[SpeedMaster]

OK I will always follow the owners manual break-in, but how real is the break-in period. From the time it leaves the mfg. it better have properly seated rings etc. Heat cycles sounds a bit off too as expanding due to heat will not likly stop after some initial retained stress is in the engine parts.
I sometimes think what they are really doing is saying ride it carefully for the first 500 miles then go back to the dealer to see if anything was missed at the factory.
Oh well just another 150 miles to go and I'll stop complaining. 8)

 

[eisenfaust]

Its more about seating the piston rings than anything else.

 

[Guest]

you should give this a once over. it might be too late depending on how far along the break-in period you are, but for future reference it's definetly something to consider.

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

 

[Guest]

Motomans Break in Idea was in a thread a while back over on the Total Motorcycle website's Forum http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/BBS/viewforum.php?f=2

One of the Mods there, "Buzzz" an old gear head, used the method motoman suggests and he said that it works great pistons seal better and you get more power out of the engine.

I dont intend on buing a new bike so more than likley my The SV i get will probably not have been broken in that way, which is ok by me, it'll have gobs of torque anyway.

But yeah, i trust it..but then again thats just me.

 

[isabella]

Had a discussion about this method of breaking in a new bike with a friend who's done this with his brand new R6 a week before we left on vacation to the Dolomite mountains in Italy.
It worked great except that in the course of breaking in your bike as described in the manuel by the manufacturer, your gearbox will adjust and set itself to the sort of rider that you are. Since he used a dyno, the gearbox on his bike wasn't broken in and sometimes you could really hear him having to "clunk" it in gear. He says he doesn't mind this and uses the dyno method bc he likes the extra power it gives his engine.

 

[andyauger]

Not Again!

This is as bad as the oil threads. There are many reasons to break the bike in by the book. I've been working with rotating equipment of various types (up to 70,000 HP) and universally the lab testing has shown that a careful break in is good for the various bits and pieces. As for increased HP and ring sealing, I'd prefer to wait a couple thousand miles and get all the other bits broken in smoothly. The rings will seal just as well, it may take a bit longer, and the added HP claims are BS period.

 

[QfactorSV]

holy sh**, this methods gives you as much hp gains as a "tornado" on my jdm civic.

Q :roll:

 

[Zanetti]

The rings are probably 90% broken in from the factory, otherwise the bike would never make any power off the showroom floor and oil consumption would be through the roof.

I'd bet the factory has broken in hundreds of motors in various ways and found virtually no difference in performance.

You also have to realize there is a certain margin of error in dyno testing. The makers of dyno equipment will readily admit their machines have a 3-6% error range for a "perfect" dyno run. Factor in other variables like operator error and enviormental conditions. Any measured power gains under 10% probably aren't there.

Is the "hard break-in for more power" only for people who are bad at math?

 

[isabella]

Is the "hard break-in for more power" only for people who are bad at math?

Nah, it's for the lazy ones :wink: .
Who wants to spent those tedious miles breaking in their bike, when you can get it done in what - one hour on a dyno ? - and have instant access to the "full power" of your bike :lol: .
Every method has good and bad sides and a machine can probably do some aspects of the breaking in part better and more efficiently but I consider it a all a part of getting a new bike and getting used to its feel.

 

[Kooldino]

The rings are probably 90% broken in from the factory, otherwise the bike would never make any power off the showroom floor and oil consumption would be through the roof.

That's not true. Ever build a motor with brand new pistons and rings? You can turn the key and drive it if you want.

 

[eisenfaust]

Personally, I think some comprimise between the "baby-it-for-1000-miles" method and the "strap her to a dyno and flog her" method is probably best.

Check out this article from Motorcyclist magazine:

http://www.ntnoa.org/enginebreakin.htm

I think I'm going to do something like this for my bike.... though after doing that, I'm just going to ride the bike 'normally' until the first service.

 

[Kooldino]

Personally, I think some comprimise between the "baby-it-for-1000-miles" method and the "strap her to a dyno and flog her" method is probably best.

Check out this article from Motorcyclist magazine:

http://www.ntnoa.org/enginebreakin.htm

I think I'm going to do something like this for my bike.... though after doing that, I'm just going to ride the bike 'normally' until the first service.

That article isn't totally accurate either.

For example, it says that if you use synthetic oil during a break in, that the rings will surely glaze.

I've done this before, and tore down the motor. There was no glazing.

 

[Guest]

your gearbox will adjust and set itself to the sort of rider that you are..

Ummm, exactly how does your break in determine the "attitude" of the gearbox?! Does the gearing change? Its not an automatic right?!

I have a hard time believing your bike will "know" what kind of rider you are and will "adjust" itself to suit your riding style. Its just a hunk of metal, you know.

 

[ridesideways]

you should give this a once over. it might be too late depending on how far along the break-in period you are, but for future reference it's definetly something to consider.

