Break-In Secrets

[hindle8907]

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

Intresting Read .... can comment on this ?

[the_lone_wolf]

Das engineer?

[Spiderman]

i went for a ride with a guy on his brand new ZX6 so he could run it in. He was hitting speeds of over 150mph during the ride to southend and back.

i asked him if he was appy doing that and he said "weel thats how i'm gonna ride it, so it makes sense to me". i'm sure someone who knows about these things will tell us if this guys webste is right or not tho.

Running in always draws lots of opinions. The general thing is to ake it easy for the first 500 - 600 miles, not revving the bike hard, not using wide throttle openings, and varying the engine RPM so the pistons "seal" against the bores in the engine. After the first oil change, rpm range can increase and wider throttles can be applied.

But going like a bat out of hell from 0 miles is not a clever idea, my dad tells a good story about a guy who brought a kwak zx6, thrashed it from new, blew the engine in 2000 miles, got it replaced under warrenty, blew another engine, was asked how he ran the bike in, said he thrashed it from new...had to pay for the replacement.

Well, every time this comes up I have the same response of proof please. I mean proper, scientific, tests under controlled conditions. On as many engines as possible to try and reduce the impact of other things (better built engine, etc).

I did note his web site does raise the question of why manufacturers don't recommend this method - but he doesn't actually give an answer?

For me, this guy isn't going to replace bits of my bike under warranty, thus he has to give me a good reason to follow his guide - and without proof it's fairly unsubstantiated...

one of the things about a new engine is the roughness of the moving surfaces, which gives rise to the increased friction. Some people report small metal shavings in their first lot of oil, this swarf has come from the various parts mating together. If there is that much friction to allow metal in the oil (i dont know how big these flakes are), then it would be wise to think a little and take it a little easy

[hindle8907]

just to tag onto somthing i have just read on the guys website ....

Q: What is the most common cause of engine problems ???
A: Failure to:
Warm the engine up completely before running it hard !!!

when i leave for work in the moring most of the time i am running late and the motoway is like 60 seconds from my house . the engine is normaly on around 50 degrees then once on the motorway most of the time i go right up 2 90ish is this ok ?

or am i causing damage ?

I think a more major cause of engine faliure is not keeping up with regular oil changes. Take a look at a random persons car, and think to yourself...when did they last service that?

You wont cause damage so long as you dont accelerate hard. If i where you, keep to 70 mph for a while, let the oil get up to temp. As long as you dont use wide throttle openings though, I think you'd be ok. Engine oil is multigrade, to provide good lubrication properties at all temps

[hindle8907]

i do ride my bike pritty hard as soon as i get on it tbh
i think i might stop it untill its warmed up

[flymo]

what this guy says makes alot of sense though. I raced an old FZR400 for years and rebuilt it usually after a seasons racing, I used to take it fairly easy on a test run to start with but one year I simply didnt get a chance and had to race it straight after a rebuild. The pistons were in perfect condition at the end of that season and the engine was noticeably more powerful, you could feel it during acceleration.

I was always amazed at just how hard that little 400 engine was getting used and the excellent condition it was in.

One of the guys I race with started this season with a brand new SV650, right from the dealers to the race track. No real break-in period other than a few practice sessions. Its running perfectly and is certainly not smoky or low on power from what I can see. Last time he had it on the dyno it was right up on power.