VOLUME 57 ISSUE 13 MARCH 31, 2020 P63
W
arming up your motorcy-
cle's engine before you
hit the trail or road seems
like an obvious thing to do. Of course
you should. But there is a right way to
warm up your motorcycle's engine and
then there is a wrong way. We'll explain.
As a general rule of thumb warming up
an engine is a good idea, but if you have a
newer bike with fuel injection and run your en-
gine with modern, usually synthetic, oils, you
can pretty much hit the switch and go without
worry, as long as you don't bounce off the rev-
limiter within the first few blocks. Nevertheless,
it's wise to warm up the engine first. But here's the
thing—don't let your motorcycle idle too long! You
could be doing more harm than good if you do.
Today's engine management systems make it so you
don't have to worry too much about things like warming
up your bike's engine. As long as the engine isn't sputtering
or about to stall, you are pretty much good to go right away.
There is a correct
way to warm up your
motorcycle's engine,
but it might not be
how you think.
SHOULD YOU
WARM UP YOUR
MOTORCYCLE
BEFORE YOU
RIDE?
ENGINE
WARM-UP
