Winter Ride

N

nhman

Guest
So, the sun is getting higher, the ice that's in the direct sunlight is showing signs of melting, on the surface, and the porch where my bike is stored is warm in the afternoon sun. HOWEVER, it's STILL New Hampshire, and the actual air temperature is on the low side of 20F, and its COLD outside!! Time for my first winter ride! I swear, my bike has one heck of an air conditioner! At about 20mph after one or two minutes I thought my ears were going to fall off. I rode about three miles, that was PLENTY.......back to the barn until (maybe) May!
I have a question for anyone who has cold weather experience with these engines (chinese 48cc). I never had a problem with the engine cutting out, until today. Today my engine kept cutting out. I do NOT think it was any kind of a fuel problem, but I'm wondering if the carb was icing up or something. Several times it quit and jump started itself, and once it actually quit entirely, and I had to pedal to restart. After the engine got heated up it ran much better, but I've never had a problem with the engine running rough even if it was just started and not up to operating temperature. ANY IDEAS? Thanks!
 
I have always heard "mileage" decreases dramatically on 2 cycles in cold weather.

I know they are harder to start, without priming directly into the carb, a shortcut I used last month in 30 degree mornings. My speed seemed to be off by 10% during the coldest part of the day.

Performance naturally diminishes, so "cutting out" at 30 degrees probably is a common problem.
 
Hmmm, I remember the night when I got my bike all put together, it was about 10 PM, (in Maine), and I was like, "hmm... i should take it out just to see if it'll start" so of course, being me, i decided to take it out for about 30 seconds just to see if it started. so since i was only going to be out for 30 seconds, i decided not to put on a jacket. haha.. well, it was about 0 to 5 degrees F. outside, and so i headed down the driveway, got it started, and boy did it ever sputter and it did not want to run good at all, being the first start-up and all. so i decided, "well, maybe a little further and more running will get t going good" so i headed down the street, half-pedaling to keep it from stalling, since i broke the clutch cable, and it still ran like sh**, so i crossed the road and kept on going.... when i got to the next street and i turned off, it completely died all-together, about an 1/8 mile from my house. I was like "SH**, I'm a dumb***, going out with a T-shirt, jeans, and running sneakers, in 5 degree weather, and getting stuck an 1/8 mile from my house" so since i had no clutch cable, i had to push my bike home, NOT a fun walk!!! but anyway, the next day and 2 days it started fine, ran fine, with the exception of messing with the choke ON/OFF til the engine gets warm. I actually got back about an hour and a half ago from a 45 mile ride brrrrr, it was 25 degrees today, and i had on about 3 layers of clothing...
but going back to the stalling, i don't know why it did that.... My guess would be a combination of the cold, and it being the first start..

-pianoman
 
These chinese engines have not adjustable carb :( If you will make fuel mixture richer, you will have no problems with winter running. All this winter i was running with two mopeds: minichopper with bicycle engine and JAWA Babetta Star 134.
 
for those who keep their bikes in a garage, the engine will stay slightly warmer and start up right away, for the plebs who keep the bikes outside they DO NOT START IN WINTER. up in New England it gets too cold from january - april for these little suckers to start up.
 
up in New England it gets too cold from january - april for these little suckers to start up.

:):):)

Do you know how to gets cold in Russia?

http://www.dyr4ik.ru/forum/album_cat.php?cat_id=27
http://www.dyr4ik.ru/forum/album_cat.php?cat_id=28

I have no garage, i had no problems with starting my mopeds at this winter. Only one problem occured when snow fall in to gas tank in time of pit stop :) Just use better carbs!

Here in Russia a lot of people like to ride in weekends to prevent mototoxicosis :)
 
really? ok I'll have to give it a try again this year... I tried adjusting the clutch pads as tight as they would go and it just wouldn't turn over in the cold. - maybe now that my engine is more broken in it will start up easier...

that pic of the bike parked IN the snow is funny as ****!
 
I tried adjusting the clutch pads as tight as they would go and it just wouldn't turn over in the cold.

In cold oil becomes more viscous, weak clutch should work better.

If engine don't want to start anyway, use automobile ether "speed start" spray.
 
ok that's really good to know - I'll loosen the clutch this year! and also bundle up like a russian! I'm thinking goggles would help since the eyes get so teary in the cold...
 
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