Supernam
Well-known member
All the focus has been on the engine, but all the other parts of the bike may be affected by the break in procedure as well.
Hard break in vs Manufacturer recommended
- Thread starter -JERICHO-
- Start date
Follow the manual. It is under warranty.
That having been said... I have PDI'd many, many bikes and explained the break in procedure to every new owner and without any joke about 15% of people actually listen. I have have zero break-in failures, whether the owner follows the manual or not. I know that was not the original concern of the OP... for longevity: follow the manual. Manufacturers spend millions writing those manuals in 25+ languages and doing research, they aren't doing it because they like spending money. From the technical side: (Yamaha's specifically) the engines seem to liven up after the first 1200 kms or so. For whatever reason (parts mating, rings seating, oil selection, electronically limited) many feel like you have added a cylinder shortly after the first service.
I don't expressly disagree with a "hard break-in" procedure as the same processes occur. Some units are absurd to try to break-in the way the manual says: sleds, ATVs (centrifugal clutches won't engage at some of those RPMs) and outboards (designed for one RPM only). My personal belief is: ride/drive it like you are going to. Most of us are not abusive enough riders to worry about.
That having been said... I have PDI'd many, many bikes and explained the break in procedure to every new owner and without any joke about 15% of people actually listen. I have have zero break-in failures, whether the owner follows the manual or not. I know that was not the original concern of the OP... for longevity: follow the manual. Manufacturers spend millions writing those manuals in 25+ languages and doing research, they aren't doing it because they like spending money. From the technical side: (Yamaha's specifically) the engines seem to liven up after the first 1200 kms or so. For whatever reason (parts mating, rings seating, oil selection, electronically limited) many feel like you have added a cylinder shortly after the first service.
I don't expressly disagree with a "hard break-in" procedure as the same processes occur. Some units are absurd to try to break-in the way the manual says: sleds, ATVs (centrifugal clutches won't engage at some of those RPMs) and outboards (designed for one RPM only). My personal belief is: ride/drive it like you are going to. Most of us are not abusive enough riders to worry about.
phil_si
Well-known member
The important thing for break in is high cylinder pressure to properly seat the rings and wear them in. You don't need to rev the piss out of the motor to do that, just accelerate with increasing amounts of throttle in a high gear, ie load. The reason the manufacturer tells you to break in easy on a street bike is because it is unsafe to break a motor in with this method unless it's on a dyno or a race track and all they care about after the sale is liability.
It's like the vaccination argument... certified doctors and stats vs. the internet.
In this case, replace doctors with "engineerers" and manufacturors putting a warranty behind their owner's manual.
I'd put my money on the ones who had to go to school to get their designations with companies who spent billions of dollars on research & development over the past few decades.
In this case, replace doctors with "engineerers" and manufacturors putting a warranty behind their owner's manual.
I'd put my money on the ones who had to go to school to get their designations with companies who spent billions of dollars on research & development over the past few decades.
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Whoa..whoa this is my kids we're talking about, I'm not listening to some stuck up doctor or scientist, when It comes to health matters, I trust a Playboy model and Miss America.
Riceburner
Well-known member
How many keep their bikes long enough to worry about longevity???
I'll listen to the guy that built my motor. I break it in the way he wants it done and run the oil he reccomends.
Funny, lots of R6's (06/07 I believe) had spun bearing issues. Professional motor builders figured out that the bearings were oversized from the factory and according to the manual. You know that manual that cost yamaha berjillions of rupees to develop...
If the motors going to fail it will be early in its life not after 40,000km, at that point it's either **** luck or lack of proper maintanece.
Funny, lots of R6's (06/07 I believe) had spun bearing issues. Professional motor builders figured out that the bearings were oversized from the factory and according to the manual. You know that manual that cost yamaha berjillions of rupees to develop...
If the motors going to fail it will be early in its life not after 40,000km, at that point it's either **** luck or lack of proper maintanece.
I do
It's amazing, isn't it? Some random guy on the internet claims something totally contrary to the manufacturer specs, offers no warranty/liabilty and people listen with the fervour of a Born Again Christian. At least show a little skepticism. Engineering isn't always intuitive--"sounds right" is a pretty thin premise to do anything (even if we've all be guilty of it at some point). Even 20 bikes using the exact break-in method (say by machine) isn't much of a sample.
superfly999
Well-known member
I just bought a new R1 and I'll be following the manual and doing a hard breakin at the same time. The manual states not to use prolonged high RPM operation and not to over heat it. So you can blast up to the red line a few times and vary your RPMs and all that stuff buddy recommends - just not holding the thing in neutral or 1st gear and reving the crap out of it...
The oil will come out at 50km and again at around 200km. Last time I changed the oil on a new motor the oil came out like silver paint after 50-100km of riding. I'll use regular bike oil for the first few changes as well...
