What is it with break in crazies?

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No need for a warranty if you significantly modify the bike or compete with it. If you’re in that camp, give it full beans from the get go
 
Paul G said:
Im amazed that people have faith in warranties, all I ever hear about claims is how they're denied because blah blah blah
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This is why I always buy used from LA poseurs after a couple of years. I know that for me the warranty is pointless. I'd be the one fixing it anyway. I have trust issues on who works on my stuff (especially that if it breaks it might kill you). Last 3 bikes 1025 mi, 975 mi, 1731 mi. All out of warranty. New at 50-60% of the cost. And the poseurs always break the bikes in gently.
 
bp_SFV4 said:
Seeing how some people work on and mod their stuff makes we want to stick with new or completely OEM.
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That was my thinking. I’ll gladly pay the premium for a known quantity. A used bike could be great or could be a ticking time bomb.
 
SuperDomestique said:
That was my thinking. I’ll gladly pay the premium for a known quantity. A used bike could be great or could be a ticking time bomb.
Click to expand...

So the last 3; 42k, 36k, 54K. Lost a rectifier on the 998. I did pull the 1098 apart because I could hear the rod bearings were loose (they were .0028 inch, I reset them to .0018 inch and switched the transmission to a wide ratio). The crank was shimmed too tight from the factory. I called Mark Sutton to ask WTF and he said they'd seen a rash of failures on track bikes due to this. So since I assembled it I guess its reliability doesn't count. But that's all. Just maintenance. I had my cases open one time on my 916 in 6 years of racing. If the V4's are anywhere like my other Ducati's they should be ok if maintained correctly. My SF had about 130 mm of the rear scrubbed when I bought it. Probably never before had the throttle to the stop.
 
Mcv4 said:
The problem is unless you know exactly how and engine is machined and assembled everything is a guess. Honing and plateau honing style, oil retention in the bore, ring material (especially top ring), piston to bore clearance, bearing clearance, crankshaft journal surface finishing condition etc etc all play a part. An engine built for almost immediate racing conditions will be built differently for an engine required to make even similar HP but be used for street duties and expected to return mileage.
Click to expand...

Well said. I’ll add my 2 cents worth. Everyone has their own antidotal stories that are worth next to nothing…. including mine. I’ve been riding and racing for 60 years. I’ve lost count of how many bikes I’ve broken-in. I worked as a Mechanical Engineer for over 50 years. I’ve never blown an engine. But I’m also slow. Two of my current bikes have NCR big bore race engines.
Here’s my Break-in procedure for a dry clutch engine. I also have trust issues. I had one new bike that didn’t have any oil in the engine.
Dump the factory oil before you ever start a new engine. I know it’s been run at the factory and dealer, but I can’t change that.
Replace the oil filter. Try to drop a small super magnet in the oil filter. If the filter is a cartridge style, do the best you can to get the magnet where it doesn’t get lost. The spin-on oil filter is easy. Drop the magnet down the middle. It can’t get sucked out. You’ll throw away the magnet with the dirty oil filter. The magnet will grab the metal dust that’s so fine the filter can’t stop it.
Put 8oz of Marvel Mystery oil in the fuel.
Refill the engine with Driven 15w/40 Diesel Break-in oil. Diesel oil is great for a motorcycle dry clutch engine.
Run the engine gently until it’s at operating temperature. Then run the engine moderately hard. Try to put a load on the engine with up hills if you can. Pretend you’re trying to impress your Mother in law with what a bad ... her daughter married. But don’t let her slide off the back.
After 100 miles, change the oil and filter again. Same break-in oil.
Ride it a little more aggressively but stay away from the redline and do not lug the engine. After 200 miles change the oil and filter again. Same break-in oil. Ride it like you normally ride for 300 miles.
Now you’re done with the break-in.
I prefer to use unleaded 100 octane race gas. Ethanol in pump gas is hard on the fuel system when it sets for very long. If you use pump gas, I would suck it out if the bike will set for a month or more. I also like to have Marvel Mystery oil in the fuel. It lubricants the fuel system and prevents rust. Unleaded race gas doesn’t have ethanol and it can set in the tank. I would still put fuel stabilizer in the fuel. If it will set for the Winter, drain the tank. Run a little more Marvel Mystery oil in the fuel before you drain it for the Winter. That puts more in the injectors and other fuel system parts for the Winter.
I use Red Line 20w/60 Power Sports oil in all my engines. I charge the oil every 500 to 600 miles. Except the 2 strokes.
 
