Cold Weather Bad for Motorcycle Engine?

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To the OP's original question...yes, riding your bike or running your bike in cold temps is bad for it. Don't do it. Park and properly store it for the winter. Any riding you get in won't be worth the possibility for increased wear of engine components, and possible engine damage. The roads are too cold for good traction and then there's the salt and grit too. Just park, winterise it and forget it until May.

The oil doesn't get hot enough, it's that simple. If you insist, cover up 1/2 the rad with some cardboard and duct tape to help raise coolant/engine oil temps.

Parking the bike in a non-heated garage on a very cold day after a ride, and cold, damp air will rush in possibly snapping a valve stem re rapid changes in temps, and will bring in moisture that when mixed with exhaust gases cause acids to form and corrode engine parts.

Just leave the bike parked and well winterised during the cold, damp months.

I gave up cold weather riding after a few seasons. Just not worth it.
 
Whilst I'll agree it's not ideal, I think much of the above is overkill. Even some of my own earlier discussion in this very thread was purely theoretical but highly unlikely (as I mentioned) for a ground based small engine like a motorcycle engine.

Valve stems are not going to snap, oil and coolant *do* come up to proper operating temperatures so long as you go for a 20+ minute ride at speed (not puttering around the corner to the nearest Timmies), and although I agree condensation can be an issue so long as the engine cools down normally from full operating temperature (again, that riding long enough thing) it's not a huge issue. It's far more of an issue for those who start their bikes every week for 3 minutes thinking they're helping things...to the contrary.

Remember, snowmobile engines use basically the same tech as a motorcycle engine and survive (and thrive) into the -40's and below. Proper lubrication and treatment is the key to avoiding issues.

Going for a ride at 0C (or even -5, -10...), given a brief period of warmup, proper oil viscosity, and making sure to ride long enough to heat up the entire engine, exhaust, and drivetrain to full operating temperature is the key in the end.
 
twinswin said:
The oil doesn't get hot enough, it's that simple. If you insist, cover up 1/2 the rad with some cardboard and duct tape to help raise coolant/engine oil temps.
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Isn't the thermostat supposed to prevent flow to the radiator if the coolant isn't warm enough? I could see what you posted being true for an oil/air cooled bike but for water cooled I'd expect it should auto regulate better.
 
unL33T said:
Isn't the thermostat supposed to prevent flow to the radiator if the coolant isn't warm enough?.
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Yes. If a liquid bike isn't coming up to proper operating temperature after 5-10 mins of riding, the thermostat is probably stuck open.
 
twinswin said:
To the OP's original question...yes, riding your bike or running your bike in cold temps is bad for it. Don't do it. Park and properly store it for the winter. Any riding you get in won't be worth the possibility for increased wear of engine components, and possible engine damage. The roads are too cold for good traction and then there's the salt and grit too. Just park, winterise it and forget it until May.

The oil doesn't get hot enough, it's that simple. If you insist, cover up 1/2 the rad with some cardboard and duct tape to help raise coolant/engine oil temps.

Parking the bike in a non-heated garage on a very cold day after a ride, and cold, damp air will rush in possibly snapping a valve stem re rapid changes in temps, and will bring in moisture that when mixed with exhaust gases cause acids to form and corrode engine parts.

Just leave the bike parked and well winterised during the cold, damp months.

I gave up cold weather riding after a few seasons. Just not worth it.
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Valve stem snapping? Seriously?

If I was the OP I suspect I would ignore much of what you said above based on the valve stem comment.

In recent history I have ridden in temperatures down to about -20 with no ill effects, and way back when I was a teenager I rode my 1969 Norton 750 Commando about 100 miles/160 km in temperatures that were well below 0 °f, below -20 °c. No valves snapped, no running issues any more than it would normally have. I also didn't have any motorcycle gear apart from a 3/4 helmet and a Leather Jacket. Heavy mitts, layers of whatever clothes I have around the house, plastic garbage bags held with elastics over my jeans. I was very cold. It was very stupid. (Was going to see a girl.)

..Tom
 
unL33T said:
Isn't the thermostat supposed to prevent flow to the radiator if the coolant isn't warm enough? I could see what you posted being true for an oil/air cooled bike but for water cooled I'd expect it should auto regulate better.
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Take your water cooled bike out for an hour long ride in zero temps. Keep an eye on the water temp gauge, assuming you have one. Chances are you will see temps below the warm up temps you had when you started riding, EG started riding when the coolant temp was 65, and then see 59 on the gauge after riding for an hour. Why? cold air passes through rad, lowering coolant temps, engine doesn't get hot enough, oil does not get hot enough to provide better protection. Now, cover up 1/2 your rad and repeat. Chances are your engine coolant temps will be warmer...less freezing air going through the rad, coolant warms up, engine warms up. Thermostat may even open if the temps get high enough. Or, better yet, save your self the work, and go for a ride in your car in the middle of February on say the 401, and see home many big trucks have rad covers on their grills.
 
