coffee whenever you like, its your ride!

[@geofwassell]

I like old bikes with manual chokes. Enriched mixture helps an engine to start more easily and also washes away the small amount of oil which makes its way onto the bores whilst contaminating the cold oil in the wet sump. My dad told me to get my coat buttoned up, my gloves on and my helmet done up before starting the bike. As soon as the bike starts, get it into gear and move off slowly whilst taking off the choke.Let the engine rev to 3/4 its capacity so that it doesnt labour in too high a gear. Dont try to break the land speed record until you 've done about 5 miles. Very simple rules which have meant that I have never had an engine wear out before its time and have never had salad cream forming inside any engine I have ever run. Another tip my dad told me related to four strokes only: use overrun to reduce load on you engine whilst throwing oil all over everywhere inside the engine. this helps to get heat into the oil whilst getting oil around a cold engine so while the engine warms through, leave it in third and accelerate briefly and let it slow down on over-run instead of settling down to a gentle plod in 4th.... Old advice but it still works even if there's more gears.

[@RichardS-qh8mi]

Totally agree Stu - always have started up my two bikes without centre stands in the vertical to allow the oil pressure to build up in those first crucial 30 seconds when the oil-ways are filling. This also stops the end crank bearing being starved of oil initially. Although I’d always prefer to bring the engine up to full working temperature by riding it, if you are going to start your bike in the colder months without riding it just make sure it fully warms and burns off all that water vapour in your exhaust- I also vary the throttle though it won’t move your gearbox oil around much. Having said that you’re not using your gears so it’s not the end of the world. The key is to make sure the engine gets fully hot, so when the fan kicks in you know you’re thereabouts.

[@jonay9221]

A friend pointed out to me that the fan comes on according to coolant temperature but gear box can still be cold and full of condensation. He said if winter starting, to run at 1.5-2k until gear box casing hothot to touch.

[@chrisandrew852]

That was really helpful.. thanks Stuart

[@MotoCurmudgeon]

Great info as always, thank you sir!

[@stevenwatson3963]

Excellent video Stu, very thought provoking.Cheers.

[@MarkSteedman-o2y]

Thanks Stuart 👍 I love my classic 350 and look after it but in the winter every couple of weeks I would wheel it out of the garage, start it and warm it up for a bit - now listening to this I will leave it alone until I know I can take it for a run to warm it up properly 👍

[@newlife155]

I have had this ingrained since being trained in military transport, so much so that if I go only for a short errand I will hit the highway just to get the temp up to operating temp before getting back home.

[@chrisbailey600]

Very interesting Stuart, well worth putting into practice. On a slightly different note, picking up on some of the comments below re flying … 'back in the day’, I was a pilot and I can remember throughout my career always trying to put into practice one of the first things I was taught; treat her (the aircraft) gently and smoothly. I try and put that into practice when I’m riding as well, certainly the ‘smooth’ part. Doesn’t mean to say I don’t ‘open the taps’ when I feel like it though, but even then you can do that smoothly and gently and achieve the same result! Found that this technique works well with your partner as well!! Toodle pip.

[@DavidPritchard-i7x]

Sound advice, to which I would add try to avoid going up steep hills on a cold engine, both from the engines point of view and the transmission in general.

[@robreed2999]

Hi Stuart, what a cracking video 👍 so many people just start up (with no warm up ) and thrash the engine and even worse if you have a vehicle that's got a turbo 😱 optimum running temperature is there for a reason so be patient and don't trash your engine 🤔 thanks and ride safe 👍🏍⛽🇬🇧

[@bruceknights8330]

I worked on diesel powered trains. The air braking compressor was powered by the engine and took a long time to build the system up to pressure, during which time the train could not be moved. To help with this, a compressor speed up facility was installed, which revved the cold engine much faster until the pressure was built up. Engines had a relatively short working life in the trains. I wonder why? We installed a simple two speed gearbox in the compressor drive train, rather like the old Laycock overdrives fitted to 1960s cars. Engine life dramatically improved. Later versions had electrically driven compressors

[@matusknives]

Thank you for the excellent advice and explanation!

