Engine Run-in debate

Ducati Forum

Help Support Ducati Forum:

Y

yzfrr11

Joined
Feb 11, 2012
Messages
24
Location
dallas
It always amazes me how lay people debate the designing engineers regarding breaking in a new motor. Every motorcycle that I've ever owned clearly indicated in the owners manual not to over rev the motor for the first several hundred miles.

Yet, even the dealer who sold me my 1199 recommended against Ducati's run-in protocol.
Any opinions?
 
Last edited:
Should we post opinions? Sounds like you've made up your mind?

My Tri is having the full exhaust/mapping installed immediately and the dealer is breaking it in on the dyno. All of my previous bikes were done the same way and put out better numbers/used no oil compared to friends with the same machine. Only part to remember is hard break in = dont wait until 600 miles to change the oil.

I drop the oil after the first 20 miles. Factory break in is a joke.
 
I'm on the side of being gentle for the first 10 miles and then using a stair step hard rev regimen (eg. 4-6k, 6-8k, 8-10k) in 10 mile increments with complete cool downs in between, till you reach moderately high rev ranges. Once you've gone through the rev regimen, change the oil and filter and then observe manufacturer recommended break in rev limits.

Good cylinder sealing benefits from pressure which comes from revving the engine under load. You want the rings and cylinder walls to match each other as well as possible and then you want to get all the metal that comes from the initial running in out of the motor.
 
PannyofDoom said:
Sounds like you've made up your mind?
Click to expand...

Not at all. I am a mechanical engineer myself - not automotive. And I've never agreed with the rational behind factory engine break-in, and I would love to be able to thrash my 1199 right out of the crate. But it's hard to disagree with every owner's manual I've ever read.
 
When I bought my '08 ZX14 new, it said to stay under 4k for 600 miles. I hit 9.5k (out of 11) on the way home from the dealer. After a proper warm up of course. When I changed the oil at 25 miles, it looked like metallic paint. All I had done on the way home was accel and compression brake in as many gears as I could. Changed the oil 3 times in the first 500 miles. Bike was a freight train, 180rwhp/105rwtq.

Never once had a problem with a hard run in done RIGHT. I asked the dealer if the dyno break in would affect the 5 year warranty I paid for. They said not at all. Sold.
 
Ray916MN
Could you explain your method in a bit more detail, please as I've always done the running in thing as per the owner's manual before?

Does your proposed rev regimen run-in apply to each gear; so (for example) after the first gentle 10 miles you would do 4-6K in each gear. Complete cool down. After another 10 miles, 6-8K in each gear, complete cool down. Rinse and repeat in higher rev range. Then after you've done each rev band in every gear you would change the oil +filter.

Have I understood it right?
 
PannyofDoom said:
When I bought my '08 ZX14 new, it said to stay under 4k for 600 miles. I hit 9.5k (out of 11) on the way home from the dealer. After a proper warm up of course. When I changed the oil at 25 miles, it looked like metallic paint. All I had done on the way home was accel and compression brake in as many gears as I could. Changed the oil 3 times in the first 500 miles. Bike was a freight train, 180rwhp/105rwtq.

Never once had a problem with a hard run in done RIGHT. I asked the dealer if the dyno break in would affect the 5 year warranty I paid for. They said not at all. Sold.
Click to expand...

Rich22 from Austin Racing had this same advice on run-in in another thread if recall correctly. Thanks for sharing your experience.
 
Ray916MN said:
I'm on the side of being gentle for the first 10 miles and then using a stair step hard rev regimen (eg. 4-6k, 6-8k, 8-10k) in 10 mile increments with complete cool downs in between, till you reach moderately high rev ranges. Once you've gone through the rev regimen, change the oil and filter and then observe manufacturer recommended break in rev limits.

Good cylinder sealing benefits from pressure which comes from revving the engine under load. You want the rings and cylinder walls to match each other as well as possible and then you want to get all the metal that comes from the initial running in out of the motor.
Click to expand...

I loosely follow this same process and highly recommend it. No one is saying to over rev - its more about being agressive within the range you are working with. Accelerate quickly and engine break in order to build "Pressure" and wear the rings appropriately.

I will being running in at 8000 rpm and probably slightly above ;) until 1000km, after that its wide open :D

I have used this proces on all of my bikes of the past 30yrs and have never had a single engine problem or failure. But I am also a freak about maintenance which also adds to the longevity.
 
Here was Rich's advice ("Running it in", a thread on this forum):

When we run a bike in on the dyno the most important is the 1st 50 miles to seal up the rings to the bores.
Let it rev freely in 2nd/3rd gears increasing the top revs every 10 miles upto 9-10,000rpm.
Let it decelerate as fast.
Keep this up for 150-200 miles then hit max revs through the gears.
This seals up the bores and the bike ends up with better compression, lower oil usage and more power.
We tested bikes that were run in on the dyno vs bikes run in softly softly on the road, the dyno bikes consistently make 5bhp more power.
We tested on RSV4, ZX10R, BMWS1000RR
Running mine in like this so lets see how it does.
 
Yep exactly. And during the process, I usually go overboard on oil changes, because its cheap insurance and gets the metal out of the motor asap. When I bought my 2010 RC8R, I think I changed the oil at 25/150/300/600 miles.
 
This is all very interesting. And kinda makes sense. Although I am no mechanic, I just can't get my head around why the book wouldn't suggest this? And the fact that it just doesn't make sense really, to rev a brand new engine, with all components brand new, surely they all need bedding in slowly and smoothly? Don't they? Just doesn't make sense in my head that's all, I hope you guys are right though.... Although I need to make the decision quickly as should be picking mine up this week some time!

More thoughts...?
 
Anyone know the part number for the oil the comes pre-filled in the motor from the factory? I assume it is a special "run-in" formulation.
 
how do you procede to Let it decelerate as fast? do you use brake or let the engine rev's down naturaly ?
 
Toniiio said:
how do you procede to Let it decelerate as fast? do you use brake or let the engine rev's down naturaly ?
Click to expand...

NO brakes. Accel up, and then roll off the throttle and let it engine brake all the way back down to 2-3k rpm.
 
PannyofDoom said:
Yep exactly. And during the process, I usually go overboard on oil changes, because its cheap insurance and gets the metal out of the motor asap. When I bought my 2010 RC8R, I think I changed the oil at 25/150/300/600 miles.
Click to expand...

Do you change the oil to whatever you will be using in the bike from there on out? If I read correctly, the oil from the factory is a different break in oil.
 

Similar threads

M
Please help me with my check engine line and Melcodiag experience
Replies
4
Views
315
Marbles
M
S
2023 Ducati Panigale Engine What should I do with it.
Replies
6
Views
443
Phl
Phl
B
V4 Blueprint. A primer sort of.
2
Replies
35
Views
2K
baggerman
B
Usachampion
Uncertainty on the current state of M821 oil change information
Replies
2
Views
611
BP PanigaleV4S
BP PanigaleV4S
3
1199 Panigale engine swap into car
Replies
3
Views
2K
3nickammo3
3

Register CTA

Register on Ducati Forum! This sidebar will go away, and you will see fewer ads.

Recent Discussions

Back
Top