Engine Break-In

Folks. Who keeps an engine for very long anyway? Very few of us will rack up more than 25,000 miles on an engine before selling it, and even that is just not very much time on a modern engine. Most motorcycles will be crashed or sold down the moto-life-chain before they'll wear out. I really think that fast break-in or slow break-in, few if any of us will be around to experience the difference. Obviously bikes are not flat-out seizing from fast break-in procedures, or sucking oil, so it really doesn't seem to matter that much.



However, that doesn't mean I'm all for fast break-in. Some of the fast break-in people are starting to sound as obsessive about loading the engine as other people are about babying it. I think the key here is to just chill and not worry about it too much. Don't worry about babying it to the point of excruciating restraint, and don't stress about putting max load on it so you get perfect ring seal.



After all, ring seal isn't everything anyway. There are other reasons to break in a bike with at least a modicrum of restraint. For one, there are other parts that need to break in as well: your tranny gears, your clutch plates and brake pads, your tires, and your suspension components. Until your bike is broken in you don't want to stress it to its limits, because the rest of the bike won't be performing at its best yet anyway.



The second reason to break in with some measure of restraint is that you, the rider, probably aren't peforming at your peak yet either. Take some time to get to know your bike. If you follow a reasonable break-in period you'll be gradually working your way into the bike's capabilities. It's just good sense to take your time getting to know a new bike.



That said, manufacturer's break-in schedules are oftentimes overly tedious. Take them with a grain of salt. If it says not to exceed 7000 rpm before 500 miles, don't sweat it if you hit 10000 once or twice in quick bursts. I take the recommendation to mean that I shouldn't hold it wide open at 12000rpm for a few freeway miles. That's just asking for trouble-- maybe even on a broken in bike. After all, race bikes don't sustain maximum rpm for several miles at a time when cruising around the track. They only pop into those rev ranges for very short periods, then it's shift, brake, etc.



Take a few hours to sit in the gargage, drop, and mind meld with your bike's mechanical components. You'll know what's right from then on out. You'll feel it. Ha.

kpaul asks the hard question again and aircraft engine thing

No actually that doesn't make any sense at all. Having a note in an owners manual that says go easy doesn't protect anyone it's irrelevant. If the note wasn't in there and some squid goes and rides his bike normally or hard and gets hurt, for what grounds would someone sue the manufacturer? All owners manuals say operate within the traffic laws that is the legal disclaimer.

I also challenge you break in procedure for aircraft. Because, piston aircraft engines are different i.e. most are air cooled running at low rpms.. Meaning they might not need a easy going break in period like a high revving inline 4 without hydraulic valves i.e. since I have some stick time I can't really imagine not going full throttle with foot on rudder to take off.. i.e. how would you go easy on take off? Maybe the retired Air Force Colonel who was teaching me was wrong huh?

I never think twice about it.



Fentonman break-in:



1. Peel sticker of of tach.

2. Ride "normally"

3. Change oil at 100 miles or so.

4. Ride a bit more spirited.

5. 600 mile service.

6. Go nutz

7. Sell before the major service and repeat.

I was just re-reading motoman's advice, and he's actually pretty reasonable. He says, and I quote, 'Notice that this technique isn't "beating" on the engine, but rather taking a purposeful, methodical approach.' He also seems to think that his "quick break-in" doesn't have to be extreme. He says, and again I quote, 'You don't have to go over 65 mph / 104 kph to properly load the rings' And also, 'most new sportbike owners can't resist the urge to "open it up" once or twice, which is why more engines don't have this problem!! An additional factor that you may not have realized, is that the person at the dealership who set up your bike probably blasted your brand new bike pretty hard on the "test run".'



With that, motoman admits that he's not suggesting you beat the crap out of your engine. Just that you load it with some discretion.



He's not saying THRASH IT! In fact, he stresses that you should warm up the bike thoroughly and that you should VARY your rpm and load. Know what? That's just what owner's manuals say to do.



So now I'm of the opinion that these two schools of thought are not really from different planets. The controversy comes from people taking good advice and taking it to the extreme in either direction. Don't break in your bike by letting it idle in the garage for the first 500 miles. And don't break it in by redlining it along the freeway for the first 500 miles either. Use the mind-metal meld and do what feels right.

Re: kpaul asks the hard questions.

Since I don't operate a testing lab, nor am I anal enough to gather "facts and data" that can be presented in anyway to give the desired conclusions, the only evidence I have (and the only evidence I really care about) is my own and a number of my friends experiance's. Modern engines do not require a "break in " period.

However, tires and brakes do, and a rider on a brand new bike should ride carefully for a few hundred miles in order to familierize him/her self with the bikes weight, power and handling characteristics, in my opinion that is the true reason behind the gentle break-in.

If they just wrote "ride carefully till you know what you're doing" many people, most likely you included would say "screw that, I know how to ride, I don't need to take it easy" and promptly run into the first tree they could find. Instead they say break in the engine on your delicate jewel or you'll void your warrenty and people (like you) pay attention and ride carefully and at the same time learn the bike's behavior.

Re: kpaul asks the hard questions.

I'm sure there is plenty of evidence to support either position, as I said I'm not anal enough nor bored enough to search it out.

However common sense should tell you and your own faith in modern technology and manufacturing process should tell you it's un neccessary. What's to break in? the engine is made of precisely manufactured componants fitted uniformly to the ten or hundred thousands of an inch, lubricated with modern syn.blend oil and tested for correct operation prior to leaving the factory. Any tightness is going cause the engine to sieze or score the cylinders in that initial start up, any loosness in the bearings and they'll spin at that time, once you get the bike it's been run a few times and been through a few heat cycles at the dealership.......what's there to break in?

They tell you that so you the buyer will take it easy on a new bike. The warrenty is in effect whether you follow their guidelines or not unless they can prove conclusivly that your action caused the failure.