rh@mit-eddie.MIT.EDU (Randy Haskins) (10/19/86)
Since I'm crazy (and don't own a car), I'm going to try to drive
my bike ('83 Kawasaki KZ-750, 3200 miles) to work through most of
the winter in Boston (I only have about 3-5 miles to go). I'm
worried about the effects the cold is going to have on the engine
performance, and things like the battery freezing and cracking.
There's not really anywhere where I can keep the bike inside,
unfortunately.
Questions:
Does anyone have any experience with doing silly things like this?
How cold can it get before the battery is in danger?
Are there things like block heaters for bikes?
Should I forget it and ride the bus?
adTHANXvance
Randomanimal@ihlpa.UUCP (D. Starr) (10/20/86)
> Since I'm crazy (and don't own a car), I'm going to try to drive > my bike ('83 Kawasaki KZ-750, 3200 miles) to work through most of > the winter in Boston (I only have about 3-5 miles to go). I'm > worried about the effects the cold is going to have on the engine > performance, and things like the battery freezing and cracking. > There's not really anywhere where I can keep the bike inside, > unfortunately. > > Questions: > Does anyone have any experience with doing silly things like this? Sure. I ride (off and on) all winter in Chicago. Your two biggest hazards to the bike are salt and ice. Salt (which persists on dry roads) pits the hell out of aluminum and attacks chrome plated parts. Frequently you don't see any damage during the winter, because there's no liquid water to dissolve the salt and allow corrosion to take place; you get the big pitting the first *warm* day of spring, when dew forms on the bike. Solution--put WD-40 or similar gunk on the exposed metal parts (except for brake disks and exhaust system). Don't forget those bolt heads! Ice causes damage to the bike when you slide on it and crash. It also can destroy the engine if you ride nothing but short trips. This is because the engine produces water vapor as a combustion product, and until the engine warms up this vapor condenses inside the crankcase and gets mixed with the oil. If you ride a long distance, the engine heats up fully, the water evaporates and is forced out the breather; if you don't, it stays in the oil, where it can promote rusting of crankshaft, gears, cylinder walls and so forth. If it gets real cold, water in the oil will freeze, and the ice crystals can clog oil passages and cause the engine to fail from lack of lubrication. (You are by now undoubtedly wondering how far is far enough to dry out your oil. 3-5 miles twice a day is definitely *not* enough!) I use a dipstick thermometer to make sure that my oil has been over 200 degrees for at least 10 minutes before I put the bike away during the winter. > How cold can it get before the battery is in danger? A fully-charged battery should not freeze above -20 F. If you don't keep it charged it will freeze at higher temperatures. A trickle charger is a good investment, even if you ride regularly, because batteries seem to discharge faster during the winter. > Are there things like block heaters for bikes? Never seen one, but throwing a blanket over the bike and slipping a 100-watt light bulb under the carb (the long, skinny aquarium type works well) about an hour before you want to go can help you start. Keeping the battery indoors can also help a lot, since batteries put out a lot less juice when they're cold. > Should I forget it and ride the bus? Naah. If you don't want to risk your KZ, go buy a beater dual-purpose bike for the winter (something about $200). Get one with a magneto and kick starter (no dead-battery hassles) and don't worry if it's rusted inside and out by spring; it's still cheaper than a car.
donch@tekirl.UUCP (10/21/86)
A couple things come to mind regarding winter riding. As others have said, keep your battery well-charged AND topped up with distilled water (continuous trickle-charging, which I too recommend, can cause water level to drop via evaportion). Check level frequently. Use a light-weight oil, perhaps even a synthetic. I used a synthetic in both my bike and my old 912 Porsche several years ago; cold cranking was much better owing to lower internal friction and viscosity. Change oil frequently. Perhaps once a month for daily driving would be good. Water buildup in the oil is the concern here; short commutes without a good chance for the engine to heat up will facilitate internal condensation. Keep your control cables and pivots well lubed. A lap apron and "hippo-hands" will increase your comfort immensely. Do something to protect your metal parts from salt if its used in Boston. Some folks will drench the bike in WD-40. Others give a throrough coating of a good paste wax on all exposed metal surfaces. Trouble is, you won't know what parts you missed until the spring thaw begins; then it's too late. For God's sake, stay off the ice and snow. You won't have a chance. Cars can't stop WHEN you go down, which you will, and will snow-plow you. Good Luck! Don Chitwood Tektronix, Inc.
