Running in advice

[PrincessBandit]

Ok, this has probably been done to death somewhere else (did have a search but couldn't find anything specific). What are your recommendations for running in a new bike? Owner's manuals always give "rules" or guidelines regarding this but lotsa ppl out there suggest that the guidelines are pretty 'flexible' in interpretation. Thoughts anyone?
ps mods please move this or redirect to appropriate thread if already in existence, thanks.

[beyond]

Hiya,

It doesn't matter how big the bike or if it's a car or truck. Running in to get the most of your bike or car or whatever has the same rules.

Don't exceed the manufacturers RPM levels except in emergencies. Many bikes these days have computers that record figures and you may void your warrranty if there are problems.

Best thing is to find a windy road with lots of hills and corners and ride normally except for the following points. Never exceed the manufacturers RPM levels. Never load up the engine which means do not make it labour so change down as soon as the revs drop,

Use heaps of engine braking which means throttling off on downhills and when slowing down. This beds in both sides of the rings. never maintain constant throttle openings as you will glaze the bores which means once run in you will burn oil and lose horsepower.

I personally take a new vehicle and run in up to 2,000 RPM then throttle off to a stop using engine braking, then whizz it up to 3,000 RPM throttle off using engine braking, then 4,000 RPM and so on till you reach the maximum rev limit.
Try to run in your bike in short a period as possible. I will run anything in over one day. Even an RX7 twin Turbo I run in in one day. 1000kms.

Take two days if need be but when the engine is warm and you use different throttle openings, vary revs use a lot of engine braking then you get the best results. Once 1000kms is over, up the revs over the next 500kms till you are near redline. By 2,000 kms you can run to redline often and your engine will loosen up.

I've used this method for lots of new vehicles and have never had a problem. One of my cars was brought by my parents at 200,000kms, a Ford laser 1300 four speed. It has now got 500,000 kms on the clock, does not burn oil and the bore compression tests are like new.

[98tls]

Dont bugger about with short jaunts,go for long rides but vary rpms as much as you can and dont ride a gear higher than you need to be cause your worried about hurting it.

[Jantar]

A very good question., but we do need to know what bike, and what you intend using it for.

The manufacturers advice is usually pretty good and covers almost all types of riding. The main advantage of sticking with the manufacturers recommendation is that it keeps the warranty valid.

A good rule of thumb for commuting or touring is divide the red line RPM by 3 for the first 300 km, (ie a 12000 rpm red line, use 4000 rpm max), divide the red line by 2 for the next 300 km and then gently increase the revs with light running untill 1000 km. Change the oil and filter, then over the next 5000 km work the engine progresively harder.

A better method, but one that will invalidate the warranty, is to ride it gently for about 10 km to make sure the engine is up to temperature, then thrash hell out of the motor for 50 - 80 kms (30 - 45 minutes). Full power, and work it right through the rev range. Then stop and give it an oil and filter change, check the spark plugs and possibly change them. Then just ride thae bike as you intend to.

Motors run in with method 2 tend to give better performance overall, and some studies claim a more even engine wear later in life. But it has stressed other parts of the bike early on.

In the past I have used the second method for bikes that were to used in competition, and method 1 for all other bikes.

[Dino]

All good advice above, have a look at this website for some more information -

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

.

[beyond]

All good advice above, have a look at this website for some more information -

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

.

I've read that one before Dino and tend to agree, but with the modern computers on board these days, they ust happen to know when you break the run in rules and presto: warranty gone.

However, when you see the warranty rules and waivers that apply you begin to wonder what is actually covered. Not a lot eh?

Then again, I know some people that have run their bikes in using the secret method and there seems to be alot of blue smoke for a new machine????

[Mike748]

Dont bugger about with short jaunts,go for long rides but vary rpms as much as you can and dont ride a gear higher than you need to be cause your worried about hurting it.

Agreed, personally I haven't run a bike in from new but have reconditioned a couple of cars, I always work the RPM, don't labour the motor in a high gear or try and accelerate too hard, let it rev freely increasing your imposed redline as you go. Also these cars never had rev counters so redline was by feel, once the motor had done 2,000km you could thrash em hard, no prob.

