Running in

[Gilo-FZ6]

Hi ..gonna be getting the new bike next week..i already know that the handbook and dealer are going to tell me that its a 500-600 mile run-in period.
But reading various articles on line and speaking ot the "tech guys" on other forums (mainly thumpertalk..cos my current bike is a DRZ SM)..say that running in on any modern machine is pointles..i apreciate brakes and clutch and tyres will need to bed in but engine wise,their so well made with exact tollerances that more and more people seem to doing the "hard run-in" technique with no adverse affects..here is on site i quicky googled..

clicky

i would be interested to hear your opinions and if you have "rode it like you stole it" straight out the crate

martin.

 

[youngGun]

Personally I strongly advise you dont ride it like u stole it straight out of the crate!! Yes the modern motors and other components are extremely well built and have tight tolerances, but as far as the engine goes. that is a lot of moving metal parts and they need to be broke in. You prob can ride the piss out of it and have no problems. But i would say take it easy for a few hundred miles at least.

 

[Sosu2211]

I just got my bike, and have not exceeded 7000rpm as the manual says, and won't do until 1000kms. I even stayed under 6000rm for the first 300kms.

I know loads of people say it doesn't matter, and I guess the engines are run on the dyno at the factory, and also tested, but well, it doesn't equate to the road... best let things heat up and cool down a good few times before you really cane it.

For me, I put in a little bit of hard acceleration from 500kms on, but certainly not any heroics until things are well bedded in.

 

[MarinaFazer]

I didn't ride it like I stole per se, but I rode it normallly (ie: if it needed to be gassed, I gassed it). I didn't take it to the canyons and attempted to stay under 8K RPM. Haven't had any problem yet except a loose steering head which has nothing to do with "break-in" and they fixed that in 10 minutes when I said "HEY, I bought it from you, it's under warranty, so fix it..."

It now has 7,000 miles in about 6 months with another 1,000 coming in this weekend alone!

 

[FZ1inNH]

The manual states no "extended" RPMs above 7k.

I wouldn't ride it like you stole it but here's how I've broken in every engine. Low gear, heavy acceleration/decelleration. Here is the reason: Piston rings only provide about 5 to 7 lbs of pressure against the cylinder wall. This is not enough to seat the rings properly. The rings depend on you providing a load on them to cut and seat properly. The heavy accel/decel provides the additional pressure in upwards of a few thousand pounds. We want "heavy" to use as much pressure as we can to force the entire circumference of the ring out to the cylinder wall.

Make sure the engine is warm by letting it idle for a couple minutes first, then go out to an empty street right away and using 1st and 2nd gear, get on and off the throttle hard and fast. Try not to break into the "over 7K RPMs" but don't sweat it to hit 9K a few times. After about 25 miles, change the oil and filter.

Here's my reference for the information provided: Break In Secrets--How To Break In New Motorcycle and Car Engines For More Power I've been doing this same method for bikes, cars, trucks, ATVs, etc. since before this web site was ever thought of. I've yet to be let down and yet to experience engine failure. Of course, I do change the oil and filter regularly!

YMMV and I take no responsibility for you doing this method. I only recommend it. Talk to race engine builders. They will tell you the same details.

 

[Puz]

Gilo! So it looks like you'll go for the hard run in... :rockon:

Still haven't taken mine over 7 or 8k but I ride to the textbook. It says in the manual that you shouldn't hold it over 7k rpm for a prolonged period of time (or something like that) It doesn't exactly say not to take it over 7k at all... So I wonder if new bike manufacturers are a bit more relaxed about an easy run-in these days???

 

[Gilo-FZ6]

best let things heat up and cool down a good few times before you really cane it.

For me, I put in a little bit of hard acceleration from 500kms on, but certainly not any heroics until things are well bedded in.

sounds like a sensible method..another factor is riding hours Vs mileage according to an old school mechanic i once used..eg 300 miles built up over long journeys using a wider rev range is far better than 500 miles done in 10min commutes to work ..common sense i guess

personaly i will be handling with care ..its a new toy that costs money..i dont want to invite problems further down the line..im kinda like goldilocks with bikes since i got my liceince ..the bandit was too small the DRZ was too desirable with the street rats ..this will be my 3rd new bike in 4 years and im hoping the fazer will be a keeper.:thumbup:

 

[Gilo-FZ6]

FZ6inNH..fantastic tips there..good to have a technical reason to justify a method thats not in the handbook..the site you linked is the same one i used in my original post :thumbup:

Puz..not so sure now ..ill have a fuel tank that will give more distance now.. the 75 mile range the DRZ had would of meant i would spend more time in the petrol station than on the road..lol

 

[reiobard]

I took her easy right off the lot (part because i wanted to break her in easy, partly because it was 30 degrees F out) but i rode her much harder a lot sooner than the manual said to, just change the oil early (there are definately metal specks in there for the first change, and ENJOY!!!

 

[rvbiker]

I tend to agree that new bikes are made to better tolerances and they are run pretty hard at the factory. But the engine will be contaminated with metal filings and crud which will eventually find its way to the oil filter (you will see it at your first oil change). I don’t think you would want to agitate and imbed those particles into the cylinder walls. To me, the short time to the first oil change is to flush out the contamination so its clean and even then its not totally clean. I would change the oil and filter often in the first 3000 miles.

What do you have to lose in taking it easy the first few thousand miles. Look at it as an investment in the longevity of your bike.

 

[The Rayman]

I know a lot of guys that swear by that Mototune break in method. Over on the KLR650 forums, there is talk about the 08 models burning oil if not broken in hard (Mototune etc). The FZ is not an oil burner like the KLR so I don't know if there is an advantage to the hard break in method. I did not baby mine nor did I ride it like I stole it the first 600 miles. Kind of a mix of the two if you will. FWIW mine is an 04 with 24,000+ miles, runs great, and does not burn a drop of oil.

 

[bard]

I always run in my engines as per mototune recommends and when I do compression tests later on the engines have always been in tip top shape. I also had friends who was scared to do the mototune way and they have lower compression in there engines as a result. So what does that mean? It means the best for longevity the hard run in works best, at least as far as I can judge. So I swear by it...

 

[urbanj]

Do it like the mototune way, I did and so have many others and there has been no ill effects. It is the right way.

All manufacturers and other industries do a hard run in. remember, its not just the high rpm, the high load is what you need to seat the rings. cylinder pressure forces the rings against the cylinder wall not ring tension.

warm up the engine first under moderate load. make sure the oil is hot not just the coolant. so wait until its got up to water temp for a bit. then just do what you gotta do and enjoy the bike:welcome: