What is the general consensus on Engine Break in ?

Over and above the breaking in speed of 120kph everyone seems to agree on one thing. DO NOT run it in at a continuous speed for any prolonged length of time.

I think commuting is a good way to break in your engine. You move through all the gears frequently. Also try to find a road to and from work with some ups and downs. As I have it the more variation the better. At times accelerate hard (but not over the prescribed rpm – in my case it was 5 000 rpm) and the next time take it easy, etc.

By using your bike to commute daily you will have broken it in, in a month or 2 depending on your daily distance. Another advantage is that riding in traffic (I think) does wonders for confidence and sharpens your observation skills – simply because you HAVE to be wary in traffic. A bit off topic maybe…

That is quite true to a certain extent. I ran my LT in as follows:

From the first pull-away, at least for the first 5000 kms, with every pull-away i would rev the bike to 4000rpms - which was the maximum i could then do (rpms)

I would continuously at regular intervals - every 50km's or so drop the speed somewhat, drop a few gears and open the bike up to 1000rpms above what i was supposed to do (4000rpm)

From 5000 kms upwards - i would open it up to 5000rpms on pull-away. Taking into consideration that this is a low rev, even rev curve enjin. The revs limits mentioned would relate to the model being riden. Out on the open road i would fluctuate between riding the bike at the prescribed RPMs, and dropping a gear or 2 and opening up as described. Especially when overtaking slower traffic.

The predominant idee here is not to allow the enjin to labour or to work to hard continuously at any given time. Obviously this type of pulling away and accellerating is not very healthy for your back tyre - but that is the price you pay to ensure that your bike is riden in well, correct and you at the end of the process have a lively bike, that can do continuous high speeds.

Another important thing to remember is to gradually increase the rpm’s after the run in service (which as I have it is basically an oil change). One mustn’t suddenly push the bike too hard. Patience is the name of the game…

This is a very controversal subject, i have been reading this up...

This article says ride it hard ??

What's The Best Way To Break-In A New Engine ??

The Short Answer: Run it Hard !

Why ??
Nowadays, the piston ring seal is really what the break in process is all about. Contrary to popular belief, piston rings don't seal the combustion pressure by spring tension. Ring tension is necessary only to "scrape" the oil to prevent it from entering the combustion chamber.

If you think about it, the ring exerts maybe 5-10 lbs of spring tension against the cylinder wall ...
How can such a small amount of spring tension seal against thousands of
PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch) of combustion pressure ??
Of course it can't.

Click on link for the full article

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

Eish, now i am confused...

This guy is quite convincing....

Any opinions ??

Yoh yoh yoh, yet Another version...

New Engine Break-In


Deuteronomy 5:32 "Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left."


Any rebuilt or new engine has to go through a break in process. Each piece of moving metal must get to know and fit with the piece of metal it is moving against. Usually, the manufacturers put a sticker on the speedometer or tachometer telling you to take it easy for 600 miles or so. Your buddy says "If you want to run it hard, break it in hard." As you might expect, the truth is not on the right hand or the left but, in the center.

The problem is this. All this rubbing produces heat, which can cause oil to fail, which can cause a piston to seize to a cylinder wall. On the other hand, if there is not enough rubbing, the piston rings will not seat right with the cylinder walls. If this happens the engine will not reach it's full power potential. If the only new parts are piston and rings, as in an engine rebuild, we only have to worry about heat build up from the new parts. If the entire engine is new, the heat built up is even greater, because all the parts are new.

Yes, it is true that we have much better machining and quality control on new motorcycle engines, then we did in the past but, moving parts still have to wear in. If you have better, harder metal, it will take longer then if you have poorer, softer metal. Years ago I decided to bore my BMW motorcycle to the first oversize. After a hundred miles of break-in I started to ride normally, which is to say FAST ! Well, the bike just was not running right. I re-jetted the carb and it started to run OK. Another hundred miles passed and I had to rejet again. This went on for over one thousand miles. After the last re-jetting I realized I had just put the stock jets back in ! It took better then 1100 miles for those rings to break-in. The steel used in BMW motorcycles is very hard !

On one hand, if you run the bike too easy, you run the risk of the cylinder walls glazing over and then, maybe, never seating properly. On the other hand, if you run the bike too hard, you run the risk of engine seizure. I suspect, that even if you do glaze the cylinder walls over, if your run the engine hard enough and long enough, the rings will seat. However, this may take a thousand miles, or more, to do.

So what's a biker to do ? Well, a compromise is in order. This is what I do with a freshly rebuilt engine. It will work on new engines too. On a straight, deserted road, I put the bike in second or third gear and accelerate with wide open throttle to about one or two thousand RPM BELOW red line. I then shut the throttle and coast down, in gear, to two thousand RPM or so. I then do it again. I do this about ten times. Then I ride around for a while at an easy pace. I do this several times, if possible. This seats the rings without overheating the engine.

