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Iron Butt
Posts: 691
Manchester, CT | Fellow Riders
Taking my bike out for the first time I want to make sure I break it in right. When I was out today for the first time, I felt a few times I was lugging the bike down especially when I shifted into second between 1500 and 2000 RPM. I am looking for advise on RPM ranges per gears. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 238
SF Bay Area | I have broken in so many new motors... and have never followed any rpm limitations. My results have always been good, none of my motors ever burned oil, always had high compression, always made excellent power, and have had long lives. Here is what I have done (and still do)... I start a new bike and let it warm up and get good oil pressure for about 30 seconds, then I ride normally, running through the gears, keeping the revs below about 80% of the red line for the first 100 or so miles. I run the bike on the freeway, varying the speed between 55-75mph, and occasionally chop the throttle closed to draw some oil up onto the cylinder walls. I then drive the bike normally after the first 100 miles. I drop the oil and filter at 500 miles, and never look back. By the time I get to 1000 miles I am doing top speed runs, and continuous high speed runs. On every bike, regardless of mileage, when doing long sustain high speed runs I occasionally close the throttle to draw oil up onto the cylinders. On a new bike I never hold a long sustained constant speed/rpm... bad for the piston skirts. I also recommend not using a synthetic oil for the first 500 miles, I feel it is better to let all the parts wear together ad develop wear patterns together, before being exposed to a a synthetic type of oil. Having said that, my preference is for a synthetic blend oil, not a full synthetic in our wet clutch bikes. Another thing I feel is important is to put the motor through many heating and cooling cycles. The new motor will run hot, I tend to run a new motor for an hour and let it cool for about 30 minutes... I call this my Star Bucks break in. I ride until I see a Star Bucks, get coffee, relax, and then ride for a while to another Star Bucks. Stop, pee, get coffee, relax. Repeat until I have a 100 miles and the DT's. My 99 Vic, at 100k miles still had 180 lbs of compression with the J&E pistons, following my typical "break in".
Food for thought... many motorcycle engines are run for nominal horsepower output on a dyno, at full load. Also, many engine builders prefer to break in a engine on a dyno, again under full load. As far as I'm concerned the "break in" is nothing more than an aggressive honing of engine parts, like the chrome rings on the Nikasil liners, burnishing of cam lobes and followers, and settling of all new parts, like cam chain tensioners, seals, etc. You could break in a new motor on a dyno in a matter of minutes, the motor does not know how long you took, it only knows if the parts have been burnished together properly.
Lugging an engine is never a good idea, too hard on the primary drive, torque compensator, wrist pins, etc.
IMO, of course...
Edited by buddahead 2013-04-13 11:01 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 2300
Georgia, west of Atlanta | +1 |
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Cruiser
Posts: 156
Bluff Park, Alabama - God's Country! 2011 PW VV | http://www.vision-riders.com/articles.asp?Article=28788 |
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | I pretty much do like Buddahead said. Always let the motor warm up a bit before riding. Vary the engine speeds and don't let it get overheated. After the first 1000 miles, I run it as hard as I want to. The first two oil changes are very important--do them on schedule without fail. Like Mike, I use the factory branded oil for the first 2 or 3 changes. Unlike Mike, I then use a full synthetic after that. I've broken in many new bikes this way over the years and they all ran very well--often better than identical bikes, purchased by friends, that were broken in very conservatively "by the book".
Lugging is a no-no. Lugging an engine will do far more harm than running it at WOT. If you want a number, keep your RPMs over 2500 when you shift. I would suggest shifting your new bike at 3000 RPM, or higher, using up to 80% throttle for the first 1000 miles, then let 'er rip after that. After the first 500 miles have accumulated, I will do short full throttle runs followed by a closed throttle coast down to normal speed again. Do not run a constant speed at first--vary your speed and throttle settings. NEVER lug the motor when breaking it in.
Ronnie
Edited by rdbudd 2013-04-14 9:15 AM
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Tourer
Posts: 599
New Mexico | I mostly agree with the consensus. I just go longer before changing over to full synthetic (and on my Vision still use ma vic band)
As for rpm's, I've found the Victory's, unlike HD, don't like lugging/lower rpm range. It took some getting used to, but I normally shift between 3 - 3.5k. I also try to always keep above 2k, and rarely sustain above 4k (unless I'm in traffic and I want people to know I'm there).
