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From: animal@ihlpa.UUCP (D. Starr)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Re: Cold weather (sux)
Message-ID: <2085@ihlpa.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 20-Oct-86 15:40:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihlpa.2085
Posted: Mon Oct 20 15:40:02 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 21-Oct-86 06:46:49 EDT
References: <3523@mit-eddie.MIT.EDU>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 55

> 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.