[@MrJpb2000]

Couldn’t agree more Uncle Stu…learned myself from previous years to stop starting the bike during the winter months due to the amount of condensation this caused unnecessarily. Just put on the trickle charge each week until that magical time comes to ride again. 👊😎👍

[@jimc-59]

Thanks Stuart. Thats great advice that I will now start implementing.

[@brucegeange8991]

Good advice, especially for people with valuable vintage bikes. As Stuart describes is exactly how I treat my T160 Trident

[@timhicks2154]

I try to do my best by all my engines, cars and bikes. A one-minute warm-up at 1,500rpm; then gentle use for 1.5 - 2 miles until warm. Plus the best-quality 10W/60 oil I can buy. I hope I haven’t been doing it all wrong.

[@bigglesace1626]

When cold starting a Rotax 912 on my microlight, after turning over slowly by hand to prime the oil pump always used starter to turn it over with mags off for about 10 seconds to get some oil circulating. Then actually started engine but kept at a fast idle of 2,000rpm until oil reached 50°c - then ready to go.

[@northof-62]

I learned this from watching Iain Tyrrell's test drives.

[@markfranks1329]

Sound advice, intelligently conveyed as always, Mr Fillingham. 👍

[@brantfoster-jb2vj]

hanging on to the gears for another 500 RPM to prevent "lugging" when cold is super sound advice. Lugging significantly increases cylinder head pressure per combustion cycle. definitely not ideal when the cylinder/pistons are not ideally expanded and working as designed.

[@Nigriff]

Great advice people rarely speak of.

[@glenncaukill1320]

Very well explained Stuart , 👍

[@ChanakyanStudent7971]

7 years ago when I was 16, continuously kicking my old 125cc single cylinder bajaj until it starts in a chilly winter morning used to be my leg day. This video would have been quite useful then.

[@krismorgan]

I know its obvious but good quality oil helps even more.

[@GibbAsp]

Agree, the protection for a cold engine is dependent on the oil additive package, the quality of the oil is important but also the duration it's in the engine, the additives are depleted during usage (km and load). Bye bye 12000km oil change intervals 😶

[@newlife155]

Synthetic oil is supposed to be best for cold starting. Very liquid.

[@roviwoteap2375]

What a brilliant and informative video!

[@frankburnett4642]

What a load of rubbish this video is

[@1990-t1j]

In all climates, I start the bike, set off and don't go over 50 per cent revs until the oil [not the coolant] is at normal running temperature. With my 155cc, I do 5km; with my 390, I do 10km; with my 950, I do 20 km. I also don't lug the engine, but I rarely do that when it's fully warmed up. Interesting video. Nick

[@slipngrip]

What really matters is load, not rev. Actually, I'd say it's easier to overload your bike at low revs than higer revs. High revs at lower gear is easier to your bike than low revs at higher gears.

[@christianmouraux7269]

Thank you, all excellent advices 👍👍

[@gilesshort1093]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge!👍

[@willyrackham2957]

Several of my old Guzzi twins ...we're the same started up clattering vibes . Soon as they get warm smooth and quiet .On another topic I have looking at the new Scram 443 cc Enfield..then I looked at alot of reviews on here ...my point is every one of the admittedly small complaints the reviewers had has been addressed...tubeless tyres ...done better brakes ....done ...6 speed gearbox .....done ....bigger engine ...done stronger rear frame for top box etc ..done ..so some one at the factory has really listened to what people actually want from ther bike s....oh switchable A B S on the rear ........look at this company they are really excellent .

