Break in Question, new info
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 9,254
Likes: 283
From: Lake City, Florida (Native)
Lots of arguments on Engine Break In .. Only 2 I am sure of not to do .. Never Ever Lug the Engine .. Do Not Maintain a Steady RPM for a long length of time .. Vary Your Speeds and Downshift early enough to avoid Lugging but not so high as to cause Engine Braking .. This has worked well for me for a Lot of Years .. Far as Changing Oil always did it at 500 Miles rather than 1,000 ..
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 6,175
Likes: 1,966
From: Great State of Canada
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?
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?
The trusting of **** dyno's is a selective thing around here so, can you find actual Dyno printouts comparing identical machines, one which was borken in per manual and the other broke in hard ? Until you do, the only durable evidence seems to be that manual.
Club Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 10,734
Likes: 3,755
From: SWFL
I'm a fan of oil changes, but realistically, no one uses "break in" oil anymore, and the filter will catch anything big enough to be called shavings, won't it? Or is the assumption that there will be so much the flow can be reduced and go into bypass?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 25,310
Likes: 2,446
From: Eastern NE
MotoTune New Engine Break-in: http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
- Warm-up motor
- Find quiet/long/straight stretch of hwy.
- Get to 30mph in 3rd
- Run from 30-60-30 (crank wide-open throttle between mph cycles) x10 times
Best to do this right away, when motor's fresh, to seat the rings. Once complete, I went home & changed oil...because I'm **** that way.
- Warm-up motor
- Find quiet/long/straight stretch of hwy.
- Get to 30mph in 3rd
- Run from 30-60-30 (crank wide-open throttle between mph cycles) x10 times
Best to do this right away, when motor's fresh, to seat the rings. Once complete, I went home & changed oil...because I'm **** that way.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 10,907
Likes: 8,758
From: Galt's Gulch - MI
MotoTune New Engine Break-in: http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
- Warm-up motor
- Find quiet/long/straight stretch of hwy.
- Get to 30mph in 3rd
- Run from 30-60-30 (crank wide-open throttle between mph cycles) x10 times
Best to do this right away, when motor's fresh, to seat the rings. Once complete, I went home & changed oil...because I'm **** that way.
- Warm-up motor
- Find quiet/long/straight stretch of hwy.
- Get to 30mph in 3rd
- Run from 30-60-30 (crank wide-open throttle between mph cycles) x10 times
Best to do this right away, when motor's fresh, to seat the rings. Once complete, I went home & changed oil...because I'm **** that way.
Exactly what I came in to post! MotoTune RPM drills, then a complete change of all 3 fluids at 20 miles on the ODO; every break in, that's the pattern. Nothing left to add but a thanks and a knowing head nod...
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,586
Likes: 6,435
From: Honah Lee
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....
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....
You do realize that the best motors to a service manager may just be the one's that they work on regularly!??
....
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 10,216
Likes: 224
From: Glendale AZ
Ive always run the engine the way its going to be run without lugging or over-reving past 3500RPM. You can run it at freeway speeds and still keep it under 3500rpms. Just dont squeeze too much horse power till it starts to feel like its loosening up which from my experience is around 500 mile range depending on the engine.
Another controvertial point arrived from experience; if you want to keep the motor running quietly, resist using synthetic oil sticking with a good conventional oil....now Ive done it, I started an oil thread.
Another controvertial point arrived from experience; if you want to keep the motor running quietly, resist using synthetic oil sticking with a good conventional oil....now Ive done it, I started an oil thread.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 8,680
Likes: 2,279
From: South Carolina
The process for breaking in an air cooled motor is bit more **** than one for a typical water cooled motor. Same thing with airplane engines. I followed the recommendation with mine. It was not any hardship and all the break-in miles were done in a couple weeks. I've had zero issues with the motor.
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HDF Community Team
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,761
Likes: 953
From: Out West
I followed the manual directions for the break-in when new but when I built the motor last year for break-in I used this oil recommended by Baisley. I changed the oil and filter a couple of times for break-in and went with more the MotoTune technique.
