How to Break In a new bike?

[Rennes]

How do you break in a brand new bike?

What are the Do's and Don't's ?

I guess each specific bike is different, so if anyone knows about how to break in a KTR, please share.

[Ducked]

Don't see why it should be machine specific for motorcycles. The only possibly relevant variable I can think of would be whether they have sliding tappets, (I'd guess the KTR does) in which case you want an oil with a lot of zinc in it, which rules out most recent spec motor oils.

Your question is controversial and a matter for theological debate, the main schism being between the hard and soft/factory break in factions.

Another relatively minor conflict is a tis/tisn't over synthetic oil as a break in lubricant.

This guy is the Messiah with the hard break-in mantra. IIRC (havn't looked into this for a long time) he's at least partly full of shit, but that doesn't mean he's wrong on this issue.

Its been discussed on here in various threads, e.g.:-

http://forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.ph ... n#p1004130

Search motoman

Re oil, since you should be changing it especially frequently in the initial stages, I'd use the oldest spec (for the zinc) mineral oil you can find. For me, in the summer, that would probably mean the CPC straight 40W stuff, but IIRC they also do a fairly high weight-range relatively old-spec (15/40W SJ I think. ) multigrade.

If you can find SH that'd be better, but I doubt its still available. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the SJ stuff doesn't disappear soon, since its already retro/obsolete.

EDIT : Both around 100NT a litre in Carrefour.ENDEDIT

EDIT : Oh, and no "lugging". i.e keep the revs up, and don't change up too soon. Apologies if this is obvious. ENDEDIT

[Rennes]

Be obvious!! please

I am a total newbie...


What do you mean by no lugging it?

I thought I was suppose to drive the bike relatively slow for the first 1000 km, not exceeding 50-60 kph.

You are saying I should bring it up?

[urodacus]

hi revs with no load on the engine.

don't accelerate too hard but don't change gear too soon.

[Ducked]

Yeh, that's what I meant.

In fact, come to think of it, that's what I said.

I also said that the benefits of easy break-in were controversial, with many arguing fairly convincingly for the superiority of a hard break-in. If this is of interest, you'll have to read the evidence and come to your own conclusion.

After break in, you could continue to use the same oil (at least for as long as its available) or go for a synthetic and/or special motorcycle oil.

Note that the oft-repeated blanket advice to use a (cheaper) automative oil is now obsolete, since current-spec oils have had the additive package cut to avoid (very) long-term contamination of catalysts.

For a while diesel oils were a solution, but the recent specs for those have now been downgraded too. If you can't get a number for the zinc content, better assume its too low.

Mobil publish the zinc content of some (not all, I can't get a number for my Delvac MX so I'll have to assume its low and stop using it) of their oils, and special motorcycle oils can probably be assumed to be OK, though more expensive.