Lubricate the Fuel Injected Engine after the bike has been sitting all winter

[cline123]

A YouTube video from GoldWindDocs caught my eye. I live in the North of the US where my bike sits all winter. If your bike has sat all winter, what is the best scenario for starting? When sitting for a long time, the oil drains from the engine. To prevent engine wear, pump oil into the engine (and on the bearings) to reduce engine wear from a lack of oil.

The R1200GS starting system is similar to other fuel injected systems. Here's how the full system works, including the throttle-hold feature:

When starting the bike normally:
1. Kill switch in "run" position
2. Press start button - ECU activates fuel injection and ignition
3. Engine starts

However, if you hold the throttle wide open before pressing the start button:
1. This signals the ECU to enter a "clear flood" mode
2. The ECU disables both fuel injection and ignition
3. When you press the starter, the engine will crank but won't start
4. This allows you to clear excess fuel from the cylinders if the engine is flooded

So you actually have three ways to crank without starting:
1. Kill switch engaged (cuts ignition but allows fuel)
2. Full throttle hold before starting (cuts both fuel and ignition)
3. Combination of both (redundant but works)

This system design gives riders and mechanics multiple ways to turn the engine over without firing, which is useful for:
- Clearing a flooded engine
- Building oil pressure after maintenance
- Compression testing
- Diagnosing starting issues

BMW integrated these features deliberately as part of their diagnostic and maintenance-friendly approach to motorcycle design.

Robert Cline
BMWMOA 101271

 

[cline123]

Well... I jumped into the comments and found this: Oh CRAP !! I wish I hadn't been offered then watched this video. At first I thought, cool trick, good idea -- as I was about to take my bike out for the first ride of the Spring today. 2013 BMW F800 GT, with electronic fuel injection. On this bike, the kill switch and starter switch are the same switch -- opposite sides of the same switch, so not possible to leave the kill switch off and also turn over the engine. So, I thought, use the full-throttle technique described here. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Engine roared to life immediately to red-line. I snapped the throttle shut, but fear the damage was already done -- Another commentator to the video wrote: "Don't worry about starting after a long sit. Just let it warm up before you ride off." Maybe the latter is the best choice.

 

[omega man]

Nothing wrong with being concerned about pre-circulation of the oil. Probably good in most respects. I think of the time from when the bike leaves the factory until it is uncrated at the dealer can be quite long.
I think newer oils offer more protection than “we” think.
OM

 

[etiennelau]

I question the belief that oil drains down.

I decided to loosen the valve cover bolts to adjust the gasket and cover without draining the oil. Guess what started leaking out. Plenty of oil still in the "top" of the engine.

 

[omega man]

Chances are the major concern is the cylinder walls being “dry”. Most quality oil filters have an anti-drain back valve which helps get the oil to critical parts pretty quickly.
OM

 

[pauls1150]

With a boxer engine, the valve covers are certainly not at the "top".
Most engines have enough nooks and crannies (like Thomas' English Muffins) that some oil will remain in the galleys and pockets, especially around the valve train.
If one is concerned about the first startup after a long rest, you can either first squirt a couple of drops of oil into a sparkplug hole to provide ring lubrication, or add a little bit of oil to the gas and run that into the engine before you put it away.
Yes it'll smoke at the next startup, so what, you Know what it is.
There's nothing wrong with a "no spark no fuel" initial cranking over; fresh custom engines are typically spun over before firing them up specifically to get the oil circulated, and also to make sure nothing is binding and that the valves are not hitting the pistons.

 

[bc1100s]

Much ado about nothing, in my opinion.

 

[pauls1150]

Well.... if the bike sat with an intake or exhaust valve open, moisture could find its way in and maybe corrode something.
But yeah, this is over-thinking it.

 

[saddleman]

The oil film clings to the engine parts for a long time especially in the winter because there is very little oil evaporation in the colder temperatures. I've been in the racing engine building business for over 50 years now & we do like to prime the engines before we start them when they have sat for awhile. We like to prime the engine with a drill turning the oil pump. If I can't prime the engine with a drill I'll warm the oil up with heat & then start it. The last thing I would ever do is turn it over with cold oil until is has oil pressure & then start it. If your going to crank to build oil pressure at least make sure the oil is at least warmed up to over 70 degrees Fahrenheit or preferably higher.