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

hahahah i love it every time that stupid article comes up. motomoron is just that, a moron. i read that article and doesn't know jack squat about what he's talking about because the article glosses over important details.

motomoron writes: "If the rings aren't forced against the walls soon enough, they'll use up the roughness before they fully seat."

yay! this is quite correct. he is not a moron after all. so let's get those rings pressing hard against those cylinder walls soon.

motomoron writes: "How Do Rings Seal Against Tremendous Combustion Pressure?? From the actual gas pressure itself!! It passes over the top of the ring, and gets behind it to force it outward against the cylinder wall."

yay! correct again. not bad for a moron. so let's make a lot of cylinder pressure to get those rings pressing hard against the walls.

so what does motomoron suggest for a practical implementation of all this excellent wisdom?

motomoron writes:
1. 3 runs 40% - 60% of the engine's max rpm
2. 3 runs 40% - 80% of the engine's max rpm
3. 3 runs 30% - 100% of the engine's max rpm

so do these actions actually implement the excellent theoritical wisdom we were just imparted? only if you're dumb enough to think that cylinder pressure is proportional to engine rpm. alas motomoron is, in fact, a moron after all.

so how do you get high cylinder pressures to force those rings aginst the cylinder walls? answer: hard acceleration against a load (going up a hill, for example). there's no need whatsoever to use high rpm to generate high cylinder pressures

but is reving the bike to 100% of the engine's max rpm really a bad thing to do on the 7th - 9th runs of a new engine? yes! bad! it is the worst thing you can do. why? because the higher you rev, the higher the piston velocity and high_piston_velocity = bad. why is high piston velocity bad? because it will glaze the rings. you've heard that before, i'm sure, but what does it mean "glaze the rings"...?

the following experiment is an analogy to engine break-in at low rpm (good) and high rpm (bad):

imagine you have a variable-speed grinder with a fine-grit grinding wheel attached. you also have a piece of soft plastic in your hands. turn on your grinder at a slow pace of 500 rpm, and start grinding the plastic. it grinds away nicely leaving your plastic in the shape of the grinding wheel-- the surface of the plastic does not melt and therefore the plastic surface has the same properties you started with. now increase the speed of your grinder to a ridiculous 12,000 rpm and start grinding your plastic. if you've ever tried this, then you know what happens: the microscopic outer layer of plastic melts and glazes forming a very hard and brittle outer shell covering the soft original plastic core.

if you didn't realize the first time around, the fine-grit grinding wheel is your honed cylinder wall, and the plastic is your piston rings. break in your engine at slow rpm using acceleration and engine loading to obtain high cylinder pressures!

 

[homersapien]

Break in is a very real concept. Question is, whats the best method. Who knows. AFAIC if the motor hasn't settled in during the first 100 miles, it never will. However, I'm more than happy to follow the manufacturer's recs...gives me time to get to know the bike and gives me a reason to resist the temptation to flog it.

 

[RandyO]

Is the "hard break-in for more power"

I always remember my older brother saying " an engine runs best and makes the most power just before it blows" :roll:

 

[Zanetti]

The rings are probably 90% broken in from the factory, otherwise the bike would never make any power off the showroom floor and oil consumption would be through the roof.

That's not true. Ever build a motor with brand new pistons and rings? You can turn the key and drive it if you want.

Yes, in college to complete a class in reciprocating engine overhaul, I had to completely tear down and rebuild an opposed four cylinder aircraft engine, and it had to start and run on a test stand for 30 minutes. I'm happy to report my engine started on the first try and ran the entire time allotted without incident.

 

[isabella]

your gearbox will adjust and set itself to the sort of rider that you are..

Ummm, exactly how does your break in determine the "attitude" of the gearbox?! Does the gearing change? Its not an automatic right?!

I have a hard time believing your bike will "know" what kind of rider you are and will "adjust" itself to suit your riding style. Its just a hunk of metal, you know.

You're right, it's just a piece of metal but the metal will slowly set itself a bit to the way you use it, the force you apply to it. Never heard of people who seem to go through the gearboxes of their cars/bikes bc they have a "lousy way of shifting"?
Ride enough miles my friend and you'll have a gearbox that's set to the way you shift.

 

[Guest]

your gearbox will adjust and set itself to the sort of rider that you are..

Ummm, exactly how does your break in determine the "attitude" of the gearbox?! Does the gearing change? Its not an automatic right?!

I have a hard time believing your bike will "know" what kind of rider you are and will "adjust" itself to suit your riding style. Its just a hunk of metal, you know.

You're right, it's just a piece of metal but the metal will slowly set itself a bit to the way you use it, the force you apply to it. Never heard of people who seem to go through the gearboxes of their cars/bikes bc they have a "lousy way of shifting"?
Ride enough miles my friend and you'll have a gearbox that's set to the way you shift.

Bravo Sierra!
My 90k+ mile `94 R1100RS shifts exactly like Lloyd's `02 R1150RS did @10k and does now.

 

[Guest]

your gearbox will adjust and set itself to the sort of rider that you are..

Ummm, exactly how does your break in determine the "attitude" of the gearbox?! Does the gearing change? Its not an automatic right?!

I have a hard time believing your bike will "know" what kind of rider you are and will "adjust" itself to suit your riding style. Its just a hunk of metal, you know.

You're right, it's just a piece of metal but the metal will slowly set itself a bit to the way you use it, the force you apply to it. Never heard of people who seem to go through the gearboxes of their cars/bikes bc they have a "lousy way of shifting"?
Ride enough miles my friend and you'll have a gearbox that's set to the way you shift.

I have plenty of miles under my belt!! I was not talking about bad shifting that ruins a tranny, in a car or bike. I was talking about the tranny "adjusting" to your riding style. Its either working properly, or its clunky (on the way to broken dogs and bent forks)

I just don't buy it, that the tranny will begin to shift "the way I ride it" It will either behave the way it was intended, or it will be rough. My riding could only make it rough with bad shifting, my riding will never make it smoother than it was designed.