The oil will come out at 50km and again at around 200km. Last time I changed the oil on a new motor the oil came out like silver paint after 50-100km of riding. I'll use regular bike oil for the first few changes as well...
Whos going completly opposite of the manual? Who's this internet guy?
superfly, that's exactly how I'd break in my new street bike. Congrats on the new bike too, they sound like they're going to be quite the weapon.
What you should do is get the bike home, ride it anyway you want it ... this portion is unimportant.
- When you get home, let it cool down to a cold engine.
- Next, start your bike and DO NOT let your bike get up to temperature and pin the throttle wide open.
- HOLD IT so the motor runs full out against the rev limiter.
- Your job is to make the header pipes glow.
- Once it is glowing hot (red hot is good, white hot even better !)
- Put a frying pan on the pipes and fry and egg.
- once the eggs are done you are done breaking in your new engine.
- let the engine cool down, drain the oil and put in some extra virgin olive oil (only the best you want the extra virgin) and go out for a ride... ride for 20 minutes return home and change to regular engine oil.
use at your own discretion ... used McD's fry grease can be substituted for Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a pinch but I take no responsibility if your bike smells like fries afterwards.
- When you get home, let it cool down to a cold engine.
- Next, start your bike and DO NOT let your bike get up to temperature and pin the throttle wide open.
- HOLD IT so the motor runs full out against the rev limiter.
- Your job is to make the header pipes glow.
- Once it is glowing hot (red hot is good, white hot even better !)
- Put a frying pan on the pipes and fry and egg.
- once the eggs are done you are done breaking in your new engine.
- let the engine cool down, drain the oil and put in some extra virgin olive oil (only the best you want the extra virgin) and go out for a ride... ride for 20 minutes return home and change to regular engine oil.
use at your own discretion ... used McD's fry grease can be substituted for Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a pinch but I take no responsibility if your bike smells like fries afterwards.
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suprPHREAK
Well-known member
What you should do is get the bike home, ride it anyway you want it ... this portion is unimportant.
- When you get home, let it cool down to a cold engine.
- Next, start your bike and DO NOT let your bike get up to temperature and pin the throttle wide open.
- HOLD IT so the motor runs full out against the rev limiter.
- Your job is to make the header pipes glow.
- Once it is glowing hot (red hot is good, white hot even better !)
- Put a frying pan on the pipes and fry and egg.
- once the eggs are done you are done breaking in your new engine.
- let the engine cool down, drain the oil and put in some extra virgin olive oil (only the best you want the extra virgin) and go out for a ride... ride for 20 minutes return home and change to regular engine oil.
use at your own discretion ... used McD's fry grease can be substituted for Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a pinch but I take no responsibility if your bike smells like fries afterwards.
Tested and confirmed. The egg fried. I used McD's grease and was able to make some good hash browns as well.
Tiny fraction. Of the 3,396 sport bikes for sale on kijiji, 3,162 have less than 50,000 kms.
They way people go on about it, you think they have a legacy down to their great grandkids.
but then again maybe all those people followed manuals and the bikes asploded at 60K.
You had me at frying pan. Good catchWhat you should do is get the bike home, ride it anyway you want it ... this portion is unimportant.
- When you get home, let it cool down to a cold engine.
- Next, start your bike and DO NOT let your bike get up to temperature and pin the throttle wide open.
- HOLD IT so the motor runs full out against the rev limiter.
- Your job is to make the header pipes glow.
- Once it is glowing hot (red hot is good, white hot even better !)
- Put a frying pan on the pipes and fry and egg.
- once the eggs are done you are done breaking in your new engine.
- let the engine cool down, drain the oil and put in some extra virgin olive oil (only the best you want the extra virgin) and go out for a ride... ride for 20 minutes return home and change to regular engine oil.
use at your own discretion ... used McD's fry grease can be substituted for Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a pinch but I take no responsibility if your bike smells like fries afterwards.
I can confirm motoman's break in really works. I've had a fair bit of experience breaking in new engines and tearing down engines for performance builds. Without a doubt the engines that were broke in with the motoman method have far less carbon build up, and used less oil. It's not black magic or just some internet bs, it's a pretty well known and understood concept among engine builders.
I don't claim to be a profesional engine builder, just a guy that actually has first hand experience in this. Most people out there that will advise you on proper break in have never seen the inside of an engine.
Now I'm not saying that the manufactures recommendations are better or worse for you, that's your decision. But I can guarantee you if you want the most hp and least oil consumption out of your engine there is no doubt how important combustion chamber pressures are in achieving a proper seal between the rings and the cylinder wall.
I don't claim to be a profesional engine builder, just a guy that actually has first hand experience in this. Most people out there that will advise you on proper break in have never seen the inside of an engine.
Now I'm not saying that the manufactures recommendations are better or worse for you, that's your decision. But I can guarantee you if you want the most hp and least oil consumption out of your engine there is no doubt how important combustion chamber pressures are in achieving a proper seal between the rings and the cylinder wall.
