How do you get your bike to start in the teens?

[towerworker]

I'm in DC and the cold days are frequent enough that resorting to the car isn't a preferred option for me.

I use Mobil 1 20w50 oil.

Here's what I've done to start the bike successfully:
- Put it on the tender overnight.
- Full choke and some throttle
- Once started remain on throttle, release to half choke
- Eversogradually lower the RPMs via the throttle til I'm off the throttle
- Unplug the tender
- Ride down the road about a mile then reset the choke to normal (no choke)

Just to be clear......what you refer to as the choke is actually a fast idle lever.

[Larcus]

Wisdom of a 20 year old girl (Larcus's wife here): Temp under 30f? one pot of boiling water, half poured on one jug, half on the other jug. Temp 19f and under?.....One pot each jug! Works like a champ. This was a remedy I used for years back in the late 70's. You boys can do all the high tech stuff ya want, but a light bulb under the oil pan works too! (and ya don't have to use the water:-) Simple Susie

[AZBMWRIDER]

I thought I saw a post here a few years ago, about jump starting an oilhead .

Remove the cover on the starter and put the positive lead on the positive stud on the starter, then put the negative lead on unpainted metal in the area .

Anyone ever try this ???

[MThomas]

half poured on one jug, half on the other jug. Temp 19f and under?.....One pot each jug!

Can I assume "jug" = "finned cylinder"?

[towerworker]

20/50 in the summer and 10/40 winter. Been doing that since 2003 and 140,000 miles. Never a problem down to temps where I shouldn't be riding anyway. I've a titanium rod in my left leg that tells me not to ride below 30°F anymore.

First I ever heard of hot water on the jugs. I can see where it could work though.

[Sunbeemer]

20/50 in the summer and 10/40 winter

Antifreeze?

[Sunbeemer]

Can I assume "jug" = "finned cylinder"?

Yes.

[EasyBee]

That's why Moto Guzzi riders say that a BMW is just an old Moto Guzzi, The jugs start to hang a bit.

[MThomas]

I'd been putting the bike on the tinder all night and then throttling down and holding it in the AM for a couple minutes until the idling was steady.
Then putting on my gear, disconnecting the tinder, etc.

I read that these bikes do not need to warm up but can just fire up and off ya go.
I loosened the idle adjustment screws to facilitate 1200rpm idling (previously was idling ~7/800)
So I put on all my gear, disconnected the tinder just before starting, fired her up, held down the throttle and kept on riding.

Point being, a) I didn't need to have the tinder connected whist starting and b) I didn't need to be holding down the throttle to have it warm up so maybe this'll save someone else some time as well.

[AZBMWRIDER]

I just thought of something else to try, if you encounter difficulties in starting again .
When I lived in the Chicago area decades ago, I put a battery heater under the battery .
From your last post, you have electrical power to the bike, to use a battery tender .

[peels]

I'd been putting the bike on the tinder all night and then throttling down and holding it in the AM for a couple minutes until the idling was steady.
Then putting on my gear, disconnecting the tinder, etc.

I read that these bikes do not need to warm up but can just fire up and off ya go.
I loosened the idle adjustment screws to facilitate 1200rpm idling (previously was idling ~7/800)
So I put on all my gear, disconnected the tinder just before starting, fired her up, held down the throttle and kept on riding.

Point being, a) I didn't need to have the tinder connected whist starting and b) I didn't need to be holding down the throttle to have it warm up so maybe this'll save someone else some time as well.

you put your bike on Tinder?

is it lonely, looking for a little lovin'?

[Sunbeemer]

I loosened the idle adjustment screws to facilitate 1200rpm idling (previously was idling ~7/800)

That is not the recommended procedure for correcting a bad idle. Those screws are set at the factory and should never be adjusted.
The correct way to adjust the idle is by adjusting the Big Brass Air Bypass Screws, keeping the air inspired by each throttle body equal.

[MThomas]

I loosened the idle adjustment screws to facilitate 1200rpm idling (previously was idling ~7/800)

That is not the recommended procedure for correcting a bad idle. Those screws are set at the factory and should never be adjusted.
The correct way to adjust the idle is by adjusting the Big Brass Air Bypass Screws, keeping the air inspired by each throttle body equal.

I thought those were the big brass screws I was adjusting.
Those flathead screws were the only screws that came close to looking like they were brass, I couldn't find anything else.
Now I don't remember how much I adjusted them.

[towerworker]

20/50 in the summer and 10/40 winter

Antifreeze?

BMW all the way.

https://www.amazon.com/BMW-Antifreeze-G ... antifreeze

[EasyBee]

you put your bike on Tinder?

Yes, all night

[Sunbeemer]

I thought those were the big brass screws I was adjusting.
Those flathead screws were the only screws that came close to looking like they were brass, I couldn't find anything else.
Now I don't remember how much I adjusted them.

OK, that's good if you adjusted the Big Brass Air (bypass) Screws (BBAS). When somebody says they adjusted the "idle screw" that too often means they turned the paint-secured screw that sets the closed position of the throttle body's butterfly plate; it's painted at the factory to prevent somebody adjusting it the way they were used to doing on a carb. That screw should never be tampered with unless you've rebuilt the throttle body.

So the way to adjust the BBAS's is to use a balanced vacuum gauge of some sort, whether electronic, mercury, or homemade water/oil manometers you can find plans for on this site (search Cyclerob's posts) and attaching it with tubing to the ports under the throttle bodies and adjusting the BBAS's so the vacuum is equal (balanced) at the correct idle rpm. That's all you need to do to get your idle mixtures correct.

If you want to go a step farther, you can adjust the throttle-cable pull above the right-hand throttle body at ~3000rpm (under load is preferable) so that again, the vacuum is equal for both sides, eg. balanced. This is best done after a valve adjustment.
There will be a noticeable improvement in smoothness if the cylinders were not inspiring equally.

[peels]

you put your bike on Tinder?

Yes, all night

not sure to be afraid of that gif or just laugh at it. LOL

[sykospain]

Try a Li-Ion battery - one third the weight / size of an gel / mat battery; then remove the under-the-bike Cat and fit a Y-piece in its place, making sure you buy the one with the welded-on bracket to absorb the thump of the folded centre-stand.

Doing that you've saved about 20 kg in weight and have a beefier cranking power for starting on cold mornngs. Only trouble is, you need a special battery tender for a Li-Ion; a lead-acid or gel-battery tender won't do. Albeit the Li-Ion doesn't self discharge as fast as older designs, whilst the bike's sitting in the garage unused throughout snow-time.

[kirby]

I agree, the stock exhaust can and cat are HEAVY.. I have staintune system. Also a Shorai Battery Li-lon battery ..2 lbs. Need to by w/ charger.
Last time I put mine on the scale w/o bags and 5 gals 503#

[sykospain]

Kirby - how does your Shorai batt perform when starting the bike on a REALLY COLD morning ? ?
People told me they didn't like the cold, but mine on the Rockster in the UK fires up like gangbusters, no matter how cold the weather.