twinswin said:
Take your water cooled bike out for an hour long ride in zero temps. Keep an eye on the water temp gauge, assuming you have one. Chances are you will see temps below the warm up temps you had when you started riding, EG started riding when the coolant temp was 65, and then see 59 on the gauge after riding for an hour. Why? cold air passes through rad, lowering coolant temps, engine doesn't get hot enough, oil does not get hot enough to provide better protection. Now, cover up 1/2 your rad and repeat. Chances are your engine coolant temps will be warmer...less freezing air going through the rad, coolant warms up, engine warms up. Thermostat may even open if the temps get high enough. Or, better yet, save your self the work, and go for a ride in your car in the middle of February on say the 401, and see home many big trucks have rad covers on their grills.
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My water cooled bike just has bars on a digital gauge. Once warmed up (which does take awhile in the cold) I've never seen it change other than going up when it's really hot out.

A cover on the grill of a truck would prevent air flow over the entire engine. Also, diesels will actually lose heat while idling, gas does not.

I also wouldn't think a difference of 6° in coolant temperature would make much of a difference to the engine.

I'd expect blocking off the engine rather than the rad would be more effective at holding the heat in.
 
V-Tom said:
Valve stem snapping? Seriously?

If I was the OP I suspect I would ignore much of what you said above based on the valve stem comment.

In recent history I have ridden in temperatures down to about -20 with no ill effects, and way back when I was a teenager I rode my 1969 Norton 750 Commando about 100 miles/160 km in temperatures that were well below 0 °f, below -20 °c. No valves snapped, no running issues any more than it would normally have. I also didn't have any motorcycle gear apart from a 3/4 helmet and a Leather Jacket. Heavy mitts, layers of whatever clothes I have around the house, plastic garbage bags held with elastics over my jeans. I was very cold. It was very stupid. (Was going to see a girl.)

..Tom
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Do you really think that *you* are the be all of all experiences, and knowledge? That you are the aplha and omega of reality?

Valves snapping in a hot engine from freezing air rushing in the exhaust to replace the escaping hot air when parked, can and does and has happened.

Why don't you do the right thing and chalk it up to the trillion things that can and do and will happen to others, but maybe not to you.

If all of the possible things that could happen are limited to your shallow existence, then the world would be a very boring place.

Fortunately, there are a gazzilion different things that can do and will happen to billions of people...who aren't you...that enrich our lives and inform us of possibilities.

Deal with it.

At least you took some high risks for a girl. That's understandable. There's hope for you.
 
twinswin said:
Take your water cooled bike out for an hour long ride in zero temps. Keep an eye on the water temp gauge, assuming you have one. Chances are you will see temps below the warm up temps you had when you started riding, EG started riding when the coolant temp was 65, and then see 59 on the gauge after riding for an hour. Why? cold air passes through rad, lowering coolant temps.
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Do you know what a thermostat is on a liquid cooled engine, and how it works?

Because I don't think you do.
 
twinswin said:
Do you really think that *you* are the be all of all experiences, and knowledge? That you are the aplha and omega of reality?

Valves snapping in a hot engine from freezing air rushing in the exhaust to replace the escaping hot air when parked, can and does and has happened.

Why don't you do the right thing and chalk it up to the trillion things that can and do and will happen to others, but maybe not to you.

If all of the possible things that could happen are limited to your shallow existence, then the world would be a very boring place.

Fortunately, there are a gazzilion different things that can do and will happen to billions of people...who aren't you...that enrich our lives and inform us of possibilities.

Deal with it.

At least you took some high risks for a girl. That's understandable. There's hope for you.
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I wonder how all those 4 stroke snowmobiles stay together for 10's of thousands of kilometres.
 
unL33T said:
My water cooled bike just has bars on a digital gauge. Once warmed up (which does take awhile in the cold) I've never seen it change other than going up when it's really hot out.

A cover on the grill of a truck would prevent air flow over the entire engine. Also, diesels will actually lose heat while idling, gas does not.

I also wouldn't think a difference of 6° in coolant temperature would make much of a difference to the engine.

I'd expect blocking off the engine rather than the rad would be more effective at holding the heat in.
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If your bike is running at 55* C coolant temps, your oil is about 10* warmer, 65*C approx. Do you think that's good enough?
 
twinswin said:
Do you? Thermo doesn't open with cool engines.
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Exactly. So the rad is completely uninvolved (no coolant flows through it!) and your argument about blocking the rad is completely moot.

You clearly don't understand how a liquid cooled engines cooling system works.
 
twinswin said:
Do you really think that *you* are the be all of all experiences, and knowledge? That you are the aplha and omega of reality?

Valves snapping in a hot engine from freezing air rushing in the exhaust to replace the escaping hot air when parked, can and does and has happened.

