[Bazza]

I know we're still some way out from taking possession but the break in chatter in the maintenance thread got me thinking that we could use a dedicated break in conversation.

I suppose there are two major 'schools of thought' on this. Run it Hard vs Take it Easy.

I've always dabbled in a bit of both. Periodic blasts up through the rev band (but never consistently ringing its neck), mixed in with variations through the lower revs as well as steady state cruising (or in other words regular ass riding).

Thoughts, tips, tricks? Have at it, keep it clean...

 

[Clover]

I've always thought that you should take it easy with the bike at first and slowly push it a bit harder over the break-in period. Is there really a science to this though, or is it just a matter of folk lore?

 

[NinJAHfu]

Keeping it in the lower range with periodic blasts is what i have noticed through my experience and the experience of others to be the better way to go about it.

Don't want to go too easy on it nor hard on it like an idiot

 

[Fireball36]

Why would you do anything other than what the owners manual suggests?

Who knows more about the engine than the people that actually designed it? Those that did the heat studies, sized the bearings and determined the gear loads. Who knows more than those people?

I'm following the owners manual. What it says to do - I'm doing. I have a great deal of respect for the people that have the ability to design something like the H2.

Greg

 

[Fretka]

Going up and down a tight curvy road puts varying rpm and both acceleration (combustion chamber pressure) and decel (which provides c.c. vacuum). Not good to spend more than say 20 miles at a constant load and rpm. Keep everything changing but stick to Kaw recommended RPM limits of course.

But also very important is bedding-in your brakes which is the very first thing you should do. No cruising, no showing your friends because you have one chance to get right.

My opinion is 3 50 mph to 5 mph normal stops then 4 or 5 more 80 mph to 5 mph hard stops and don't overdo it because these are brand new slippery tires and safety is most important. Do the brake burn in first thing!
Braketec.com should have a page on how he does it, check there.

Check and set tire pressure to 32 lbs as the dealer will probably set air pressure way too high (like 40 lbs for legal reasons). Check for proper torque settings on important fasteners (buy a torque wrench and use it religiously).

After about 3K miles the steering head bearings might need resetting.

 

[SilverbirdH2]

Well...they dyno it first off at the factory...running it up to pretty much redline,or right close to it...probably more than once...to get it's baseline.So...continuing with the full on break-in time....when we get it...it probably doesn't NEED to be opened up all the way too many times.But I normally take my Ninjas within the first 20 miles and open it up firmly till it gets close to the redline...then COAST back down(on a long downhill I have outside of town)...coast down closing the throttle completely.Then opening her back up again...shifting firmly up....then coast again back down(with it in gear of course...maybe 3rd or even second.)Then do it again....same thing...after that...I usually change the oil at home...

Take her back out...and follow the rpm numbers fairly closely,with a few MILD accels past the first 500 limit(4K rpms).Then again follow the numbers...I ride the rpms in the lowest point at times..in the correct gear that is...for a few miles...then change it up,increase the rpms by small increments...like that.When I enter the second set of break-in numbers...I begin to open her up more...and run more through the gears working the trans more.When I've approached around 750 miles...I start to open her up even more...and let her breathe.That's how I do mine...never had any issues yet.I might change the oil again in between that 1000 mark....but not always.Depends on what it looks like at the first change...flakes or chunks or whatever.If there's a lot...I will change again before I get close to 1000 miles.

I've noticed also...that my bikes for whatever reason...start to really smooth out AFTER the mileage recommended for the break-in has well passed.Around 2K miles...somewhere in there...it feels like it's still breaking in...so I continue to be aware of how I'm pushing it or not pushing it.By 3K...it feels VERY good...trans shifts great...engine runs smooth at idle and all...temps stabilize.Acceleration feels strong...and engine breaking feels strong.

I DO NOT allow it to sit and idle at the very beginning of the initial riding.I let warm up for a minute or so...then start out.

 

[Fireball36]

Bedding brakes is easy to forget when you have a new machine. Hawk Brakes had a white paper on their site about bedding brakes (not sure if it's still there) - I always do a proper brake bedding procedure on my race cars. It really makes a difference.

Greg

 

[SilverbirdH2]

Yup...very important as well....I followed the guidelines on the EBC's I have on my 14R...worked out really good.

 

[Juggernaut]

I do agree that we should all follow the owners manual. Whatever it says to do is almost assuredly the right thing to do. It'll be cool once the first person gets the owners manual or Kawasaki posts it online. I'm interested to see what it says.

 

[Ryder]

Why would you do anything other than what the owners manual suggests?

Who knows more about the engine than the people that actually designed it? Those that did the heat studies, sized the bearings and determined the gear loads. Who knows more than those people?

I'm following the owners manual. What it says to do - I'm doing. I have a great deal of respect for the people that have the ability to design something like the H2.

Greg

That is indeed the best way to go about it come to think about it, that information coming from the people that created it sure makes it the best guide to follow. That's something i always believed in with many products.

 

[SilverbirdH2]

Same here...basically.They do know what it needs...or doesn't.I've never been a proponent of stressing things too quickly...not on something you intend to last a long while....as they themselves intend for their buyers.

 

[Fretka]

We tend to think of breaking an engine in for the benefit of rings but theres transmission and a whole bunch of rolling stock bearings that benefit from taking it easy at first. Not to mention if something goes south then you rather that be slower then faster, pavement-wise.

