Question, does excess idling caused damage/wear?

[KevShek]

Ive done a search but may have not used the right terms to find an answer so here goes.

A friend pointed out to me that when he had an Aprilia RS125 he was told not to let the bike idle for prolong periods of time while warming up, this is due to the 2 stroke oil being controlled via the throttle cable just like on my NSR 125. As idling doesnt involve the throttle cable being pulled, then in effect, no 2 stoke will go into the engine.

Instead, he was told, while getting ready to depart, quickly blip the throttle a few times in between putting your gear on.

Whats your opinion?
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YZF R125

[feef]

don't let it idle for too long, as it doesn't get proper cooling without air flowing over it, but your mate's explanation is total bollx

a
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[KatOwner]

The throttle cable on a 2-stroke does control the amount of oil being squirted into the engine... but it would never be 'nothing'. At tick over, there is still some oil going in. It has to! The oil is all you have to lubricate the bottom end of the engine.

Prolonged idling won't wear out the engine, but it will tend to coke things up quicker. If you warm it up as your friend was describing, the engine is less likley to foul a plug and run roughly. 2-strokes have different requirements when 'warming up' compared to 4 strokes anyway. The engine needs to get up to temperature, the engine clearances tighten up and the thing starts to run as designed as the thing gets warmed up. They don't run well when cold ( or when too hot... ).

Mind you...the last 2-stroke I owned was an X7 that tended to foul up it's plugs unless warmed up enthusiastically! Used to lay down an impressive smoke screen too....Blipping the throttle also sounds good with a decent set of exhausts on. Blue haze...rasping exhaust note...blip away!

When you warm up a 4-stroke, you are getting the oil up to temperature and pumping around to the valve gear. It thins out as it warms up and the oil circulates properly. Lots of throttle when cold wrecks 4-strokes, since all the lube is in the wrong places! Not an issue on a stroker!

[simon1221]

Your mates explanation is bullshit. The only way that would be the case is if he had adjusted the oil cable so much it is completely slack with no load.

If he has done that it means the incorrect amount of oil is going in and it will blow up..sooner or later.
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[Blau Zedong]

Even at minimum stroke an oil pump works, It's output is based on both RPM and throttle. If you were running premix then it is possible to seize an engine by coasting on a shut throttle, as the fuel (and lube) are cut off under closed throttle. Your mate knows as much about strokers as I know about reniassance art.
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[mchaggis]

I notice on my GPZ (4t 500 twin), when starting on full choke (it needs it when cold to start on the button), it takes about 5 seconds for it to start picking up engine speed beyond idling, at which point I turn it down.

It occurs to me that this might just about be the length of time it takes for the oil pressure and flow to get up to that necessary, reducing all the resistances of the piston rings scraping up and down and allowing the engine to turn freely. Even then, it takes a good 10-15 minutes to get up to temperature with gentle city riding. I never let the engine speed get up above about 5-6k tops before the temperature gauge is reading normal.

The number one rule on almost any engine is not to ask it to work hard when cold. You'll do much more damage to a two stroke by ragging it when cold than you ever will by idling it too long, so long as it doesn't seize due to overheating with no air.
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[Pete.]

It's nothing to do with oil pressure it's the cold engine needing extra fuelling for the first few seconds.

Also, 4-strokes are more prone to damage loading from cold than 2-strokes because they mostly have plain bearing mains and big-ends whereas 2-strokes mainly have roller-bearings mains and needle-roller big-ends. You're more likely to suffer metal-to-metal contact in the cold 4-stroke engine.
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132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[finpos]

The throttle thing is true of a few of the earlier, crappier bikes that had seperate oil tank - the pump was a simple diaphagm pump that gave it a squirt of oil when you twisted the throttle. It wasn't a great idea to sit at any kind of constant revs with one of those, and proper pumps which constantly flowed some oil based on throttle position soon replaced them.

I've not seen such nastiness for a very long time. Could be the basis of the original advice, though.

finpos.

[KevShek]

thanks for that. I dont think my mate was "bullshitting" which is a bit strong i think, merely being caucious as advised by someone else.
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YZF R125

[Walloper]

Cold engines don't 'fit together' as well as engines at 'Normal running temerature'. Because the piston does not expand to fit the bore perfectly till hot.
Also oil and petrol do not do as they're designed to do as well.
This may lead to washing of cylinder walls due to incomplete combustion of intruduced fuel and oil not being wiped off the cylinder wall by an 'ill-fitting' oil control ring.
And it uses more fuel to idle than it does to work. So why let it idle for prolonged periods?
Switch it off.
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