hey guys.
few days ago i picked up my 2012 M1100EVO. So obviously is the breaking in period .. *I've never broken in a bike* the dealer told me to take it easy for
the first few miles : 2-250miles shift under 4000rpm. from 250-600miles shift from 4-7000rpm . then bring it in for the 600miles service .
on the other hand my friend sent me this http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm (http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm) (which is totally the opposite of what the book says)
I always start my riding season after April 1 so I'd like to know how to break it in .
PLEASE take 10min to read the article. thank you . [Dolph]
You range from baby-sitting (AKA, shifting below 4K RPM), to the extreme (yes, I read the article, which is old).
Ride it like you would normally, and try to vary the RPM for the first 200 miles or so.
From my manual. Couldn't say it much better myself and this is road bike #34! ;)
Quote:
"Up to 1000 km
During the first 1000 km, keep an eye on the rev counter. It
should never exceed 5,500-6,000 rpm.
During the first hours of riding, it is advisable to continuously
vary the load on the engine and the rpm, though still keeping
within the above limits.
For this reason, roads with numerous bends and hilly areas
are ideal for running in the engine, brakes and suspension.
For the first 100 km, use the brakes gently. Do not brake
violently or keep brake applied for too long. This will enable a
correct break-in of the friction material on the brake pads
against the brake discs.
To allow all the mechanical moving parts in the motorcycle to
adapt to one another, and to avoid shortening the life of the
main engine components, it is advisable to avoid sudden
acceleration and running the engine at high rpm for too long,
especially uphill.
It is also advisable to check the drive chain frequently and
ensure that it is lubricated as required.
From 1000 to 2500 km
At this point, you can ask for more power from the engine,
being careful, however, never to exceed 7,000 rpm."
Your bike was most likely run on a dyno at the factory and I doubt they kept it below 6K rpms.
I'm not a proponent of long break ins. I agree with the moto-tune article more than the factory. The factory procedure almost assures that rings will never seat. Those two examples are the extremes. Vary the rpms, avoid the slab, and by all means open the throttle as much as possible while avoiding sustained high rpm.
Quote from: ducpainter on March 19, 2012, 06:00:04 AM
Your bike was most likely run on a dyno at the factory and I doubt they kept it below 6K rpms.
I'm not a proponent of long break ins. I agree with the moto-tune article more than the factory. The factory procedure almost assures that rings will never seat. Those two examples are the extremes. Vary the rpms, avoid the slab, and by all means open the throttle as much as possible while avoiding sustained high rpm.
[thumbsup]
That "article" is old and full of BS written by someone who will suffer not one bit if his advice results in problems for your bike down the road.
By comparison, the manufacturer has a vested interest in avoiding both warranty claims and potentially lawsuits, should their advice result in a failure.
Even ignoring these two statements, one can also approach this from a scientific angle. While the engine is run to redline at the factory, it is not run to redline for the equivalent of 1,500 miles. A brief engine test is a necessary evil which is performed because the benefit outweighs the cost. Constantly beating on a new engine, however, is not.
One of the reasons for varying speeds and loads, as well as sticking to short trips, is to finish tempering the metals in the engine, which are made stronger through heat cycles. Eventually the metals are as tempered as they are going to get, at which point the cost of short trips begins to outweigh the benefits. Engines are not static items, they have a life cycle. What's best for them when they're new isn't always the same as what's best for them when they're middle aged, or old.
There are also other factors when it comes to vehicle break-in, such as proper bedding of the brake pads, ring seating, excess particulates from the machined parts being worn off (burrs and such), etc.
As with so many other things, it may not seem like damage is being done when you ride it like you stole it, but that doesn't mean it isn't. Maybe your engine would have lasted 200,000 miles, but your break-in reduces it to 160,000 miles, all else being equal. Will you ever notice the difference? Probably not. Either you won't own the bike that long, or you will and you'll simply chalk it up to "it was my engine's time to go". And whatever problem develops isn't necessarily uncorrectable, so you may just fix it and move on, whereas the guy who did it right will have longer before he has to do the same.
[thumbsup]
thank you all for your replies.
however i still dont know whats the right way.
some of you say that the dealers method is good and some say that i have to push it hard...
ducpainter and howie have helped me before with problems that i had so i know they know what they are talking abt ..
one more question .. if i do the 600miles service myself will that affect the warranty in any way? is there a way to reset the maintenance icon without having to plug it to a computer?