I would continue to do this during the entire break-in period. If you are doing any freeway riding. That is, running long periods of time at a steady throttle setting. I would also add this. Shut the throttle off and then on again, very quickly, every three or four miles. This tends to draw more oil up on the bottom of the pistons, lubing and cooling them. On a freshly rebuilt engine, I like to change the oil and filter at about two hundred miles and then every thousand miles thereafter. On a totally new engine, I change the oil and filter at one hundred fifty miles, three hundred miles, six hundred miles and twelve hundred miles. After that, change the oil and filter every one thousand miles.

Thanks for starting this topic wingman!!

wingman wrote:... DO NOT run it in at a continuous speed for any prolonged length of time.

I was certainly doing it the female way (steady cruise, never going over 5000rpm) for the first 130km or so on the way out to Magaliesburg during the Club's breakfast run. Then the discussion came up over breakfast and LeRoy suggested varying the speed, to gear down often and giving it a go!

"bwaaaaaAAAAAA" I love it!

After reading the article (thanks for the link Bear!), I’m not so sure what to do during the next 8 weeks (while my hand is in plaster). Obviously turning the key in the garage to keep the battery going won’t be the right thing to do? He has 600kms on the clock.



PS: No, I don’t want anyone to ride my bike!!

There are so many different opinions about breaking in an engine. The only advice I have is do not allow the engine to labour. Personally, I rather go a little harder.

I hope I am not doing anything wrong???!!! Weekdays I don't really "rev" the engine(not exceeding 4000rpm). Weekends push the bike a bit (after cheking for blue lights) I try and push in all the gears
My bike has only about 5000 km on the clock now

Henk, when my RT had 5000 on the clock it was ridden as hard as I wanted. It has now got over 20,000 on the clock and I don't have a minute's problem with it. I already took it in 6th till the rev limiter kicked in. I am sure you don't have to worry about your bike any more at 5000

Thanks Andre Not raly worried. I am just wondering if it is bad to "cruise" slowly during the week. Still new with the speed and high revs but getting used to it. Dont want the bike to become slugish

As long as it gets the opportunity over week-ends to clean out the cobwebs and warm up nicely, it should be fine.

......From the first pull-away, at least for the first 5000 kms, with every pull-away i would rev the bike to 4000rpms - which was the maximum i could then do (rpms)

IMO, what's not "seated" or "bedded in" after 750-1 500km (depending on the model), is not going to happen with higher km's.

MadnohB wrote:

......From the first pull-away, at least for the first 5000 kms, with every pull-away i would rev the bike to 4000rpms - which was the maximum i could then do (rpms)

IMO, what's not "seated" or "bedded in" after 750-1 500km (depending on the model), is not going to happen with higher km's.

I agree MadnohB, it all happens in the first +-1000 kays.

Presicely why i opened the LT up and did a hard pull-away at every stop. Maximum revs then was 4000 - took it to 4000 in every gear, at every pull-away, for the first 1000kms, would thereafter every now and again take it to 5000rpm. With the emphasis here being that the enjin must be at operating temperature.

Guys, have you ever thought of the fact that all engines are started for the first time on the bench without any oil in the sump?
The assembly is started without load, using only the lubrication present on the parts that went into it...
Surely the most wear and abrasion takes place at this very first stage?

I see the engine warming is critical, should one warm up standing or warm up by riding slowely ??

I am all hyped up as i collect my RT tomorrow, unfortunately already de-crated as the one in the crate did not have ESA and i wanted it full house with all bells and whistles....

Lucky lucky lucky.........will not say much more I am drooling

I let the LT warm up standing still - on the middle stand - and let it idle for a minute or so - especially on the cold winter mornings.
With regards to running the RT in - Andre ran his RT in roughly in the same way i did the LT. Speak to him.
With regards to Richards gem of wisdom - never thought about that.

I agree with warming up an engine before reving it too high, running in or not. Gives the oil a chance to circulate and get to all the engine parts. I always watch the temerature indicator on the RT's instrument panel to ensure it is at operating temperature before I give it stick.

I was toaght to start up idle a minute or two. Then dont exceed 2000rpm till the vehicle is warmed up. The idea is for the gearbox and bearings and all working parts to first warm up. Must say it worked in all my cars perfectly, so I will try it on the bike also

I reckon you should keep to the instructions until the courtesy check, then you can ride it like you stole it

Technology has advanced alot, you do no need to "run in" your bike as strict in the sense of the old days. The rings are much finer and seat alot quicker. Some manufacturers give you a pre-run in bike, although the manual says you must still run it in?