jp@faron.UUCP (Jeffrey Picciotto) (10/22/86)
>> How cold can it get before the battery is in danger? > >... A trickle charger >is a good investment, even if you ride regularly, because batteries seem >to discharge faster during the winter. > >Keeping the battery indoors can also help a lot, since batteries put >out a lot less juice when they're cold. I commute from Nashua to Bedford, Ma (~20 mi one way) all winter (cos I don't have a car yet). What I found out last year was that when it started getting really cold (like December'ish onwards) my battery would die overnight. In fact, on more than one occasion I rode into work in the morning and by late afternoon I'd need to be jumpstarted to get going. (Running up and down the parking lot pushing the hunk of *(&#^ worked pretty well, but was alot of effort). Anything to keep your battery warm and happy is probably worth it. --jeff {*}!linus!faron!jp jpicc@Mitre-bedford.arpa hoping for a car before christmas
stirling@fortune.UUCP (Patrick Stirling) (10/22/86)
I tried to e-mail this, but your path seems to be wrong! The one attempted was: hplabs!parcvax!sri-spam!rutgers!husc6!think!mit-eddie!rh parcvax didn't like sri-spam. So I'm posting instead. In article <3523@mit-eddie.MIT.EDU> you write: >I'm going to try to drive >my bike ('83 Kawasaki KZ-750, 3200 miles) to work through most of >the winter in Boston (I only have about 3-5 miles to go). I'm >worried about the effects the cold is going to have on the engine >performance, and things like the battery freezing and cracking. > I had a bike in my final year at Edinburgh University (Scotland). It was quite a cold winter - 6" or so of ice/snow on the ground most of the time. I kept the bike (Honda CB250) outside all the time. Generally it was OK. The battery did freeze once, but it didn't crack. I just took it inside overnight and recharged it on a charger once it had thawed. I would think it would have to get well below freezing before the battery freezes - it only happened once to me, and it was at or below freezing for much of the time (every night plus some days). The worst problems were in riding the bike in freezing weather. I only fell off once, when there was freezing fog laying down a nice coat of ice onto the road. I did discover that eye protection is a must if it's snowing! You might try taking the battery out every night and trickle charging it if it's not too difficult to get at. I have question - do you have any problems from driving the bike such a short distance? I seem to remember that the carburetion got screwed up on mine after a while, driving it only a few (< 5) miles per trip). patrick {ihnp4, hplabs, amdcad, ucbvax!dual}!fortune!stirling
car377@drutx.UUCP (RogersCA) (10/23/86)
>> How cold can it get before the battery is in danger? > >... A trickle charger >is a good investment, even if you ride regularly, because batteries seem >to discharge faster during the winter. > >Keeping the battery indoors can also help a lot, since batteries put >out a lot less juice when they're cold. If you decide to use a trickle charger indoors, be sure there is adequate ventilation. When a lead-acid battery is overcharged, electrolysis causes the production of an explosive mixture of hydrogen and oxygen gas. Chuck Rogers @ ATT-ISL,Denver
gadfly@ihlpa.UUCP (Gadfly) (10/23/86)
-- > Since I'm crazy (and don't own a car), I'm going to try to drive > my bike ('83 Kawasaki KZ-750, 3200 miles) to work through most of > the winter in Boston (I only have about 3-5 miles to go)... > > Does anyone have any experience with doing silly things like this? > How cold can it get before the battery is in danger? > Are there things like block heaters for bikes? > Should I forget it and ride the bus? Yeah--I ride year 'round. In Chicago. I have a small bike--an '80 Honda 200, old enough to have a kick starter. If you have only electric start, your battery may not have the cranking power against below-zero oil sludge. I'm curious whether the new-fangled bikes are actually startable in the winter, since I don't count on too many more reliable winters with that bike. A fully-charged battery can take 25-below, but you can't be sure just how charged it is, can you? When a blizzard comes through, I take the battery out and put it on the charger, then put it in on the crystal-clear blustery 15-below morning that eventually follows. You have to dress warmly--hypothermia can come on after a few *blocks*, and it's insidious as it makes you silly. I have never successfully solved the helmet shield icing problem, either. But I never ride on a snow or ice-covered road (I'm crazy, not suicidal). You'll have to wash your bike very regularly (any above-freezing day you get) because the salt on the roads will eat through your pipes in a matter of weeks. It's not an easy task you set out, but a 3-5 mile trip (mine's about the same) is better than 2 cups of coffee in the morning (that cold slap-in-the-face, oh yeah), and you get the thrill of having the lone bike in the parking lot and telling all those wimps who ask "But isn't it awfuly cold to ride?" that it's a test of a man's ability to withstand pain. And you'll find that the car-pointers along the way give you a wide berth for a change since you are obviously a lunatic, and with all that clothing on you look like one too. I love it. Good luck. On King! On you huskies! *** *** JE MAINTIENDRAI ***** ***** ****** ****** 23 Oct 86 [2 Brumaire An CXCV] ken perlow ***** ***** (312)979-8042 ** ** ** ** ihnp4!ihlpa!gadfly *** ***