[The Stranger]

Two Smoker's instructions still ring in my ears - ride it like you stole it.
His No3 bike was run in by the time I got from Mt Eden Motorcycles to Silverdale.

Interestingly it pulls better results on the dyno and with less modifications.

[quickbuck]

In the early 90's Performance bikes magazine got two bikes the same.
One they run in as per manufactures recommendations, and the other they thrashed in.

The thrashed in one performed better all through the rev range up until about 20000 miles i think it was, then the engine was showing signs of wear out. The one that was run in properly never made the power initially, but lasted longer.
So if you only intend on keeping the bike for......

Na, what I mean to say, joe average won't actually notice the loss of a couple of ponies, but will enjoy a reliable engine long after the running in process has taken place.

[insane1]

pb i asume this is riks new machine were talking about if so just wait till we pick it up will bring some ideas with me then have allready told rick how run it in.

[popelli]

Two Smoker's instructions still ring in my ears - ride it like you stole it.
His No3 bike was run in by the time I got from Mt Eden Motorcycles to Silverdale.

Interestingly it pulls better results on the dyno and with less modifications.


best advice I have ever heard

have heard of people running engines in at meremere, 400 yards was all it took and the motor ran brilliantly

ran one bike in by the book, it never ran properly, smoked and died a premature death about 6 months later - the bores glazed up and bike was a complete dog

best advice first time on the road 2nd gear, 30 miles per hour and full throttle for about 100 yards to force the rings out against the bore

then ride normally as fast as you like on 1/2 throttle or less with the occassional full throttle blast

other advice - cheap nasty oil for first 30 miles and then dump it and put decent oil in

more advice - hone with the coarsest stone to give the rings something to bed against

[smoky]

All good advice above, have a look at this website for some more information -

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

.

Yep I tend to agree with his logic on most things

[breakaway]

I'll follow the manual's instructions unless it's an emergency. When I spend $10,000+ and buy new, there ain't no way I'm risking it D:

The manufacturer planned and made it... so they must know what they're talking about.

[slowpoke]

All good advice above, have a look at this website for some more information -

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

.

Yup, this mototuneusa article (and similar articles) actually makes good sense and was basically the running in advice given to me by the reputable engine builder who rebuilt my R1 engine.


In the early 90's Performance bikes magazine got two bikes the same.
One they run in as per manufactures recommendations, and the other they thrashed in.

The thrashed in one performed better all through the rev range up until about 20000 miles i think it was, then the engine was showing signs of wear out. The one that was run in properly never made the power initially, but lasted longer.
So if you only intend on keeping the bike for......

Na, what I mean to say, joe average won't actually notice the loss of a couple of ponies, but will enjoy a reliable engine long after the running in process has taken place.

I wouldn't class a two bike comparison as a representative test. They also tested a Daytona 675 and GSXR750 over 24 hours on a race track. The 675 was quicker but had a mechanical failure and couldn't complete the test. Is a 675 only good for less than 24 hours and quicker than a GSXR750? Generally speaking no and no.
Yes, it's interesting information but I wouldn't class it as conclusive.

[SVboy]

There is so much debate on this subject. I think it depends on the type of bike and what it is being used for. A racebike or motard would call for procedures that realised maximum power, with the possible sacrifice of longevity. A road il4 or dual purpose single owner who only occasionally raced would probably want their bike to last, and the sacrifice of a couple of top end kws of power would be irrelevent.
I personally have decided that my next bike will be run in as per manufacturers instructions, with an extra oil and filter change at 100kms. Lots of up and down thru the rev range without loading the motor, and several heat up and cool down runs[not too short] rather than just one long blast-then first servise at 1000kms, and away we go!!:done:

[slowpoke]

The manufacturer planned and made it... so they must know what they're talking about.

These are the same people who redline the bike under load on a dyno before it leaves the factory, then tell you to baby it for the next 1000km's?

Time to get on my hobby horse again: why buy a new bike? You pay a premium for 1000km's of not being able to ride it how you'd like to, at which point you pay for a service and it's worth fractionally more than the second hand unit you turned your nose up at just before you decided to buy new. It's the most expensive 1000km's you'll ever do.

But that's just jaded ol' me...if you've bought new then I'm sure you've been grinning like Michael Jackson on a school bus, so good onya.