Edited by Boots 2013-04-14 9:42 AM
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Tourer
Posts: 482
Beer Collins, Colorado (there is no fort) | I've been lucky buying my last 4 bikes new in February-April, great months in Colorado to break in a bike. I'll get 'em warmed up as discussed-this is very important, and while cruising run through the gears hard several times taking it up close to red line and down shift back through the gears, then stop to look at the scenery/take a walk/take some pictures, and let the bike cool down-no rush. Then do it again. You know they redline the engines at the factory before shipping and if it wasn't for this initial seating of the rings many bikes that get broke in per owner's manual would not have the compression they have now. I believe you have about 120 miles to get some pressure on the rings and get 'em seated and after that your chance has passed and the cylinder will glaze over and its future wear patterns will be set.
Edited by ByteN2it 2013-04-14 3:23 PM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 691
Manchester, CT | Thanks to everyone! I will heed the advise and make sure the 106 is well taken care of. |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| Street Eagle - 2013-04-13 10:24 PM Fellow Riders Taking my bike out for the first time I want to make sure I break it in right. When I was out today for the first time, I felt a few times I was lugging the bike down especially when I shifted into second between 1500 and 2000 RPM. I am looking for advise on RPM ranges per gears. Why do you think they give you a owners manul so can read how to shift and where how much air to put in your shock and so on. |
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Tourer
Posts: 599
New Mexico | johnnyvision - 2013-04-14 4:35 PM
Why do you think they give you a owners manul so can read how to shift and where how much air to put in your shock and so on.
The owners manual is a good baseline, but there is no substitute for experience. I think it is good to ask, see what is working for others, especially those riders in your specific part of the country.
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Iron Butt
Posts: 691
Manchester, CT | Yep...that's why I am looking to my fellow owners to provide real world experience. As all can see, there are a number of very experienced folks and their feedback is outstanding. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1350
| I was told many years ago about "breaking" in as far as autos are concerned, the manufacturers don't want 15,000 cars coming back to dealers because of the same failure. It would be a marketing nightmare, that was years ago before the internet, can't imagine what it would be like today.
Like Buddahead said, vary speeds and loads and your engine has been run on a dyno before it left Victory if they are still doing that. We disagree about syn oil. New Corvettes and BMWs and other out of my budget manufacturers start their new cars out with it. I haven't seen a bunch of them going back to the dealers. 
Enjoy |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 612
| ByteN2it - 2013-04-14 3:21 PM
I've been lucky buying my last 4 bikes new in February-April, great months in Colorado to break in a bike. I'll get 'em warmed up as discussed-this is very important, and while cruising run through the gears hard several times taking it up close to red line and down shift back through the gears, then stop to look at the scenery/take a walk/take some pictures, and let the bike cool down-no rush. Then do it again. You know they redline the engines at the factory before shipping and if it wasn't for this initial seating of the rings many bikes that get broke in per owner's manual would not have the compression they have now. I believe you have about 120 miles to get some pressure on the rings and get 'em seated and after that your chance has passed and the cylinder will glaze over and its future wear patterns will be set.
Correct! This is the proper way to break in a modern bike motor! One change though, ring to cylinder wall seal happens within the first 20-50 miles... after that, it is what it is....
And, while you're running it up at 60-80 % throttle, remember to also let it decelerate under engine load too, that way you are loading the rings with both positive and negative pressure, making a more even seal.
Check out the "motomans" break in secrets web site.
The 500 mile "take it easy" break in recommendations by manufacturers is totally for liability issues. It is the absolute worst method to break in a motor, but the best way to not "break" the new rider! 
Edited by Turk 2013-04-15 7:18 AM
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Tourer
Posts: 494
Akron Ohio area | My 2011 Vision seems to like riding down the road somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000 RPM's.
80 MPH will put me at 3,000 RPM's.
I try real hard to never let the RPM's go below 2,000 RPM's before downshifting.
If your Victory is going chuga chuga chuga, you're lugging your engine. |
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Recommendations for RPMs