[@trustnuffin9121]

KTM in Austria have just gone into liquidation and closed the doors. They have had to lay 3,500 people off work ☹

[@miaumeow7726]

Thank you Stuart ☺️

[@theadventuresofbellatheenf4627]

I let the bike worm up for about ten minutes before starting out for a ride during winter months if it snows I'm staying home

[@robg521]

Moisture in the exhaust…. In the 80’s I was taught if you are going to start the engine don’t turn it off and leave the bike until the exhaust pipes have become hot. Because when the bike starts up it blows condensation and moisture into the exhaust and if the pipes don’t get hot the moisture will sit there inside causing rust.

[@cptntwang]

I ordered a pair of goldstar gloves because of you. Cant wait to get them and try them out on a dry winterday. On my properly warmed up triumph scrambler.

[@alansmith1268]

Couldn’t agree more Stuart👍 as 1 thing that makes me cringe is someone starting a cold engine and then revving the nuts off it to warm it up 🫣I am a biker but also own an ageing Land Cruiser and live a couple of hundred yards from a main dual carriage way with a short and sometimes very busy slip road so if I need to use the carriage way for a journey with a cold engine I will always go through my local town and join the carriage way using a much slower roundabout about 3 miles away and by then my engine is at normal operating temperature and I can join and travel at the same speed as the rest of the traffic without having to push a cold engine to get up to speed, even got my wife doing the same mind you she also hates using the slip road near us 👍

[@mikaelpettersson2389]

Excellent hints! On my Moto Guzzi, the warming up period is clearly noticeable.... it's extremely hard to change gears, it vibrates and behaves like myself before the first coffee of the day. Finally I found out the trick to get the first gear out when it's cold: apply pressure on the gear lever first, and then press the clutch. 😅 Only that works. Otherwise I have to drive around on 1st gear until it's warm enough to allow me into second...😂

[@fenrir7969]

Been doing your method for years. Light load, hold onto gears for just a little longer, just be gentle with it really. Cruising at a constant speed seems to heat things up quickly without putting excess load on an engine, though that does depend on your route.

[@jbreviewer65]

Hi Stuart, love your videos, pls keep it up! I agree, with the day to day start-up, that's exactly my procedure. But disagree with the Winter advice. That only applies to not heated storage! In fluctuating cold temps/wet conditions, condensation is a major factor, and I would be inclined to agree with not touching it as heating it up will only compound the condensation issue. However, if your bike is in a heated garage condensation is almost non existent and not a factor. Lubricating all the internals is however beneficial and combined with heating things up helps prevent seals from drying up and keeps coolant from clogging small passages in the system. I let my 2000 VFR (87,540km) run until the fan comes on, usually 19mins. In the case of carbureted bikes, filling your tank with premium fuel, adding the correct amount of stabilizer and running your bike every few weeks will ensure that you will not have to strip the carbs every spring. Been doing this with my 2001 V-Star 1100 (98,684km) since I bought it with NO issues, never touched the carbs. Run your bike until it reaches full running temp and let it run there for at least an additional 5mins lightly revving occasionally, this will flash any small amount of moisture that may have accumulated. I've been doing this for 40 years, I own and have owned high mileage bikes that did and still run like new and I have never seen ANY degradation in my oil. Again this is for HEATED GARAGE STORAGE. I've seen this type misleading advice on several posts and feel compelled to emphasize, where and how you store your bike makes a BIG difference. this is not a one size fits all scenario.

[@dynatube]

Sound advice as usual 👍

[@jjnewman65]

Nice one Stu. I’m not using battery chargers for my Triumphs but I have been adhering to your rules and getting them out for half an hour or so on a Sunday to help their batteries and keeping all the parts oiled. Keep an eye on those tyre pressures to if left for a few weeks or more.

[@bluesplayer59]

Just keep the oil fresh . The end . 😊

[@barryporteous4904]

Modern oils that stay thin at lower temperatures must have a bearing (pun intended) on the issue.

[@strider112575]

Thanks for this. It's good to know.

[@peterniebuhr4277]

Real Good Video Perfect Information. Greetings from Germany.