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Short rides

4K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  Vulture916 
#1 ·
I've done general research and the consensus seems to be that short rides (wildly different interpretations of what "short" is) are not too good for motorcycles, generally speaking.


  1. How does the Rebel fair with short rides?
  2. How many miles and/or time is considered short?
  3. Does any of this change given that I am still in the break in period (15 miles so far!)?

I appreciate the insight!
 
#2 ·
I don't know why 'short' rides would be bad for a bike. There are weekends I end up spending hours and hours on the bike but most of my riding is commuting to and from work which is only 15-20 min each way and it's great for that. I can't imagine a ride being much shorter than that. If I was only using it to travel 5 min down the road I probably wouldn't have even bothered getting the bike.

As far as break in just follow what the owners manual says, take care of the first service, and enjoy riding.
 
#4 ·
I don't know why 'short' rides would be bad for a bike.
The major reason I've seen is that condensation that builds up in your exhaust burns off when the engine gets hot; if the bike never fully warms up, the water will sit in the exhaust and start to cause rust/corrosion.

I should note here, I always let the bike idle for 5 minutes or so before operating.

In regards to why short trips, sometimes it's nice to ride to the coffee shop in the morning. Another scenario that comes to mind is those whose only method of transportation is a motorcycle.
 
#5 ·
The only reason I could see "short rides" being bad is because the engine never gets to optimal temperature.
But to be honest I don't see it causing any issues. I mean maybe if you never took the bike out for more than a mile or two at the time it could eventually cause some moisture build up. But I really don't see that happening. You should be safe to ride it any distance you please without really having to worry.
 
#8 ·
Your Rebel and your car get the same treatment.
A car only ridden for a mile or two and not warmed up will have exhaust moisture and rust the exhaust out, same with a bike.

THAT is the only "wrecking" you will do.

Idling for 5 minutes is doing MORE harm.
As with a car you only need to warm up for a minute or less, the less is when its warm enough to ride your Rebel.
Search online and you will find many things to read about not warming your bike or car for very long. Self starting a car in the dead of winter and letting warm up so your tushy is warm in the seat is only shortening the life on that engine!
 
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