Well, today's been the first really chilly day since I got my bike.  It's 53F out there right now (1 pm local time) with wind from 20-32 mph.  The bike does NOT like it. 

I'm wondering what are some simple things I can do to prep the bike for the cold weather coming up.  I ride it for 11 highway miles and then 2 miles through town for my every day commute. 

Some thoughts I had were hotter spark plugs, and perhaps a different engine oil.  Will these help, and is there some other simple things I can do that will help?

Thanks

shoot, my bike absolutely loves colder weather... 

I'd only change to a different weight oil if you ride in snow, and that's it.

Colder is leaner, so if your bike doesn't like it, I'd be investigating my carburetion.

I vote that this topic be deleted.

I'm not ready to even THINK about parking my GS for the winter.

Ha Ha. You guys live in places with seasons. <points and laughs>

I'll kick myself when the rains come to LA though.

-James

1) richer jetting
2) warmer gloves

Keep your legs warm.

They stay frozen FOREVER if you don't....

$10 silk glove liners (TourMaster) are great under your summer gloves for the cold mornings, and you can put them in a pocket for the warmer afternoons.

Keeping your legs warm is a good idea, and for as little as $50, you can cover your legs with Fieldsheers Carbolex overpants (I wear them all season long).

53f, that's about 13c which is well within the "normal" range for the bike, personally I would follow the don't change anything until you are talking snow, snow and more snow.

For the rider, especially on longer rides, fingers toes and legs may need attention, good advice about gloves and overtrousers, I tend to use a waterproof overtrouser as a matter of routine in our winter. If it gets below about 5c (mid thirties F??) I use face protection, a Balaclava or neck tube and thoroughly recomend it.

schedule an extra 10-15 minutes in the morning for letting the bike warm up.  The GS takes about that long to reach operating temp from a really cold start.

I installed heated grips on my bike and they arte SOOOO nice. They were only about $25 and weren't too hard to install and are by far my favorite mod. Your engine should be fine if you let it warnm up a little longer and go easy on it for the first couple miles. I rode mine all winter without any problems, ran 10w40 oil and it was fine. I've heard of someone running 5w40 rotella synthetic without clutch problems, that would be a little easier on starting if the clutch can handle it, but 10w40 should be fine too, just stay away from 20w50 in the winter.

10 to 15 minutes to let the bike warm up? Don't know what kind of weather you ride in but you should never have to let anything warm that long, not even a diesel engine takes that long. I would recommend around a minute or so with the choke and the 2 or so with the choke off to let it warm up.  You don't want to run it to long with the choke on.

Actually, 10 - 15 minutes is about right.  I, too, live in a colder region, and if it's cold enough, you do have to let is run that long.

All you are doing with the choke is making the mixture richer

How would that be bad (unless it was misfiring....)

BTW At stoplights touch your gloves briefly to the engine. One of my favorite cold weather things to do.

Quote from: CirclesCenter on September 16, 2006, 07:48:32 PM
BTW At stoplights touch your gloves briefly to the engine. One of my favorite cold weather things to do.

Well when it is about 10c degrees outside I only run mine for about 5 minutes before she is warm enough to ride.  The whole idea of a choke is to get the bike started not to warm it all the way up. When your running it with the choke you are running rich which in the long run just fouls things up (plugs, valves, etc.) That's how carbon gets built up on everything.

Ah countered brilliantly!

I didn't think my arguement through!

But in theory until it's at least somewhat warm a good portion of the gas condenses by touching the cold manifold.

So yes and yes.

Run with choke until it doesn't need it.

I've got pants, I'll check out those silk liners for my gloves, I've never heard of them.  I keep forgetting to pick up a balaclava, those are nice. 

Mine usually takes a good 2 minutes to warm up enough to ride without it wanting to die, and a good 10 minutes before it idles normally without the clutch.

It was 40 this morning   My fingers and neck are the only place feeling the cold.  I think I'll just make sure I have enough gear and give my bike an extra 5 minutes in the morning to get warmed up.

Quote from: Cal Price on September 16, 2006, 04:24:52 AM
53f, that's about 13c which is well within the "normal" range for the bike, personally I would follow the don't change anything until you are talking snow, snow and more snow.

For the rider, especially on longer rides, fingers toes and legs may need attention, good advice about gloves and overtrousers, I tend to use a waterproof overtrouser as a matter of routine in our winter. If it gets below about 5c (mid thirties F??) I use face protection, a Balaclava or neck tube and thoroughly recomend it.

We get to ride all year round down under, but it can get down to 5c during the winter. When it's cold I wear my winter jacket (Tecknic Sprint), lined overtrousers, winter gloves (which I can tuck under my jacket's cuffs, thick socks, and a neck tube. If it's windy or wet (increasing wind chill) I have got a pair of silk glove liners.

The only reason I haven't been able to ride to work over winter is when flooding closed access to and from the city.

I can't see that you'd need to warm your bike up for ten minutes, unless it's an E model. My 97 was a lot more cold blooded than my 01, and was only sorted after the pilots were changed, and the mixture screws drilled.