How do YOU break in a new bike?

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RP1

RP1

Joined
Mar 13, 2020
Messages
35
Location
DC area
I am getting mixed messages on how to properly break in a new motorcycle.

One way is to follow the manufacturer's recommendation. Per the V2 manual: keep it below 6000 RPMs and don't maintain prolonged constant speed before ~650 miles. After that, keep it below 7000 RPMs between ~650 to 1500 miles.

Another way is to ride is like you stole it.

This is my first brand new bike and new to Ducati for that matter. I've been doing what Ducati recommended since I currently only have ~120 miles on it.

What do you guys do? (if there are existing threads on this, please provide link)
 
Brocks and all the other racing tuner shops do hard break in.
I’ve had plenty of luck with it that way

literally my master mechanic said “just ride it” and he knows how I like to ride it cause he puts a new rear tyre on ever 2k miles
 
RP1, I'm at about 90 miles on mine and haven't really "ridden it yet". Going over the suggested RPM is nerve wrecking because the RPM bar turns yellow..ahhahahhahhahah.
I've done break ins on several bikes and have always gone by the rule book, haven't had an issue. On the flip side, I've done some hard break ins as well, it all worked out just the same.
 
“All the same”

I agree, the guys that dyno their bikes talk about heat cycles. Gotta get her nice and hot and push her nice and hard
 
Let it warm up to temp really good. Shut it off let it heat soak all the engine parts. Fire up again. Few gentle miles maybe 5 or 10 then ride it like you stole it. Keep the revs up and down try to not be at the same revs for long periods of time. One of the guys i race with brought his V4 to the track with only 3 miles on it. June 15 2018. Picked it up from the dealer in the afternoon and track time was from 5-930pm. He went to town on it(not a slow rider.) and been running great with no engine issues. Currently around 800 miles track only.
 
swan said:
Let it warm up to temp really good
Click to expand...

I should have mentioned that. Always baby her until she’s up to temp

I’d prefer to get it out on the road once it’s warm to burn off all the condensation otherwise it just lays on the metal components and that can’t be good

go to the 2:45 mark. You can give the throttle a couple of baby twists to warm her up quicker once she has sat and idled enough to get the oil moving:
 
I just ride her normally, but don’t let the engine struggle. Also allow for heating/cooling cycles.
 
The counterpoint here, of course, is that IN THEORY, the on-board electronics could be keeping record of how many times you rev the engine past the recommended amount, how long the engine spends above those RPM, etc... basically, the bike may be documenting just to what extent you ignore the factory recommended break-in protocol. This could then be grounds, THEORETICALLY, for refusal to cover warranty costs that would otherwise be covered should something go awry.

This is something that comes up on high performance car forums all the time, more so than I’ve seen here, which makes sense given how much more complex and extensive car electronics are than bike systems. Some of those systems actually employ a lowered redline until the first service, for example, after which the full rev range is unlocked.

That said, I have no personal knowledge of anyone with a car or bike being denied a warranty claim on the basis of having not followed specified break-in procedures.

But it doesn’t seem like much of a stretch of the imagination. So in my mind, I follow the factory guidelines. It’s not worth it to me to risk it. I don’t need those extra revs that badly during those first few hundred miles.

Just another perspective to consider. :)
 
Curly said:
The counterpoint here, of course, is that IN THEORY, the on-board electronics could be keeping record of how many times you rev the engine past the recommended amount, how long the engine spends above those RPM, etc... basically, the bike may be documenting just to what extent you ignore the factory recommended break-in protocol. This could then be grounds, THEORETICALLY, for refusal to cover warranty costs that would otherwise be covered should something go awry.

This is something that comes up on high performance car forums all the time, more so than I’ve seen here, which makes sense given how much more complex and extensive car electronics are than bike systems. Some of those systems actually employ a lowered redline until the first service, for example, after which the full rev range is unlocked.

That said, I have no personal knowledge of anyone with a car or bike being denied a warranty claim on the basis of having not followed specified break-in procedures.

But it doesn’t seem like much of a stretch of the imagination. So in my mind, I follow the factory guidelines. It’s not worth it to me to risk it. I don’t need those extra revs that badly during those first few hundred miles.

Just another perspective to consider. :)
Click to expand...
Very good point! I might be screwed though since that RPM bar has definitely turned yellow on me after kissing it just above 6000 RPMs...because f that slow car in front of me!
 
Last edited:
Yes, good video. I just ride it like I would normally if it were broken in, like on a typical ride day. Then do a couple cool downs and you should be good to go. I do make sure that the bike is warmed up before I start exceeding the 6k RPM recommendation, I don't sweat hitting 8-9k RPM when accelerating. Once I have 500-1000 I will be taking it up to red-line when accelerating consistently.
 
After a few miles the rings are seated and your fine.
I turbod my busa after 500 miles.
20psi
405hp
Runs just fine.
Your bike will be fine if you want to give it a kick in the ...
 
shade said:
After a few miles the rings are seated and your fine.
I turbod my busa after 500 miles.
20psi
405hp
Runs just fine.
Your bike will be fine if you want to give it a kick in the ...
Click to expand...
holy crap I wanna hear that Busa! What time tables for oil changes under hard break in? Like 200 miles dump the original oil?

I would think the rings/walls are set b4 it even leaves the factory
 
DucatiKev said:
holy crap I wanna hear that Busa! What time tables for oil changes under hard break in? Like 200 miles dump the original oil?

I would think the rings/walls are set b4 it even leaves the factory
Click to expand...
Engine built
Fired the bike ran it through a few heat cycles
Dumped the oil
Broke it in on the dyno under varying loads for a few miles.
Let the new rods rings and pistons all seat.
Tuned the bike
Dumped oil
Then smacked that ..... in the ...


 
shade said:
Engine built
Fired the bike ran it through a few heat cycles
Dumped the oil
Broke it in on the dyno under varying loads for a few miles.
Let the new rods rings and pistons all seat.
Tuned the bike
Dumped oil
Then smacked that ..... in the ...


Click to expand...


god DAMN! Sounds nice. It’s always nice when it’s a legit Dyno with airflow. I don’t think I could handle a bike like that. I like pushing my sound systems to the max and staying on the throttle until I can feel the atmosphere heat up around me as I go for a land speed record

soo what do u do with that bad ... bike? How much longer than stock is the swing arm?
I think I’d need Velcro to keep my ... in the seat
 
An old friend I rode with, his dad has a 1999 Busa (think it was the year before they implemented the Euro speed restrictions) and he had a Mr. Turbo setup, the thing would literally wheelie in any gear, I believe with only 6lbs. of boost it was making 315whp.
 

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