Touring Models Road King, Road King Custom, Road King Classic, Road Glide, Street Glide, Electra Glide, Electra Glide Classic, and Electra Glide Ultra Classic bikes.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Break in question

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Nov 13, 2013 | 04:38 AM
  #1  
ejvette's Avatar
ejvette
Thread Starter
|
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,033
Likes: 45
From: Long Island, NY
Default Break in question

Dealer told me to keep it under 3K RPM's for the first 1K miles but the manual says keep it under 3500 RPM's for the first 500 miles what are you guys with new sleds doing ?
 
Reply
Old Nov 13, 2013 | 05:21 AM
  #2  
12hdrk's Avatar
12hdrk
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,335
Likes: 5
From: CT
Default

Originally Posted by ejvette
Dealer told me to keep it under 3K RPM's for the first 1K miles but the manual says keep it under 3500 RPM's for the first 500 miles what are you guys with new sleds doing ?
Keep it under 3250 for the first 750.:-). Seriously. Not that critical.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
 
Reply
Old Nov 13, 2013 | 05:27 AM
  #3  
Iceman24's Avatar
Iceman24
Seasoned HDF Member
Veteran: Air Force
15 Year Member
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 25,292
Likes: 2,427
From: Eastern NE
Default

Best advice I've learned, especially with these big v-twins, is you need to "set the rings." Open that motor up and run MotoTune's new-engine break-in (30-to-60-to-30 x10 in 3rd). Find a good long/open stretch of highway on Sunday AM and break 'er in right!

http://mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
 
Reply
Old Nov 13, 2013 | 05:28 AM
  #4  
BadX's Avatar
BadX
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,507
Likes: 95
From: Maiden, NC
Default

Break in theories are all different. Some say to take it easy till so many miles others say ride it like you stole it. I've been riding mine like I stole it,its under warrenty and even my salesman said that. When I was racing, we would heat cycle the engines 3 times and after that it was WFO.
 
Reply
Old Nov 13, 2013 | 06:14 AM
  #5  
RK Joy's Avatar
RK Joy
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 2,242
Likes: 3
From: Upstate NY
Default

No tach on a Road King. Just drive sensibly, not WOT for the first 500 or so. Keep max speed down to 60 or so and just ride.
 
Reply
Old Nov 13, 2013 | 06:18 AM
  #6  
Guitardude's Avatar
Guitardude
Club Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,697
Likes: 10
From: San Angelo, Texas
Default

there's a number of posts on this recently...ride it like you're gonna ride it and don't worry about it!
 
Reply
Old Nov 13, 2013 | 06:30 AM
  #7  
grbrown's Avatar
grbrown
Club Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,897
From: Bedford UK
Wink

Too many contradicting theories on this subject, so stick a pin in your preferred approach and enjoy the ride.

On one of my many visits to the Isle of Man, for the TT races, I met a German who had bought a new BMW flat twin, then ridden it flat out across Europe to catch his ferry. The exhaust was every colour of the rainbow, right to the rear of the mufflers. If you want your bike's to stay looking nice and new, then don't ride quite so hard!
 
Reply
Old Nov 13, 2013 | 06:42 AM
  #8  
SafetyMan's Avatar
SafetyMan
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,970
Likes: 85
From: San Antone
Default

Visit the York plant one day and see what they do to your motorcycle before you get it....

Heat cycles are done before the engine ever sees the frame, once its in the frame they run the **** out of it.

That 8 miles on the clock didn't come from the pallet.

I ain't saying ride it like you stole it, I'm saying I got 30,000 trouble free miles from my last one, I bought it 550 miles from home. They said keep it under 60 for the first 500 miles.

I never saw under 75. It was all interstate headed home. Never a worry.

Break it in like you're going to ride it.

Enjoy!
 
Reply
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-1

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-2

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

 Joe Kucinski
story-7

10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

The Best and Worst Harley-Davidson Moves of 2025

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Nov 13, 2013 | 06:52 AM
  #9  
rs87277's Avatar
rs87277
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2,011
Likes: 5
From: Macomb, MI
Default

When you buy a new bike from the dealer and have exhaust installed they have to tune it on a dyno, they open it up on the dyno
 
Reply
Old Nov 13, 2013 | 07:23 AM
  #10  
nchogfan's Avatar
nchogfan
Road Captain
15 Year Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 598
Likes: 7
From: Hickory, NC
Default

I've got less than 500 miles on my new 2014 Limited. I'm driving it just like I drove my 2007 Ultra everyday. It is seeing all kinds of conditions, stop-and-go, highway, country roads, interstate, around town. If it's gonna give me any trouble I want it to show up right away.
 
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:11 AM.

story-0
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-1
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-2
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-3
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-4
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-5
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-6
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE
story-8
Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider

Slideshow: Graeme Billington's left-hand-drive Shovelhead is as much about problem-solving as it is about classic Harley form.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2025-12-30 11:27:08


VIEW MORE
story-9
The Best and Worst Harley-Davidson Moves of 2025

Slideshow: A clear-eyed look at what actually worked for Harley this year, and what quietly undermined its progress.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2025-12-29 17:10:48


VIEW MORE