Rides for breaking in a new bike and rider | GTAMotorcycle.com

Rides for breaking in a new bike and rider

C

cainnar

Member
Just finished my M2 exit course and waiting to be able to upgrade my actual license. I bought a new bike (... probably not the best idea, I know) and would like to break it in. I live downtown, so stop and go traffic isn't great and can be a bit nerve wracking for a rookie. I'm looking for suggestions on places in the GTA to ride that:

1. Are good for breaking in a bike, can take it easy or give it a little, with some curves for breaking in the tires
2. Follow M1 rules (no highways over 80km/h, good to ride on during daylight hours)

If this is the wrong place to ask, I apologize.. This isn't a riding road suggestion, but a request. Thanks in advance!
 
I'd get out of the city and enjoy the bike. For you, it is probably easiest to go north or west. There are places to wander near the zoo or north of burlington. Pick a nice day and just go riding. Don't overthink it. Be careful on streetcar tracks, manhole covers and other similar metal objects.
 
Pwrsonally, never had to break in a bike, always bought used. Country roads north of Markham are typically empty after 6pm on weekdays. Always empty on weekends. Example: Warden north starting at Warden and Elgin mills. Has a couple turns/twists too. Same on Woodbine.

Speed limit varies between 50-80kmph. Mostly 80. But roads are empty so you're in control.
 
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Do most of your riding in speed limits that you are comfortable with. I have a new guy in my usual pack, who gets iffy at higher speeds, caught him doing 50 in an 80 and tore a strip off him, because a vehicle coming up behind you can easily misjudge your speed, and if you're going alot slower than they expect, it can get real bad real quick. Something else that I usually try and nudge him to do a bit, don't be afraid to push yourself once in a while, test your limits because it's the only way to expand your skill and increase those limits.

My first group ride took me through a technical stretch that I wasn't comfortable with, and I was the guy riding curves slowly completely upright. I kept revisiting that route on my own, over and over. Now it's my favorite local ride, gets faster every time, and my peg covers can't be changed without replacing the whole peg because the bolts have been ground off.

Have fun and get out for a rip bud!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-glHAzXi_M
 
Welcome to riding. What kind of bike?

Don't overthink the "break in" thing...modern day engines don't need any sort of particularly special treatment for break in aside from typically avoiding wide open throttle for a period of time, that's about it - presumably not something you're going to be doing at the stage your at, at least one may hope. ;)
 
On a production engine ... Just ride normally at varying speeds and loads. By all means use short bursts of full throttle but avoid long periods of full throttle. Avoid puttering around at idle or next to no load. Just ride it, and try to avoid getting stuck in traffic jams, and at the first oil change, use regular non-synthetic oil. That will be good enough.

You need cylinder pressure, i.e. "load on the engine", to seat the rings, but initially only for short periods to avoid seizing them.

On the racetrack, after an initial no-load "make sure everything works and doesn't leak" heat cycle and with non-synthetic oil in the engine, I go out in a slow-group practice session and ride normally but limit revs to 8000 on the first lap, 9000 on the second lap, 10,000 on the third lap, 11,000 on the fourth lap, beat on it normally until the end of the session. Done. It's broken in. Change the oil and put in non-synthetic for that first oil change.
 
If your worried about traffic go out Sunday morning (before 8-9, not the millennial morning) and just go everywhere.
 
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