Breaking in a brand new mortorcycle.

[nickjtc]

Prompted by Peter's  '5 day ride around Ireland' thread (http://www.tigertriple.com/forum/index.php/topic,14567.0.html) and the comment about the trip being precipitated by the need to break-in a rebuilt engine, I'm curious... how do you break-in a new engine?

Hard and fast or 'by the book'? http://www.motorcycleextremist.com/Motorcycle-Engine-Break-in-the-Right-Way!.html

I always used to do it 'by the book', especially in the old days when engines were built to different tolerances than they are now. My last two brand new bikes, a 2009 Kawasaki KLX250 and a 2010 Triumph Thruxton, I broke in the fast way. I experienced no 'issues' in either case and went on to put 10k kms under the wheels of the KLX and 24k km under the wheels of the Thruxton before they were sold.

[threepot]

Apparently,the way to 'bed in' New engine,is to fill with mineral oil,and accelerate and de-accelerate hard in low gears.   The most important part is 'bedding' in the piston rings,and you only get a small window whilst their new,and the cross hatch is still on the bores to do this? It's the combustion that actually pushes the rings up against the cylinder,so in theory,more combustion means a more contact? Using synthetic oils whilst running in has an adverse effect. Thats what I've read,and it seems to make sense :icon_wink:

[Sparky]

Here's another article along the lines of the one Nick posted:

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

I find a lot of people get a new toy, car, bike quad etc, that they have spent a decent amount of money on and it's going to last them forever they want nothing but the best and tend to overthink the break in requirements.  More often than not two to three years later it's being traded for a new one and the process starts again.  I usually ride / drive it like normal with a few full throttle under load bursts an early oil change and away we go.  A few years ago I rebuilt a 720cc twin cylinder two stroke engine out of a SeaDoo first ride after rebuild and the pump bearing seized so I had to ride it about 15 minutes back to the ramp at 3/4 to full throttle just to stay on plane that engine turned out to be one of the best running Rotax engines I have owned.   

A lot of high end cars come from the factory with synthetic oil which makes you wonder if the synthetic for break in myth has any legs or if the engines have had a break in procedure at the factory.  Heavy duty over the road trucks don't get driven around lightly for the first few miles as a break in they are loaded and making money from day one.

In the end you have to do what gives you the warm fuzzy feeling about your new toy.

[nickjtc]

In the end you have to do what gives you the warm fuzzy feeling about your new toy.

I agree wholeheartedly. I think that this is the one situation where the manufacturer is perhaps being over cautious. I appreciate they have to protect their interests, working on the assumption that some riders will feel obliged to follow the break-in instructions to the letter, but this is one case where I believe that "he who hesitates is lost". Why they do not, at the very least, suggest an 'early' first oil change is beyond me.

Interestingly though, the same cautious Charlies (or Charlenes, lets not be sexist), are the first to flout the manufacturers recommendations when it comes to fuel grade or oil type. I've lost count of the number of people I have worked with who are convinced that they are doing their new toy a favour by putting in higher octane fuel than is specified for the engine, or using a different type or grade of oil because "that's just what you do".

[threepot]

Apparently 'litigation' prevents manufacturers from encouraging 'hard' or 'aggressive' run-in procedures?

[Bixxer Bob]

There's also the theory that gentle running in is to blame for high oil consumption in low mileage engines, particularly BMWs, although we've had one or two Tigers with that issue.  Evil Betty I think????

[nickjtc]

There's also the theory that gentle running in is to blame for high oil consumption in low mileage engines,

That would make sense if the 'slow' break-in is responsible for a poor ring-to-cylinder seal....

[threepot]

This is similar to the article I read a while back,and IF I was to purchase a 'new' bike,I'd give this method a go :icon_wink:
http://www.motorcycleextremist.com/Motorcycle-Engine-Break-in-the-Right-Way!.html

[Nick Calne]

Does your warranty require you to run in as per manufacturer's guidelines?  Given the peak revs or other incriminating data could be recorded on the flash card I'd be careful.

[Sin_Tiger]

If they were that bothered about it they would write it into the ECU, not that difficult to do. Modern machining means your just about run in after your first tankful.

[nickjtc]

Does your warranty require you to run in as per manufacturer's guidelines?  Given the peak revs or other incriminating data could be recorded on the flash card I'd be careful.

Hmmmm. That's an interesting question.

[Nick Calne]

They could do that Sin but then it would probably result in loads of people taking their bike back to the dealer saying, "This thing doesn't rev properly"... 

[Bixxer Bob]

Thinking back to when you could buy a Blackbird new, a friend  bought a silver one and, when asked how he was going to run it in, he replied, "Rag it from day one and let the warranty sort it out".  It was one of the smoothest in the group and never used oil.

[Mustang]

Thinking back to when you could buy a Blackbird new, a friend  bought a silver one and, when asked how he was going to run it in, he replied, "Rag it from day one and let the warranty sort it out".  It was one of the smoothest in the group and never used oil.

I know a certain 95 steamer that got broken in on the Mass Pike from Springfield, Ma to
kittery Maine at 80 mph for 3 or 4 hours , it had about 10 miles on it, next 400 were at 80 mph
best running steamer in the clan...................

[Bixxer Bob]

It's hard to separate the myth and legend from evidence-based advice sometimes eh?