[TOMKRILL]

while it is below 20 degrees F. I have been starting it up and letting it run for about 20 minutes every 5 or 6 days while the damned weather is colder than a cows teat. It starts right up and runs well-(I blame that on a good tuner, Todd- Team Triumph Janesville, WI and a little Sea foam.
What is your opinion?

I rode it last about 3 weeks ago and then we got snow and for the first time in 10 years, cold weather. I figure that in a week the normal 35-40 degree days will be here and with a day or two of rain, the salt will be washed away and by March 1st I'll be riding almost daily. :hammer:

 

[Jimbonnie]

If you run it long enough and hot enough so that it evaporates the moisture that tends to accumulate in an engine that's cooling down then fine. Otherwise you'll accumulate an increasing amount of water in your oil and that's very bad. I'd say from your description of what you're doing you're probably on the bad side of the equation.

If you know you're not going to ride for an extended period of time over the winter it's usually best to pickle the bike for that time.

 

[Geoff]

If you mean you are just letting it idle for 20 minutes without riding it, that too long. the long idleing is no good.
if you can ride it long enough to warm it up, then yeah, if all its going to do is idle, you may as well leave it off, imho
G

 

[sweatmachine]

A motorcycle is one hell of an expensive battery charger...

get a battery tender and some Stabil. Fill the tank, drain the float bowls, plug in the battery tender. Pray for sunshine.

 

[Silverado57]

What Mr. Machine said.

About 3 weeks ago with a very heavy heart I topped off the tank, added the Stabil and hooked up the Battery Tender. The snow is falling here and temperatures won't get much above the freezing mark until next weekend at the soonest.

I hate winter. :hammer:

 

[ErwinM]

Fill the tank, drain the float bowls, plug in the battery tender. Pray for sunshine.

After many opinions and suggestions I was led to do the same as you but not drain the float bowls in efforts to keep the orings from drying out. Instead I ran the bike long enough to make sure the stabil made it to the bowls.

Erwin

 

[TOMKRILL]

Thanks for the feedback- I have and do add sea foam rather than stabil, I think it's really low on gas right now so I'll leave it alone for a couple of weeks because this cold will break in a week and then I can take it for a ride.