Question:
Here's why you should wear steel toed boots. Yesterday, having gotten
the bike put back together and juiced up, I went for a ride. It was
great. Perfect weather, about 60 degrees. Just took in some local back
roads that I always wondered where they went.
Got back home, and put the side stand down, got off the bike, and took
off the helmet. Started to back the bike into the garage, along side
the car. [ASIDE] I like backing the bike in for a quick exit out of
the gargae for the next ride, which is really silly, cuz I always,
*ALWAYS* let it warm up properly before I ride. [ANYWAY] So I'm
wearing my leather (non-steel toed) work boots, cuz I had them on
anyway, and didn't want to waste time putting on the steel toed
motorcycle boots, just wanted to get out there and ride dammit. (Some
of you already know what's coming dont you?)
Answer:
Sounds like the guy's completely full of shit. He talks about
air-cooled V-Twins and his only reference is some obscure document
written by MG and Jaguar engine builders, way back in 1968.
And I don't know where he gets the notion that an air-cooled V-Twin
warms faster by standing still, than it does by being put to work.
Even the Owner's Manual that comes with Harleys says to not warm the
engine by just idling. They say hop on and ride it easy until it
finishes warms up. I'd say they know more about V-Twins than some
Website-maker.
I don't think he's completely full of shit Don. Ok, his only ref is a
30-something year old doc, but, air is a great insulator. Moving air
isn't. (hence wind chill factor) An air cooled twin with no air
circulation will certainly heat up faster, as you're removing it's
only source of cooling - moving air. Ergo, standing still, the
air-cooled engine will warm up faster than the same engine moving
through air. Try this: Take two ice cubes, put one in a cup, and put
one on a plate with a fan blowing on it. see which one melts faster.
by moving (or removing if you want) that layer of air surrounding the
ice cube, there's nothing to hold the coolness and act as an thermal
layer around the ice cube. Same principle on an engine standing still.
Be sure to apply some heat to the containers holding the cubes. Now
on the moving one, apply a two or three times as much heat as you put
to the still cube.
It is true that the heads and cylinders do get rather hot when idling,
but it's better to work the engine a bit and let the heat built up
throughout.
That said, I do idle my engine to warm it up before riding, but only
for about a minute or two. Then it's time to ride off, slowly at
first. I usually start riding before I turn the idle down to normal.
Also, remember that it is not just the surface temperature of the
engine's outside skin that is most important - it is the inside of the
engine; all its parts and fluids. Work the engine, more BTUs are
produced and the whole thing warms up many times faster than by idling
alone.
A simple test would settle this. Start the bike cold, immediately
ride it around for 3 blocks and then stop and feel the heat radiating
from the engine. Keep track of the time it took to ride.
Then start the bike cold (later) and let it idle for the same length
of time it took to ride previously. It will definitely feel cooler,
because it is warming up much more slowly that way.