Quote from: svp88 on March 19, 2012, 05:27:19 PM
thank you all for your replies.
however i still dont know whats the right way.
some of you say that the dealers method is good and some say that i have to push it hard...
ducpainter and howie have helped me before with problems that i had so i know they know what they are talking abt ..
one more question .. if i do the 600miles service myself will that affect the warranty in any way? is there a way to reset the maintenance icon without having to plug it to a computer?
no...
and...
no
what abt the oil change? should i change it after lets say 100miles or wait for 600? use synthetic or not?
my opinion from a performance car side of breaking in engines,
The rings are bedded in within the first hr of use, some would say in the first 10minutes so often the majority of this is done before you get the bike. i believe the rings bed in best with good strong loads not at high revs, it presses the rings in harder on the bore and uses the clean sharp edges of the manufacturers hone in the bore to basically file into shape and condition the rings nicely. this leads to less blow by and much less chance of glazing the bores, ie better power and fuel economy. The young mechanic who flogs your bike around the block when its first bolted together at the dealers it is doing you a favour in this respect! but not so much in respect to bearings.
once you get the bike/engine its more about bearings and other tolerances. kms is easy to count hence why its referenced in manuals but in reality its the hrs and type of use that matter. 1000km on smooth open road will not do the same as 1000kms of bumpy city stop start acceleration deceleration use. as said above, stop start use is more preferred for break in as it tempers the metals and it gives more chance to wear the tolerances to a better fit if they are not ideal as opposed to simply ceasing or chunking parts. A well built modern engine really wont need a run in period past the bedding rings + an hrs test. hence why with race engines its a matter of build, tune, test, and race sometimes within a matter of days from being built.
obviously your not racing, so a long life is preferred to a short fast one. so that is why the longer break-in period is common to ensure bearings and tolerances are in a happy spec. id simply ride it like u would normally, avoid long periods of idle and long periods of constant revs, avoid high revs, and use some decent amounts of throttle under load to be sure the rings are bedded, other than that don't over think it and enjoy the smells and feels of a new bike! after the first oil change, start getting into it as your confidence and comfort grow with your new bike.
wait for the 600m for oil change, its simply unnecessary to do it early. and use whatever is manual recommended. there is no problem with running a modern built and toleranced engine on synthetic from new, many manufacturers use synthetic in the factory these days, the only company i know of that refuses to use/recommend synthetic is Mazda on their rotary engines.
Quote from: Roaduser on March 19, 2012, 07:37:07 PM
my opinion from a performance car side of breaking in engines,
The rings are bedded in within the first hr of use, some would say in the first 10minutes so often the majority of this is done before you get the bike. i believe the rings bed in best with good strong loads not at high revs, it presses the rings in harder on the bore and uses the clean sharp edges of the manufacturers hone in the bore to basically file into shape and condition the rings nicely. this leads to less blow by and much less chance of glazing the bores, ie better power and fuel economy. The young mechanic who flogs your bike around the block when its first bolted together at the dealers it is doing you a favour in this respect! but not so much in respect to bearings.
once you get the bike/engine its more about bearings and other tolerances. kms is easy to count hence why its referenced in manuals but in reality its the hrs and type of use that matter. 1000km on smooth open road will not do the same as 1000kms of bumpy city stop start acceleration deceleration use. as said above, stop start use is more preferred for break in as it tempers the metals and it gives more chance to wear the tolerances to a better fit if they are not ideal as opposed to simply ceasing or chunking parts. A well built modern engine really wont need a run in period past the bedding rings + an hrs test. hence why with race engines its a matter of build, tune, test, and race sometimes within a matter of days from being built.
obviously your not racing, so a long life is preferred to a short fast one. so that is why the longer break-in period is common to ensure bearings and tolerances are in a happy spec. id simply ride it like u would normally, avoid long periods of idle and long periods of constant revs, avoid high revs, and use some decent amounts of throttle under load to be sure the rings are bedded, other than that don't over think it and enjoy the smells and feels of a new bike! after the first oil change, start getting into it as your confidence and comfort grow with your new bike.
wait for the 600m for oil change, its simply unnecessary to do it early. and use whatever is manual recommended. there is no problem with running a modern built and toleranced engine on synthetic from new, many manufacturers use synthetic in the factory these days, the only company i know of that refuses to use/recommend synthetic is Mazda on their rotary engines.
[thumbsup] thats what im gona do ...
Dont forget the suspension too.
Set it on the soft side of what you would normally be happy with, as it will allow it to go through a longer stroke cycle (did that make sense) and bed in. Then after say 600m you can set it up to what makes it 'right' for you.
Mmick
Quote from: howie on March 19, 2012, 07:26:58 AM
[thumbsup]
Howie, I'll put my money on you and DP every time. One thing that mototune guy emphasizes that often gets left out of these discussions is the damage that can be done by running a cold engine hard and the need to make sure your motor is completely warmed up before taking it out for any acceleration runs.
While not following his instructions to the "T" I've leaned towards the mototune method for years with perfect results.
Bob, who should by now know better than to get sucked into oil or break-in threads!
went for a ride yesterday up to Montauk Point Long Island NY , and back . aka 250miles ride.
warmed up the engine 20min in garage , went for a 5min ride around the neighborhood , filled up the tank and hit the highway .
for the 1st 80miles i was shifting all gears under 5000rmps. always varying the rpms . then after 100miles went up to 6500rpms. didnt pass 120mph .
i think the front suspension is set to soft , i could see from the marks . plus my friend who was riding with me told me that he could see it too.
i have to say that this bike is a DREAM !! i love it !
on my next ride i ll take it up to 7000 8000 rpms on the twisties upstate new york .
any advice so far?