I need opinions, please. I bought a mean streak last month, for the few miles I have got to ride (nasty weather) I have religeously followed the break in guide lines . My boy friend says that is bull, that the faster I ride it now, the faster it will go after break in and it will not damage the engine. I say there is a reason the manufactors have break in guide lines. Can someone help?
break in
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re
welcome!
you will get a thousand opinions on this subject :grin:
but generally speaking you won't go wrong with mfg's guidelines
prolly some of the best advice you'll get is to not maintain a constant speed
for long periods in the early stage of break in.run the bike thru the entire
rpm range and shift alot -i doubt you'll have any probs its a kawi :wink:
welcome!
you will get a thousand opinions on this subject :grin:
but generally speaking you won't go wrong with mfg's guidelines
prolly some of the best advice you'll get is to not maintain a constant speed
for long periods in the early stage of break in.run the bike thru the entire
rpm range and shift alot -i doubt you'll have any probs its a kawi :wink:
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118 Posts
Ride it like you stole it...LOL.
Good advice above. Quick acceleration/deceleration. Shift a lot. Change speeds a lot. Zip in and out of traffic. Hack the old people off. You know...ride it!
Cheers,
John
Good advice above. Quick acceleration/deceleration. Shift a lot. Change speeds a lot. Zip in and out of traffic. Hack the old people off. You know...ride it!
Cheers,
John
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5,201 Posts
Break it in like Biko said ,don't stay at any given rpm to long , like cruising on the interstate for a couple of hrs. Riding it like you stole it is more fun. I've never broke a bike or car in by the book an I've never had any kind of problem that could be attribited due to the way it's been broken in . Beside's trying to stay with in the recommended rpm/mph range is rather unrealistic. But this is just my opinion, an it's your bike so break it in how you want . Enjoy
Welcome lowstreak.
There are two schools of thought on this subject: 1) follow the manufacturer's recommendation, or 2) In essence "ride it like you stole it" as jroskelley said above.
I personally followed the Kaw recommendation but since Vulcan cruisers are built tough, it will be many years before I know what was the right way. Your bike will do well with either school of thought.
However, if I were to do it over again knowing what I know now, I'll probably ride it like I stoled it because 1) It will be more fun, and 2) If anything is going to go wrong, I want to know it before the warrenty period ends.
There are two schools of thought on this subject: 1) follow the manufacturer's recommendation, or 2) In essence "ride it like you stole it" as jroskelley said above.
I personally followed the Kaw recommendation but since Vulcan cruisers are built tough, it will be many years before I know what was the right way. Your bike will do well with either school of thought.
However, if I were to do it over again knowing what I know now, I'll probably ride it like I stoled it because 1) It will be more fun, and 2) If anything is going to go wrong, I want to know it before the warrenty period ends.
lowstreak
i try to vary my speed and rpm during break in and try to stay within the mfg revs
but from ttime to time you find yourself beyond it so far i have 2300 mi since the 600 mi service and no oil consumption and its not a problem to hit tripple digits with more left although i try to keep it at legal limits.
i try to vary my speed and rpm during break in and try to stay within the mfg revs
but from ttime to time you find yourself beyond it so far i have 2300 mi since the 600 mi service and no oil consumption and its not a problem to hit tripple digits with more left although i try to keep it at legal limits.
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488 Posts
Hi Lowstreak,
check out this web site, http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
I am breaking my new bike in this way. It makes good sense when you think about the mechanics of piston rings and cylinder walls
DJ
check out this web site, http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
I am breaking my new bike in this way. It makes good sense when you think about the mechanics of piston rings and cylinder walls
DJ
Hey lowstreak and Welcome! I bought my 800B new and wondered the same thing. With all the advice, I ended up kind of splitting the difference. In general, limit your rpms, but vary them. Lots of shifting, accelerating and decelerating. Exceed the recommended rpms for short periods, and exceed the highway speeds by 10 or 20 mph on occasion. I think you'll find, like me, you focus less on the the speed and more on the ride and the bike is itchin' for more.
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159 Posts
Breakin period
HI Lowstreak:
The most important part of the break in period is to seat the rings properly. You do that by getting on the highway, accellerate to 50 MPH, then coast to 30 MPH and back up to 50 again and repeat. When you accelerate, pressure is put on the rings and they expand into the cylinder wall, thus seating upon accelleration. You dont have to do that constantly, whenever you get the chance, then do it. Dont go crazy, ride the bike and enjoy it. I would recomend changing the oil after 500 miles and make sure you remove and clean the oil screen. The proceedure is in the manual. If you use an aftermarket oil filter, use a HASTINGS, none other. Do not use FRAM. They have a paper element section that has been known to break up and get caught in that screen. Ride like you always wanted to. Good Luck and be careful
HI Lowstreak:
The most important part of the break in period is to seat the rings properly. You do that by getting on the highway, accellerate to 50 MPH, then coast to 30 MPH and back up to 50 again and repeat. When you accelerate, pressure is put on the rings and they expand into the cylinder wall, thus seating upon accelleration. You dont have to do that constantly, whenever you get the chance, then do it. Dont go crazy, ride the bike and enjoy it. I would recomend changing the oil after 500 miles and make sure you remove and clean the oil screen. The proceedure is in the manual. If you use an aftermarket oil filter, use a HASTINGS, none other. Do not use FRAM. They have a paper element section that has been known to break up and get caught in that screen. Ride like you always wanted to. Good Luck and be careful
My dealer told me ride like I would normally. After the first 20 miles the thing is the way it going to be. I too started out following the recomendations but after 200 miles I ripped that dumb sticker off and rode her the way it's meant to be......hard
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308 Posts
I followed the specs pretty closely, it helped this was the first motorcycle I have owned, have driven a few but never owned one. So I went slow and easy. I would have followed the break-in even if I had owned several bikes. Though a buddy who doesn't believe in breaking anything in had his girlfriend's 800 Classic going 70 mph in 3rd gear with 28 miles on it then took it home and cut out the baffles. We bought them a week apart I guess time will tell on who's engine lasts longer.
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488 Posts
pathfinder, I don't think it will be a matter of whose engine lasts longer, I think it will be whose engine has better compression and hp along with less oil consumption. From what I have read that is what is effected.
DJ
DJ
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5,201 Posts
Yep , My thought's exactly. Scortched cylinder's could happen from alot of other factor's. Beside's I'm sure these bike's are run up the the rev limiter at the factory just to see if it works. Again this is just my own opinion an we all have those.ppark said:
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25,197 Posts
I know one thing for sure.....
I know one thing, you just bought a wicked ride.
As far as the break in period goes, I followed the mfg.s recomendations.
didn't want to tempt fate or the bike gods too soon or anything.
I know one thing, you just bought a wicked ride.
As far as the break in period goes, I followed the mfg.s recomendations.
didn't want to tempt fate or the bike gods too soon or anything.
The first miles on a unfamiliar bike are the most likely to produce an accident. And if the rider is new, with little or no riding skills, the chance of and accident is even grater.
If the manufacturer recommended that you run it hard, and then you crash, then comes a lawsuits because you were only doing what was recommended when you lost control.
By recommending that you take it easy to brake in the engine for 500 miles, it gives the rider time to get familiar with ridind and familiar with the bike.
just my 2 cents gjr
If the manufacturer recommended that you run it hard, and then you crash, then comes a lawsuits because you were only doing what was recommended when you lost control.
By recommending that you take it easy to brake in the engine for 500 miles, it gives the rider time to get familiar with ridind and familiar with the bike.
just my 2 cents gjr
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