tgralewi@ti-csl (10/24/86)
>/* ---------- "Cold weather (sux)" ---------- */ >Since I'm crazy (and don't own a car), I'm going to try to drive >my bike ('83 Kawasaki KZ-750, 3200 miles) to work through most of >the winter in Boston (I only have about 3-5 miles to go). I'm >worried about the effects the cold is going to have on the engine >performance, and things like the battery freezing and cracking. >There's not really anywhere where I can keep the bike inside, >unfortunately. > >Questions: >Does anyone have any experience with doing silly things like this? >How cold can it get before the battery is in danger? >Are there things like block heaters for bikes? >Should I forget it and ride the bus? > >adTHANXvance > >Random Having grown up in Wisconsin (and by the way, looking get back, hint, hint), I have ridden my motorcycle during many winters. The one full winter I rode my bike ('78 Honda CB750F) I had no problems with it, even during the coldest days. I did have a garage to put it in though. I did not have any problems with the battery freezing (even at 20 below). The bigest problem I had was going to school on clear roads and having it snow (hopfully without rain/ice) during the day and having to ballet the bike home. On my previous bike ('72 CB350), I never "prepared" the bike for winter (in case there was a nice day :-) and when there was a "nice" day I tried to take the bike for a ride but couldn't get it started 'cuz the battery was frozen. I took it in the house to thaw, put it on the bike the next day, kick started it (took about 20 minutes), and took the bike for a 'charge-the-battery' ride. I had the bike for two more years with that same battery and didn't have any problems with it keeping a charge. As far as block heaters, I know of none, but you may want to find a place out of the wind to help keep the engine from getting any colder than it has to. Also, I would suggest getting a cover for the bike if you don't already have one. You may also want to rig up a set of jumper cable adaptors for the bike just in case you need them. And don't bother with the bus, the rides are exilerating (sp?) and refreshing, and you get noticed more than during the summer months (safer?). Enjoy, Scott Thomson ti-csl!tifsie!sat
marauder@fluke.UUCP (10/24/86)
In article <255@tekirl.UUCP> donch@tekirl.UUCP (Don Chitwood) writes: > >For God's sake, stay off the ice and snow. You won't have a chance. >Cars can't stop WHEN you go down, which you will, and will snow-plow you. >Don Chitwood I read in The Enthusiast, A Harley Davidson magazine, about men who ride year round back East. They ALL have sidecars which they attach in the winter for three point stability. Evidently if you are serious about it, that is the only way to go. Also the article talks about them driving hex-head sheet metal screws into their tires for ice traction. (Short ones of course) Bill Landsborough
niel@ihwpt.UUCP (M. N. Ransom) (10/24/86)
> Since I'm crazy (and don't own a car), I'm going to try to drive > my bike ('83 Kawasaki KZ-750, 3200 miles) to work through most of > the winter in Boston (I only have about 3-5 miles to go)... > > Does anyone have any experience with doing silly things like this? > How cold can it get before the battery is in danger? > Are there things like block heaters for bikes? > Should I forget it and ride the bus? > I thought I was the only one crazy enough to ride all winter up north! I have ridden various bikes through Chicago winters (RD400, CX500, and currently a Honda Sabre 750). I've never had much problem with batteries except that their output is reduced at very cold temperatures and, of course, bikes are harder to start at low temperatures (and hence drains the battery more on starts). This translates to regular recharging to keep the battery fully charged. The major problem I've found with the newer bikes at low temperatures (say, 10 below or lower) is the crankcase ventilation tube. They tend to ice up preventing crankcase gases from being able to escape. I've not found any good solution other than disconnecting the tube from the air cleaner intake. Otherwise, riding in the very cold on good roads is no worse than riding a snowmobile (which are ridden in the arctic at lower temperatures than I'll ever see). Niel Ransom