She doesn't like cold weather. What will warm her up?

[oseaghdha]

Brings back memories

.....................
Below that, I resort to a 100 watt bulb on a timer under the oil pan so the oil is nice and warm in the morning when I have to leave.

Back in the day, I was living in Albuquerque when my car broke one winter. No money to fix it, so I had to ride the 650 to work. But I had no garage either. Ended up putting a heavy tarp over it with, I think, a 300watt bulb every night just so I could kick the thing over in the morning (no electric start).

It didn't get really brutal until the temp got below 20F. Below that, it just didn't matter any more.
I had to go from the East side across the river to the West Mesa. It was a naked bike of course. Riding home in snow was big fun too. Makes me cold just thinking about it!

[motoman]

Brings back memories

Now Oseaghdha, your bringin' back some really cold memories, and a bit closer to home!. Living in Durango, Co., where I bought my Venturer new, I rode it to work from the 10miles north of town in the winter when the main highway had no snowpack. Since it sat outside with a bike cover on it,I would put blankets over it with a heat lamp underside. Would start most of time. Sometimes wishin, it would not start and havin to ride that 10miles in sub-zero temps(-20F) and lower made for miserable riding to say the least, even with fairing and lowers. Fast forward 28yrs., have ridden it here in G.Junction at 7F just for memories of that cold, and not being able to afford Vetter Hippo Hands back then(80-100bucks), I now have five sets of them just because. If it's below 40F now, bikes pretty much sit in 65F garage since being retired don't have to get out in the cold. So as not to hijack thread too much, if these bikes charging systems and fuel systems are working correctly, they will start EASILY at freezing(32F). Below that, they become a little tricky as far as starting sequence, but once that's figured out, enjoy!..........Brrrrrrrrr.

[jaimes-duran]

Thanks for all the information. It doesn't get too cold here around mid 50's right now. The battery I have is new but not sealed. I think I may upgrade the coils. I will probably resort to the heat lamp under the oil pan like you guys. Sounds like a good idea. Also I recently did a oil change and all. The guy at the store told me my bike needed 20w50. But when I got home and looked up on the oil thread. I see that this oil is made for hotter temperatures and not so much for cold ones. This is probably one thing that is causing it. I would guess if I got an oil that is made for colder temps it would help out a little. Am I right?

Thank you all!

[CatatonicBug]

The 20W50 is usually used in the hotter times of year, but it should not cause you to drain the battery at 50F. I just changed from 20W50 to 10W40 this last weekend, but it was still working fine before the change, and it's been about that cold here.

[Crazcnuk]

Funny how people think riding at sub zero, on a bike, is terrible yet millions own snowmobiles!

I guess it's all in how you dress.

Basically a bike with a decent fairing w/lowers and a snowmobile suit, with proper winter boots and gloves, and your all set!

Shifting gets fun though. Derwat has heated handlebar grips on his XS.

[wingnut]

I'm on the other side of the state and My 11 starts every time. Cold or hot after about 5 sec of cranking. How long are you cranking it with the car battery before it starts? If its taking a long time with all that amperage available you could have a fuel problem. If the enricher system is working right by the time you wear the battery down you should have very wet plugs if it hasn't started . What do they look like after all that cranking? When its cold have you verified that all four are sparking? If they are wet after all that cranking than I stand corrected and its electrical Pull the carb bowls and make sure you get squirted in the face when you shoot cleaner thru the small brass tube. If you don't the enricher circuit is not working and it will always be hard to start when cold, no matter what the OAT is.

[jaimes-duran]

Well when I jump it with the car battery is starts in about 5 to 8 seconds. The cleaner got me in the face! lol So I think the enricher is working fine.

[wingnut]

Roger that. So have you cleaned all the grounds?. Engine case to frame included. Then start on every connection you can find. Maybe take your volt meter and check the power in wire to the TCI while cranking on the bikes battery If its dropping below 10V (someone correct that if I'm wrong) the TCI will not fire the coils. Really it should start at any temp we could see here with in a couple of revolutions. Stay with it

[Jerry]

The first couple years I had my XJ it would not start in cold (30 - 40 deg F) very well. Culprit turned out to be pretty minor...I replaced both battery cables with Yamaha OEM replecments. Bike has started far better ever since, regardless of the temps. I am getting old, though, used to ride when temps were in the 30 deg F range, now prefer 40 deg F for my 60 mile 1-way commute.

Back to the cables....I suspect that the resistance in the orginal cables, at that time some 21 year old, had developed greater resistance due to internal (under the outside coating) corrosion or corrosion between the cables and the crimped-on connectors. Price for both cables at the time was less than $15.00, a cheap way to make your bike start better, hot or cold.

Make sure the ground battery cable connection is clean and free of paint, corrosion, rust, or any other junk. After I put my new cable on I hit the cable-to-frame connection with some battery terminal protector spray.

Start with the basics...check/change your battery cables!

[Jerry]

Funny how people think riding at sub zero, on a bike, is terrible yet millions own snowmobiles!

Yep, I don't like to ride the bike unless the temp in near 40 deg F or above, but think nothing of riding my RX-1 (Yamaha) snowmobile in below zero weather!



(Actually, this shot taken at about 15 - 20 deg F.)

[DenyP]

It's been down right chilly here but no problem with starting the XSes.
A low of 54 degrees might not seem cold tho to some of you guys

mro

54 right now seems down right balmy Lmao!

Deny