 

[ninja boy]

Breaking in a new engine, I was told that you must put the engine through heat, and stress cycles. Like others have mentioned, high RPM to low RPM. A good blast, then just
going through the gears in normal riding. Shut off engine let it fully cool off. The piston
rings will seat better, with less chance of blow by. If you baby the engine too much, the
rings will not seat properly.

I did this with my R1's and my Gixxer 1000. They all ran excellent, and never had an engine
issues. One major thing to remember is to do the first oil & filter change at around 400-500
miles. I found a lot of micro particles of steel and aluminum in the first change. You have to
remember the oil is circulating through the gears (clutch assembly) and the engine itself, so
metal particles will build up fast.

 

[Yamasuki]

no lugging...

 

[OKH2]

Why would you do anything other than what the owners manual suggests?

Who knows more about the engine than the people that actually designed it? Those that did the heat studies, sized the bearings and determined the gear loads. Who knows more than those people?

I'm following the owners manual. What it says to do - I'm doing. I have a great deal of respect for the people that have the ability to design something like the H2.

Greg

The thought these days is that the Mfg break-in recommendations is more for safety/liability then actual break-in of the motor. I have seen and heard on several automotive shows that with the manufacturing processes today and the ways the test the motors at the factory that they pretty much come broke-in and only require a few hundred miles of taking it easy before staring to open it up.


I'm with most people who do take it easy for the first few hundred miles or so and as mileage increases I start to open it up more and more with short bursts up to redline up to 1k miles or so and then ride it like I want too.

 

[Fretka]

Auto oil often uses (moly-disulfide, I think) anti-friction additives that can cause wet clutch assemblies to slip. Also too many oil changes at first can cause an engine to not break-in as it should. So again...use what they say when and as often as they say when it comes to oil changes.
Check inside the circle printed on the back of the can and if it says something like ' anti-friction' then use it in your car but not in the bike. There is such a thing as overdoing it so if the manual says change at 1k miles for the first change, wait till then before you do your first change.
I change the oil in my Duc every 6k miles or so. Also when riding the bike, ride it long enough so it gets to operating temp, short trips will not burn off any condensation inside the engine.

 

[Nessuno]

Bringing it back, go nuts boys...

 

[SilverbirdH2]

It's true they run it up nicely at the factory.More than once.Possibly seating the rings initially.I normally take my new Kawi's on the milder side at first..then as was mentioned,start to open it up some..but not crazy.Lots of speed/gear changes.At least for the first 500 miles.Then gradually take er up further.Mainly for the trans parts.By 1k,I go on up to max a few times,but I don't keep doing that every time I ride.

Oil change usually at around 200-300 miles.Keeping an eye on the particles coming out.All my Kawi's have run flawlessly doing it like this.By 2500 miles...I consider it FULLY broken in.I can feel the difference in the overall feeling of the bike from say 500 miles up to around 2500miles.Shifting feel,engine strength.That's how I do it.

 

[OKH2]

For those asking.

This subject comes up on every motorcycle forum.

There are so many varying opinions on how to properly brake-in the motor on a motorcycle it's not even funny.

It really comes down to this; out all the engine failures I'm familiar with (very few for all makes and models) the brake-in performed varied just as much as the opinions as to how to brake-in one in the first place.

I truly believe that you should brake it based on your beliefs and comfort level. I have been on many motorcycle forums for many different makes and models and you very rarely hear of a motor failure or even one that is starting to use oil excessively, unless it has some real mileage on it and possibly has been abused.

The majority (not all), do not own their bikes for very long. So, most do not experience enough time or mileage on a bike to determine whether their brake-in process was effective or not. A lot of engine oil consumption problems and engine failures are experienced by the owner that purchased the bike used. So it makes it very difficult to determine what break-in methods are the most effective.

My local Kawi's master mechanic ( of 27 years or so) told me that he has seen very few engine failures in all of his years turning a wrench. And of the ones he has seen, it is usually due to abuse or neglect i.e. lack of maintenance, improper maintenance, etc. and a maybe just flat out abuse i.e. stunting and bouncing it off of the rev limiter a few times too many. My mechanic told me to just ride like I would normally but don't go stunting for a few hundred miles or so.

Point is don't worry about break-in just ride it. If you decide to follow the Mfg. break-in procedure great, or if you decide to ride like you stole it from day one, awesome! The chances of excessive oil consumption or engine failure either way is minimal and your likely not going to own the bike long enough to realize any difference anyway. Enjoy!

 

[h2rcx]

What a nightmare.....

This bike has low friction piston rings and the bore finish already appears to near "mirror"

With these new production processes they also could have come with new methods of run in schedule.

Moto mans arguments are strong.

The standard method is obligatory as it cannot allow for speed restrictions (law breaking) and brake bedding in (safety).

As a premium product these bikes could have been pre / semi / initially - run -in . They could have spent half a day in a controlled environment. Then maybe delivered with brake bedding in as a priority . This would have allowed for a first factory oil change aswell and higher rpm limits.

Nearly 3 months since my deposit placed and still no official word, another day wouldn't change the price of fish and we ( customers ) would have been left thinking ,,,,WOW its so special theywon't even let us break it in .