BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

I'm a bit confused-there is the cold idle switch which is used when the bike hasn't been started for awhile. If it has been a couple days since I rode I will click this up at start (per manuel) and let it warm up on that for 2-5 minutes depending on temp and how long it had been since it was started. Then I'll jump on, flick it off and drive away. What-if anything am I doing wrong? I assume the high idle switch was placed there for just such a purpose but I see so many posts about not letting an oil head idle and the damage it can do.

Please clarify...

Thanks Gang!

MDrei

The danger of letting the bike idle for too long is that the oil temperature will build up to levels that are damaging to the plastic components used in various places.
Remember the bike is AIR-COOLED - there are no fans in place to draw cooling air through the tank-side-radiators when the bike is stationary.

So - in the warm temps of the Southern US, a bike can overheat to dangerous levels sooner than it would in a windy Chicago winter.



It's interesting to note that even the R1200RT (which IS fitted with radiator fans IIRC) can overheat and actually catch fire if left idling for too long. This has happened a couple of times in the UK to Police spec bikes (it happened to a friend of mine).

There is no warm up time. Start it up and ride away.

So ride away with Idle on "hi" then after a couple of minutes flick it down?

When I start the bike and it stalls, I turn it on and restart the bike.
Then I ride away and directly turn it off.
No warming up on stand still.
When warming up during riding, both engine and transmission will warm up, not just the engine.

There are two positions to the "Cold Start Lever" , position 1 were it will stay by itself is a fast idle position position 2 were you have to hold it is the cold start position. I used to use position for the start and less than 30 seconds to get the idle settled, position 1 till I drove off and then I would fick it off. The danger with a prolonged idle/warm-up is how hot the cylinders/exhaust will become with no air moving across them, the engine/exhaust will heat up much quicker than the oil.

skylarmav1 wrote:So ride away with Idle on "hi" then after a couple of minutes flick it down?

As soon as it will tick over at the correct speed (around 1100 rpm). My bike achieves this within about 10 seconds.

no need for warmup. Hold it full up when starting, then I leave the lever up for a few blocks, thats it.

Wow-Thanks everyone. I hope I haven't done too much damage. I have never let it sit for more than a couple minutes but now I know even that isn't needed.
Thanks again- great group!
MDrei

This is another common "myth" that I have an issue with.
I understand that fully dressed bikes might run into some trouble if let idling for too long due to the plastics heating up, but on a naked R1150 there is nothing that can catch fire so that part is out.

But wait, the engine will overheat.
I have a problem with this one as well. Yes, I know it is air cooled and there is no flow ......
But there is flow of oil through the oil coolers which give off heat even with standing still.
I understand that sitting stationary at 5000rpms would be too much for the cooling system to take but just idling, it better be Ok.
Am I really to think that If I stand at the light for more than 30 seconds the bike will overheat?
If the machine is on such thermodynamic edge then it is really poorly designed (which I don't believe also). Otherwise all of those bikes would have beeen overheated a long time ago.

So short story, start the bike and ride away because you want to, since there is no need for warm up. BTW this is true for just about any machine. Take it easy until the it warms up a little and move on.
But if you need to dismount to go get something, and it will be a 5 minutes, the bike will be fine.

vwdoctor wrote: Am I really to think that If I stand at the light for more than 30 seconds the bike will overheat?

well....no, but your shins and knees might LOL

The only horror story i ever heard of a overheated boxer, was an accidental 20 minutes on a hot day.

If you want to know heat, take a ride on a K75RT on a hot Florida day.
You don't know what is worse, moving or standing still.
While moving your knees are being blasted by hot air coming from the engine and windshield is preventing any air from cooling you.
I cant wait for winter, that will be my bike of choice.

Buckster wrote:There is no warm up time. Start it up and ride away.

Exactly, most of the times you don't even need the cold idle switch. I rarely use it. Almost forgot where it is.
Just start it up and ride your bike. There's no better way to warm up your bike up than riding it.
Just take it easy for the first few kilometers/miles. Let it warm up instead of racing down your street. Your neighbours will be thankful too.

The fast idle switch is also very handy on track days or when blistering down a back road, it limits engine braking;)

I've always heard to use the throttle enrichment lever to start it and as soon as it's running smoothly, ride away. Smoothly for me is less than 30 seconds in even the coldest temps. As I'm heading down my driveway, I turn the lever off.

So over the last couple of days I've rode without warming engine more than 10 to 30 seconds, took off gently and it ran just fine. Thanks all-appreciate your input.

monstrous wrote:The fast idle switch is also very handy on track days or when blistering down a back road, it limits engine braking;)

indeed. good call. I would up my idle on my atvs to ease engine braking for racing.

I don't see myself racing the R anytime soon, but I did notice that on a cold morning after leaving it on.

Sorry to be so tardy with a reply - been away on the west coast (of Scotland) for a weekend. I just ride off straight away when the bike starts and leave the lever on the fast idle just to prevent stalling at the first traffic halt or so. If I was in the countryside I'd put the lever to the normal position immediately. Either way I'd not work the bike too hard for a few miles from stone cold.

Out of curiosity, what actually happens if I don't take it easy for the first few miles after starting the bike from cold?

sstein wrote:Out of curiosity, what actually happens if I don't take it easy for the first few miles after starting the bike from cold?

You may cause some slightly increased wear on the valvetrain and other components that haven't yet been coated in warm oil. Basically it's just not something to do regularly.