I did a search and found some older threads, I was wondering if there is any new info or consensus regarding the break in process.

I got a SB at 5 miles, and have been doing the 'baby' porocess, meaning no rpm more than 3500. It has 37 miles on it now. Then I came upon the "run it hard" way...

Question: Dont they break the engine in the factory? I assume after they put everything together they run the engine and seat the rings?

If so, doesnt that make whatever breaking process you choose irrelevant?

 

look in your owners manual. it tells you how break it in. here is a pic from my manual, its probably still the same. mine is a 2015...

 

Lots of different opinions on this. Whenever I get a new bike I usually follow the manual, except for a few hard wot pulls on the ride home from the dealer, and once in a while during the first 100. Only when the oil is nice and hot.

Buddy of mine used to be service manager at a bmw dealer and he swore the best motors were the ones the sales guys beat the hell out of right off the delivery trailer. Fwiw....

 

This is my opinion only, and does not reflect correct or incorrect, it's just how I break my stuff in.
Harley-Davidson runs engines on a test stand to verify it makes no "funny" noises and that parts dont fly out the bottom of the cases, it is not a brake in, only a verification of mechanical integrity.
Rings usually seat in the first 50 to 100 miles. Downshift and let the engine come down from speed against compression to aid in getting a good ring seal.
Change the oil and filter at 100 miles to get rid of all the metal in the oil that the rings wore off.
Ride conservatively no lugging until you hit 500 miles change the oil again, then let the beatings begin, ride it like you own it.

: Mike

 

Mike, I agree with the 100 mile oil change, it makes sense. You expect lots of metal shve off the piston walls.
But why first 50 100 miles rings seat? I assume its much earlier, first 10-15 miles maybe.

 

Sorry theres facts then there's long running myths, the run it hard from gate guys are idiots. Been doing harley motors 4 decades now, I could go for hours about relatively new engines that got hashed by guys running ***** out with 5 miles on a motor.

 

Rule of thumb, no two engines are identical, some rings will seat in ten miles some never will. Brake in with an air cooled engine is as much about thermal cycles as it is about ring seat, as the bores age they become dimensionally stable as time goes on. The break in is all about gently letting all the parts figure out what shape they assume at temperature over time.

: Mike

 

Sorry but I never had a problem with any motor I ever broke in this way. Guess some idiots are lucky huh.

 

I opted for the "buy the bike and ride it 1200 miles immediately" method!! Haha!

Honestly, I bought my LRS in Colorado Springs, two days later rode it to San Diego. For the first 500 miles I definitely followed the manual. Used the motor to slow down and varied gears and RPM not above 3K.

I'm coming up on 9K now and it is running strong. I know that in the scheme of things 9K isn't jack, so we shall see at the hopefully achieved 100K how it is going! That will be in about 4 years.

 

The only thing my dealer told me to do was to NOT do any engine breaking for the first 100 miles, and not to go into 6th gear unless I was going at least 70 mph. I rode fairly easy for the first 500mi then changed the oil did a couple of wot pulls. Been fine ever since.