Engine break in
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
From: Merrimac Ma
Hillside is just finishing mine.
It's been awesome. Like owning a totally different bike. Easy power through the rpms. Gets up to speed right now and stays there without drama. The motor seemed busy at higher speeds before, if that makes sense, and now is perfectly comfortable. Have to pay attention to my speedo again til I get used to it. The break-in you described is pretty much how I've been doing it. Up and down the tach with a couple blasts up to around 4000 rpm. Not staying at a constant speed. What a hoot! Freaking weather here keeps getting in the way of a good time, though.
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
From: USA
hell yeah
It's been awesome. Like owning a totally different bike. Easy power through the rpms. Gets up to speed right now and stays there without drama. The motor seemed busy at higher speeds before, if that makes sense, and now is perfectly comfortable. Have to pay attention to my speedo again til I get used to it. The break-in you described is pretty much how I've been doing it. Up and down the tach with a couple blasts up to around 4000 rpm. Not staying at a constant speed. What a hoot! Freaking weather here keeps getting in the way of a good time, though.
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
From: USA
Ride it like i stole it then.
I was told this long ago. Break a bike in how you would normally ride it. If you normally cruise, then cruise for the break in period. If you run the snot out of it then break it in by running the snot out of it. People say you can't do that to a new motor. Nascar builders don't throw a new engine in it then putt around the track for a few hundred miles. They put in a new engine and run the dog snot out of it.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 100,455
Likes: 19,811
From: Centennial, CO
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Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 646
Likes: 1
From: Rockford, IL
I broke my engine in per "motoman" (ride it hard) and the piston rings sealed perfectly fine. I think the more important thing to do is changing the oil around 30-40 miles after you fire the engine up. Everything is going to be seating and wearing in and you have metal shavings in your oil. I changed mine at 40 miles, then again at 100 miles, then again at 500 miles, then change at the normal intervals. Each time the oil was changed a new filter was put on as well.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 66,948
Likes: 4,573
From: TOAK western branch
I broke mine in using the Moto method. Pulled the engine at 118k for other reasons and the pistons/cylinders looked good considering the miles and still had all the cross hatching on the cyl.