Why don't you do the right thing and chalk it up to the trillion things that can and do and will happen to others, but maybe not to you.

If all of the possible things that could happen are limited to your shallow existence, then the world would be a very boring place.

Fortunately, there are a gazzilion different things that can do and will happen to billions of people...who aren't you...that enrich our lives and inform us of possibilities.

Deal with it.

At least you took some high risks for a girl. That's understandable. There's hope for you.
Click to expand...

No I certainly don't know everything.

Just been in the Auto industry for 35 years, riding bikes for 46 years (legally for 43 years), riding about 50,000 km per year, flying ultralight aircraft since 2001 including lots of riding, flying and driving in very cold weather and have never heard of a valve stem snapping because of cold after being parked. Does that mean it never happened? No, of course not.. I suspect somewhere sometime on this planet a valve stem once broke like you suggested. Maybe it even happened more than once.

I can tell you that if it ever did happen it is extremely rare and putting it forth as something that is likely to happen is just silly.

I don't understand your girl comment. Are you some kind of "manly" misogynist that feels he has to knock everyone else because they do what you are afraid to do?

..Tom
 
A few times a year, up at a friends cottage in Bracebridge we take the snowblower out onto the frozen lake and make a huge oval track. You put on hockey pants and shoulder pads and the colder the better . The colder and harder the ice, the better the fun. Nobody is really an ice racer so there are no studs. The bikes will be YZ80 and 70's Elsinores up to newer CRF450's . Air cooled, liquid, FI and carbs. In 20 years of doing this we have had a chain snap, some brakes freeze up and many bruised egos. There has been zero engine issues because of cold, running into the -30'sC.

the crazy guy that sold me a snowblower, carb'ed and air cooled told me to only run it in july and Aug for safety.
 
PrivatePilot said:
Exactly. So the rad is completely uninvolved (no coolant flows through it!) and your argument about blocking the rad is completely moot.

You clearly don't understand how a liquid cooled engines cooling system works.
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Sure I do. That's why I don't ride my bike in freezing temps. The engine oil doesn't get warm enough because the coolant doesn't get warm enough. If you block of the air flow on the rad, the temps of the coolant rise as do the oil temps. And that's what matters, the oil temps. Once the coolant temps rise, they will stay warmer as will the oil. but, that won't happen unless you modify as in greatly reduce air flow through the rad. Less air flow through the rad, warmer coolant temps, warmer coolant temps, warmer oil, warmer oil, better protection.

The rad is NOT completely un-involved. It's very involved in cold weather riding. You clearly don't understand how a liquid cooled engine works...do you?
 
dricked said:
I wonder how all those 4 stroke snowmobiles stay together for 10's of thousands of kilometres.
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The engine temp issue for snowmobiles is keeping them cool, not getting them warmer. They have no problem heating up, and having the oil at proper running temps. Probably due to being enclosed in tight quarters, unlike a motorcycle engine that's not as well insulated. Plus, they'll run 0 weight oils. I don't think any motorcycle engine is rated for o weight oils.
 
V-Tom said:
No I certainly don't know everything.

Just been in the Auto industry for 35 years, riding bikes for 46 years (legally for 43 years), riding about 50,000 km per year, flying ultralight aircraft since 2001 including lots of riding, flying and driving in very cold weather and have never heard of a valve stem snapping because of cold after being parked. Does that mean it never happened? No, of course not.. I suspect somewhere sometime on this planet a valve stem once broke like you suggested. Maybe it even happened more than once.

I can tell you that if it ever did happen it is extremely rare and putting it forth as something that is likely to happen is just silly.

I don't understand your girl comment. Are you some kind of "manly" misogynist that feels he has to knock everyone else because they do what you are afraid to do?

..Tom
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Really? Is that last question directed at me or you? You were the one who advised readers to dismiss wholesale my post/warning about the possibility of a valve snapping due to rapid changes in air temps around it. So really, who between us seeks to knock everyone else, pumped up by his years of experience?

Best to always be a student my friend. The expert game you play will always beat you. When you hear about something that hasn't crossed your path, grow with it.

I have read enough times at different sites about exactly that thing, valves snapping after the bike was parked, hot engine, freezing temps... "snap". Being as I too have a long career with motorcycling, I can't off the top of my head produce the links for you, so' you'll have to go on trust. if you're the person it happens to one day, it won't seem silly will it? Better to say, in your experience, it's possible but not probable maybe?
 
Wow, I really hope that you're trolling, otherwise your insistence to come and double and triple down on your misinformed opinion is pretty epic.

When the thermostat is closed the radiator does absolutely nothing. Nothing flows through it. It is removed from the cooling loop. It could be empty. You could take it off the damned bike and block off the hoses for that matter as that's roundabout what the thermostat does!

Just wow.
 
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