Actually, if your engine does not have any special considerations for warm-up, it's best to ride it for the warm-up. Here's a good article on the subject.

http://www.americanrider.com/output.cfm?id=1021933

 

Thanks John...good article.

R. Todd

 

When new I was told to wait till U feel a little heat in the rocker boxes with Ur finger. bout 2mins in the summer on first ride of the day.. and not to wind her out till fully warmed up. bout 10 miles...
This will let all the metals expand and seal.
Heard but never seen that nailing a cold or not warmed up motor can blow top end gaskets....So I don't chance it, takes Grandma that long to settle in anyway.....Ha.

 

I vote for this way and I do likewise. Both mine are Twinkies.
The one with a carb I give a little slack - about 30 seconds.

 

+1 Makes sense; Thanks

 

I paid careful attention to the AmericanRider article. Thank you.
One of the things I noticed was that Joe Milton mentioned the particular problem with carburetor fed engines. We all know that the FI mills have a much tighter control system.
But, thank you. I now understand where the various opinions come from.

 

Yeah, the EFI's are much better at metering the gas feed on cold starts, but even then they still provide a richer mix on cold starts and the same principles still apply. The longer your bike runs "cold", the harder it is on the engine, as they are designed for optimum clearances and function at operating temps. Running your bike moderately (as in riding it thru normal shifts, without lugging or over revving) during warmup will get everything up to operating temps faster/safer than idling. All that being said, these beasts aren't pieces of fragile china, and letting them idle while ya pull on your gloves and jackets ain't gonna do 'em in. Just purely technically speaking, a moderate ride is better for warm-up than an extended period of idling.

 

I have seen a dumbass bend a valve---he got on a cold bike. Hammered it--missed a shift and hit the rev limiter. He might have bent the same valve on a hot engine but then again maybe not. I have never understood how or why someone would stress a cold engine with different metals that expand at different rates when hot or cold.

 

I let mine warm up for a few minutes even when the weather is warm. Longer when it's cold. Mine is EFI. I know I don't have to do this. I don't think it matters either way if you take it easy for a bit everthing should be fine.

 

My belief is 2 to 3 minutes is fine for these air cooled engines, even in colder weather. 5 minutes seems too long, but probably won't hurt. Strapping on a helmet and gloves can take two minutes...