Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I'm sure this has probably been discussed to death at some point, and a link to where it is would suffice (I did a search but didnt find anything).

I'm buying a 2008 kawisaki vulcan 900 classic this weekend, and I'm a little intimidated by all the competing opinions on engine break-in. I know the manuals tend to say one thing (that a bike needs to be treated very gently for 1000 miles), but it seems alot of people believe the opposite to be true. I read an article the other day that said that most of the break-in happens in the first 20 miles, during which the engine should be ridden hard. I'm sure many of you know the debate. I would love some opinions from the forum. Thanks.

In his blog, totalmotorcycle talks about his experiences with the Monotune break in method. The link to that is below...

http://totalmotorcycle.com/BBS/viewtopic.php?t=21851

Knowing what I know now, I'd go with the manufacturers... Rev it within the given rev range and vary the revs...
Wrider

Thanks for the replies. Care to elaborate Wrider?

Also if the bike doesnt have a tachometer, how does a noob guage rpm?

I'd follow the manufacturer's recommendations also.

Keep in mind, though, that most manufacturer's don't suggest you only operate the bike below a specified rpm range for the first 1000 miles, they suggest you do not operate the bike above a specified rpm range for prolonged periods of time during the first 1000 miles. There's a difference...

In other words, it's fine to push it a bit during the break-in - in fact, some say it's imperative that you do so in order to properly seal the piston rings.

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

smadab wrote:I'd follow the manufacturer's recommendations also.

Keep in mind, though, that most manufacturer's don't suggest you only operate the bike below a specified rpm range for the first 1000 miles, they suggest you do not operate the bike above a specified rpm range for prolonged periods of time during the first 1000 miles. There's a difference...

In other words, it's fine to push it a bit during the break-in - in fact, some say it's imperative that you do so in order to properly seal the piston rings.

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

Not quite true, most stickers that say how to break in a bike per manufacturer's specs say you shouldn't operate it at all above a certain RPM until you have so many miles on the bike.

As for clarification, I'm a bike mechanic in training down here in Phoenix, and I've asked every instructor their honest opinion on this very issue. Without fail they've always recommended following manufacturer's specs and do it to their own bikes. If it doesn't have a tach, try to gauge by ear. Realize that full open bore is probably close to 6K on your bike, so use that as a reference guide...
Wrider

Probably nothing useful to most people in this thread, but I just have to say it.

Back when I got my 1992 Honda Civic - there was a break-in period - I bought it new.

The engine was a 1.8 liter inline 4, if I remember correctly. Might have been a V. Either way - there are motorcycles with engines the same size (or even bigger) than my car engine.

The break-in period for my car engine was.... Keep it under 60 mph, and no rapid starts.

So.... What the hell is the deal with the break-in periods on motorcycles? When I bought my wife's new 2007 Honda Odyssey (admitted - a larger engine than any motorcycle) the break-in period was even more negligible than my Civic.

Now, regardless of engine size... There really should be little difference between a motorcycle engine and a car engine. Engines in cars used to have break-in periods like those on motorcycles.

So, what I have to say, in essence, is that the motorcycle manufacturers are deliberately NOT using the manufacturing practices that are used on cars that produce automobile engines.

Yes, I know - motorcycles engine rev higher than car engines. Then again, can you really say that a 1992 Honda Civic engine is working less than a Honda Rune to move 60 mph - especially considering the larger mass of the Honda Civic?

RhadamYgg

On my '08 Ninja 250, they recommend under 4000rpm until the first maintenence at 600mi. But Kawasaki has been giving the same break in advice in their manuals since 1982. So is it a case of being too lazy to change the manuals? This engine is a lot different than what they were building in '82.

From what I've heard a lot of car manufacturers are starting to do break-ins at the factory with their engines... That way they know they're broken in properly and people won't bad-mouth their products when it blows up at 30K miles.
As for the Ninja... no idea, but I honestly doubt they'd be too lazy to change it, probably just playing on the safe side.
Wrider

It seems the internet is vastly in favor of the motoman method. I found this as a comment on that method

This is my advice for breaking in a new motor.

Find a road where there is no traffic and get it up to third gear. Accelerate from 30-60 using a substantial amount of throttle (around 3/4 + ) and coast back down to 30 again letting the engine do the breaking for the bike.
Do this 10 times and your rings are seated. Keep speed to a reasonable limit and vary it on the parkways with no lugging and no high RPM's. Change the oil and filter at 100 miles,then enjoy it.

What this does is to load both the top and the bottom of the rings forcing them out against the cylinder so that they seat evenly all around the circumference.

Is this good? I mean the motoman makes a logical argument for why his method works. I have yet to hear one from the "manual" individuals - which I would really like to read.

At the very least I would assume there are TONS of people doing it this way, and if it didnt work people would be finding out, no?