short commute

[sstein]

I like commuting to work on my bike. Just hit 19k miles yesterday. Riding great.

The bike is running for about 12-15 minutes for the commute.

My question is - is that long enough to burn off condensation, or I am going to do damage if I do this everyday?

Better to leave the bike at home on the charger and just go out for longer rides?

I remember comments I have seen on this forum regarding starting up the bike for few minutes during the winter - how that is not good for the bike.

Thanks,
Steven

By the way, my new "sweet spot" is 80 MPH @ 6000 RPM in 5th gear. Zero vibration. Smooth like buttah.

[riceburner]

I like commuting to work on my bike. Just hit 19k miles yesterday. Riding great.

The bike is running for about 12-15 minutes for the commute.

My question is - is that long enough to burn off condensation, or I am going to do damage if I do this everyday?

Better to leave the bike at home on the charger and just go out for longer rides?

I remember comments I have seen on this forum regarding starting up the bike for few minutes during the winter - how that is not good for the bike.

Thanks,
Steven

By the way, my new "sweet spot" is 80 MPH @ 6000 RPM in 5th gear. Zero vibration. Smooth like buttah.

It's perhaps long enough to burn of condensate (especially as the bike won't be getting very cold, as you're using it daily), but it's not really long enough to recharge the battery after it's turned over the motor.

I'd reccomment that once a week you took a nice long hour's ride home.

Starting the bike for 5 mins in winter, without riding, is a bad idea because it discharges the battery without then putting any charge back in.

[BoxerSteve]

A commute that short probably doesn't give the engine time enough to get fully warmed up. You might want to consider more frequent oil changes than normal or taking the scenic route to make your commute longer.

Or, commute by bicycle. Saves fuel, saves money, and gets you a great workout to boot. I do that sometimes, takes me almost an hour to get to work on my bicycle, as opposed to about 25 minutes via motor vehicle. The extra time is not wasted though since I don't have to go the gym to get a workout.

[sstein]

Thanks guys. I think the extended hour commute home may be the solution. I unfortunately get such limited time on the bike that I need to take advantage of every spare minute. I didn't realize that the battery issue is a consideration as well.

Steven

Pedal bike is a good thought....

[vitaminC]

If you're worried about the battery, just plug in on a tender when you get home. I usually do that as I don't ride every day to work, typically alternating between the moto-bike and pedal-bike as mentioned by others.

[milehighboater]

most of the time my commute is only about 15 or twenty minutes and I've never had a problem with battery or condensation. I've been doing it all winter long.

[Keppelj]

I wondered about this too. It takes twelve miles or about 15 minutes to warn my RR. It takes another 15 minutes to burn off the condensation collected in the warmup. Something like 25 miles to ride in order to collect no moisture in the engine/oil. So my plan is either to make no shorter rides (tough for you) or include longer regular burn-off rides to get ride of the moisture. You can consult the oil level port to get a reading of oil laden condensation (milky residue). I try to stick with the longer rides. My other car is a bicycle (e-bike).

[riceburner]

I wondered about this too. It takes twelve miles or about 15 minutes to warn my RR. It takes another 15 minutes to burn off the condensation collected in the warmup. Something like 25 miles to ride in order to collect no moisture in the engine/oil. So my plan is either to make no shorter rides (tough for you) or include longer regular burn-off rides to get ride of the moisture. You can consult the oil level port to get a reading of oil laden condensation (milky residue). I try to stick with the longer rides. My other car is a bicycle (e-bike).

If the bike is kept in a dry, warmish garage, and used regularly then it won't even accumulate much water in the oil system to condense on not-very-cold engine cases.

[Keppelj]

Could be, riceburner. Definitely not in the Pacific Northwest with vehicles stored at ambient. My auto dipstick tells the same tale. Too many short trips and I have to be on the freeway for awhile to burn off the scum.