Re: Guide (Run-in & Maintenance) for new Pulsar Owners

[MENTION=41586]Divya Sharan[/MENTION] [MENTION=38603]The Monk[/MENTION]

Did not want to make a separate thread for this question but how good is the Motoman technique of breaking in? It looks very convincing with all the visual proof that he has provided.

Break In Secrets--How To Break In New Motorcycle and Car Engines For More Power

Re: Guide (Run-in & Maintenance) for new Pulsar Owners

i have moved your post to a thread which has been discussing this for some time now. Go through this thread. Very informative.

Few people claim to have successfully run in their engines with the linked method.

Good for them

I wouldn't do it on my bike, nor would i recommend it. *For more details read through the thread

Re: Engine Break in Process and Methods

Since this thread deals with engine break in process and methods I was thinking howcome superbikes / supercars are made, right from day one they can be driven at high speeds and revved hard. I have recently bought a TVS jupiter and in the process of breaking in the engine. My first bike was a Hero Honda Sup Splendor 2006 model and completed 10 years recently did not gave any problems till now. I am the only person to drive my HH Super Splendor and Jupiter. For my Sup Splendor i followed the manufacturers method of driving at max 40-45 kmph for 1000 kms it was very boring but i did that and vehicle didnt give me any troubles and also gave good mileage. For my TVS Jupiter also i am following the same method, but as the manufacturer tells to vary speeds , should i drive at speeds between 30-40 with bursts of accelerations. I drive daily 25 km one way and during long stretch i just drive at constant speed of 40kmph, will that be a negative point for break in engine?

Also on a totally different thought I was wondering why dont the Manufacturers themselves break in the engine and then sell it, they can use some method to break in the bike, without actually driving the bike 1000 kms, or by following an automated process of engine revs or literally having a person drive bike on diff speeds. Because if they sell the bike which is already having an engine set in then people who directly want a best bike can opt for purchasing it. Because if you buy a break in bike then you can directly drive the bike at 60 kmph on first day itself. The company can offer limited editions of break-in bikes and charge extra for the break in fuel, staff salary, etc.

How this idea seems?

Re: Engine Break in Process and Methods

Would you really trust some nincompoop, who has no interest in actually being gentle with the bike? Would you trust his capabilities of running-in your bike or yourself?

I know who i trust

Re: Engine Break in Process and Methods

Most Super bikes and High performance cars come with better metallurgy and tolerance, which is what the customer pays so much for...besides most of them are run to top RPMs for brief periods to evaluate the various parameters of the engine after which only they are allowed to leave the factory...Still for most engines there is a warning not to Redline till a specific Kilometers had been completed or first service done... A super bike or Car has very high Redline limit and the engine is capable of doing scary fast road speed at even half of the Redline limit..In most large volume production street bikes the tolerance and metallurgy is not same as Super bikes, for cost reason . These engines are made not for performance but for reliable commute and Good FE at a much lower price...So it is a happy compromise between all parameters, hence require careful running in procedure..

Re: Engine Break in Process and Methods

I have no idea about a supercar, but SBKs need run in too.
Why you don't feel the same is because they do super speeds in whatever limit they're kept to!

Assume, Suzuki says that you can't exceed 7000 RPM till 1000 km on a Busa. 7000 RPM in 5th gear is 150+ easily. Most SBKs are run in for a 1000 km at the very least.
Their engines are built better with better materials and tolerances as said by PSR sir.

And I totally agree with The Monk on not letting any Tom, Dick or Harry else run in my vehicle.

Re: Engine Break in Process and Methods

Or maybe for purely non-objective theoretical consideration ... would you consider a machine that can do it. All it will need to do is variable throttle play while providing continuous fuel supply and maybe even an oil flushing system. Steam-punk approach to things is so wonderfully crazy eh

Re: Engine Break in Process and Methods

And wind resistance and changes in elevation. And shutting down the engine and restarting it. And working through the gearbox and scrubbing the tyres in. And......

Well the running-in also has another advantage of allowing the novice to ride gently, till he/ she gets the hang of the bike.

And every rider's riding habits are different, that is why a machine ridden by one person only lasts longer. Will have to feed in data to ensure that your running-in machine will replicate your riding style.

Re: Engine Break in Process and Methods

These two posts sums it all! I have been riding close to 20 years and have had about 6 bikes so far. However, until recently I never really got the concept of break-in really understood. What I felt is that break-in means riding your bike without stressing it too much and always watching the top speed recommended by the manufacturer. So with all my bikes I used to quickly go to the top gear and cruise below the recommended top speed on highways to complete the break-in period as quickly as possible.

One of my friends recently got a Gixxer and since he was working about 200 kms away, I told him to avoid riding new bike for 200 kms and keep the bike with me till the first service is over. The first 200 kms was only city riding, quickly shifting through lower gears and riding most of the time in 5th. Another 100 kms was on highways most of the time in 5th gear with varying RPMs. The gear shift was very hard right from the beginning and there was no noticeable difference. Finding neutrals was also difficult. Then I started going through break-in methods and came across this thread. The above two posts made absolute sense. Then I started city riding again, this time, making full use of rpm (below specified limit) in each gear and frequent up/down shifting the gears (but more between 1,2,3 and 4). It's close to 500 kms and here is my observation:

1. Gears are lot smoother now.
2. Finding neutral is lot easier.
3. The speed envelope in each gear seems to have increased.

I guess using full rpm range (below specified limit) in each gear, using more lower gear (at least initially), occasional hard acceleration and proper cooling off after 20-30 kms, breaks in your engine optimally.

I just booked a Himalayan and am more than eager to try this out on it.

Re: Engine Break in Process and Methods

I'm going through the break-in period for my new Super Tenere right now. Unfortunately, due to a combination of factors, I haven't been able to ride nearly as much as I had hoped, and only managed to get 375 miles in over two months before the weather got too cold to ride. So now my bike is in storage with the breakin only halfway completed.

I want to point out that "Motoman's" break-in procedure is mostly the same as the factory break in process (at least in the manual for my bike). The manual says not to exceed 4500 rpm for prolonged periods until 900km. Other than that there are no restrictions, so short romps right up to the redline are acceptable. So I have been really getting on the throttle especially pulling away from traffic signals and when accelerating onto expressways. Doing lots of shifting up and down through the gears wherever possible (US expressway speeds are usually around 100-120km/h and my bike is geared low, so top gear is the only option when on the highway). In my case, I didn't even get to touch the bike until it had 15km on the odometer; factory/dealership requirements are that a mechanic has to ride the bike that first distance to ensure that the bike has been safely assembled and nothing falls off or breaks.

FYI don't forget to break in your brakes as well. Note, this really only works for bikes that do not have a linked braking system. Using each brake separately i.e. front wheel first, then rear wheel. Accelerate to about 60km/h, then brake hard down to 10 using just the brake you're focusing on (front or rear), then immediately back up to 60. Repeat this action about 10 times in quick succession. By the 9th or 10th time, the brakes should be smoking slightly. Accelerate back up to 50-60km/h and ride for about 15-20 min without using the brakes at all. Then repeat the process. After going though the 10 hard braking events twice, change wheels. Once this is completed, the brake pads/shoes should be properly bedded in, and shouldn't squeak or screech. And remember, in the VAST majority of situations, you should be using the front brake. The rear brake is much weaker overall, and is even less effective because of the way physics affects the bike. On low-traction surfaces, add in more rear brake and ease off the front, but that's pretty much the only situation where you would do that.