Best practice for cold start of new monster 696 (newb)

[Raux]

I learned with my first Ducati.
Use the fast idle lever to warm it up while stationary.
Having it on while riding... very costly mistake, well insurance did pay for the Ti pipes

[mrpetebojangles]

Nah, I'm in the Reno, NV/Tahoe area.

[Kev M]

Use the fast idle lever to warm it up while stationary.
Having it on while riding... very costly mistake, well insurance did pay for the Ti pipes

I wouldn't call THAT the mistake.

There's nothing the fast idle lever can do that your left and right hands shouldn't be able to manage. 

[sgollapalle]

Fire up, push lever to keep rpm at 1200-1300, adjust until no longer needed. I've only had to use it when the temps were below 75. I have a '11 with 2000 miles. Mine idles at 1100-1200

[ChrisH]

My 696 with 7k miles still exhibits the behavior you've described, I really like your analogy to a sleeping child.

I use the fast idle to warm up the bike while I gear up, and leave it on for the first few blocks I ride to avoid the stumbling/dying at stops. After that I ride easily until it is fully warm and then I ride how I feel or however traffic dictates.

Because it is only a fast idle, I.e. Opening the throttle bodies and injecting additional fuel I can't see how it would cause any issues using it as I do, the worst I can see happening is decreased fuel mileage and slightly higher temps at the exhaust.

[Howie]

My 696 with 7k miles still exhibits the behavior you've described, I really like your analogy to a sleeping child.

I use the fast idle to warm up the bike while I gear up, and leave it on for the first few blocks I ride to avoid the stumbling/dying at stops. After that I ride easily until it is fully warm and then I ride how I feel or however traffic dictates.

Because it is only a fast idle, I.e. Opening the throttle bodies and injecting additional fuel I can't see how it would cause any issues using it as I do, the worst I can see happening is decreased fuel mileage and slightly higher temps at the exhaust.

They (whomever they are) say don't ride with the fast idle lever on because as the bike warms fast idle increases.  If you forget to turn the fast idle off while riding you can find yourself in a potentially dangerous situation since the throttle won't go down to idle speed when released.  Real issue?  Up to you. 

[Kev M]

Because it is only a fast idle, I.e. Opening the throttle bodies and injecting additional fuel I can't see how it would cause any issues using it as I do, the worst I can see happening is decreased fuel mileage and slightly higher temps at the exhaust.

There is a camp that believes no modern vehicle should be armed at a sit-still because the EFI mapping tends to be overly rich for cold start and cold run rpm tends to be highy (partly in an attempt to get the 02 sensor up to temp for closed-loop operation).

The fear is that the overly rich mixture tends to wash down oil from the cylinder walls and/or lead to extra contamination/dillution of the oil.

So the recommendation is that if you ride/drive the vehicle lightly during warm-up it will reduce the amount of time it spends operating in an overly-rich condition.

They (whomever they are) say don't ride with the fast idle lever on because as the bike warms fast idle increases.  If you forget to turn the fast idle off while riding you can find yourself in a potentially dangerous situation since the throttle won't go down to idle speed when released.  Real issue?  Up to you.  

Sounds like complete crap to me.

[Duc Buz]

Crap.  Setting the idle at a smoothe idle point, and riding away is not a danger any more than riding down the street when it's warm.  If you are riding off cold with the fast idle at 5000 rpm then, Su El Stuipdo.

[Howie]

<snip>  Real issue?  Up to you.