VYRUS said:
Well said. I’ll add my 2 cents worth. Everyone has their own antidotal stories that are worth next to nothing…. including mine. I’ve been riding and racing for 60 years. I’ve lost count of how many bikes I’ve broken-in. I worked as a Mechanical Engineer for over 50 years. I’ve never blown an engine. But I’m also slow. Two of my current bikes have NCR big bore race engines.
Here’s my Break-in procedure for a dry clutch engine. I also have trust issues. I had one new bike that didn’t have any oil in the engine.
Dump the factory oil before you ever start a new engine. I know it’s been run at the factory and dealer, but I can’t change that.
Replace the oil filter. Try to drop a small super magnet in the oil filter. If the filter is a cartridge style, do the best you can to get the magnet where it doesn’t get lost. The spin-on oil filter is easy. Drop the magnet down the middle. It can’t get sucked out. You’ll throw away the magnet with the dirty oil filter. The magnet will grab the metal dust that’s so fine the filter can’t stop it.
Put 8oz of Marvel Mystery oil in the fuel.
Refill the engine with Driven 15w/40 Diesel Break-in oil. Diesel oil is great for a motorcycle dry clutch engine.
Run the engine gently until it’s at operating temperature. Then run the engine moderately hard. Try to put a load on the engine with up hills if you can. Pretend you’re trying to impress your Mother in law with what a bad ... her daughter married. But don’t let her slide off the back.
After 100 miles, change the oil and filter again. Same break-in oil.
Ride it a little more aggressively but stay away from the redline and do not lug the engine. After 200 miles change the oil and filter again. Same break-in oil. Ride it like you normally ride for 300 miles.
Now you’re done with the break-in.
I prefer to use unleaded 100 octane race gas. Ethanol in pump gas is hard on the fuel system when it sets for very long. If you use pump gas, I would suck it out if the bike will set for a month or more. I also like to have Marvel Mystery oil in the fuel. It lubricants the fuel system and prevents rust. Unleaded race gas doesn’t have ethanol and it can set in the tank. I would still put fuel stabilizer in the fuel. If it will set for the Winter, drain the tank. Run a little more Marvel Mystery oil in the fuel before you drain it for the Winter. That puts more in the injectors and other fuel system parts for the Winter.
I use Red Line 20w/60 Power Sports oil in all my engines. I charge the oil every 500 to 600 miles. Except the 2 strokes.
Click to expand...

You lost me at “drop a super magnet into the oil system” and hope it doesn’t get lost
 
VYRUS said:
Well said. I’ll add my 2 cents worth. Everyone has their own antidotal stories that are worth next to nothing…. including mine. I’ve been riding and racing for 60 years. I’ve lost count of how many bikes I’ve broken-in. I worked as a Mechanical Engineer for over 50 years. I’ve never blown an engine. But I’m also slow. Two of my current bikes have NCR big bore race engines.
Here’s my Break-in procedure for a dry clutch engine. I also have trust issues. I had one new bike that didn’t have any oil in the engine.
Dump the factory oil before you ever start a new engine. I know it’s been run at the factory and dealer, but I can’t change that.
Replace the oil filter. Try to drop a small super magnet in the oil filter. If the filter is a cartridge style, do the best you can to get the magnet where it doesn’t get lost. The spin-on oil filter is easy. Drop the magnet down the middle. It can’t get sucked out. You’ll throw away the magnet with the dirty oil filter. The magnet will grab the metal dust that’s so fine the filter can’t stop it.
Put 8oz of Marvel Mystery oil in the fuel.
Refill the engine with Driven 15w/40 Diesel Break-in oil. Diesel oil is great for a motorcycle dry clutch engine.
Run the engine gently until it’s at operating temperature. Then run the engine moderately hard. Try to put a load on the engine with up hills if you can. Pretend you’re trying to impress your Mother in law with what a bad ... her daughter married. But don’t let her slide off the back.
After 100 miles, change the oil and filter again. Same break-in oil.
Ride it a little more aggressively but stay away from the redline and do not lug the engine. After 200 miles change the oil and filter again. Same break-in oil. Ride it like you normally ride for 300 miles.
Now you’re done with the break-in.
I prefer to use unleaded 100 octane race gas. Ethanol in pump gas is hard on the fuel system when it sets for very long. If you use pump gas, I would suck it out if the bike will set for a month or more. I also like to have Marvel Mystery oil in the fuel. It lubricants the fuel system and prevents rust. Unleaded race gas doesn’t have ethanol and it can set in the tank. I would still put fuel stabilizer in the fuel. If it will set for the Winter, drain the tank. Run a little more Marvel Mystery oil in the fuel before you drain it for the Winter. That puts more in the injectors and other fuel system parts for the Winter.
I use Red Line 20w/60 Power Sports oil in all my engines. I charge the oil every 500 to 600 miles. Except the 2 strokes.
Click to expand...

VYRUS said:
Well said. I’ll add my 2 cents worth. Everyone has their own antidotal stories that are worth next to nothing…. including mine. I’ve been riding and racing for 60 years. I’ve lost count of how many bikes I’ve broken-in. I worked as a Mechanical Engineer for over 50 years. I’ve never blown an engine. But I’m also slow. Two of my current bikes have NCR big bore race engines.
Here’s my Break-in procedure for a dry clutch engine. I also have trust issues. I had one new bike that didn’t have any oil in the engine.
Dump the factory oil before you ever start a new engine. I know it’s been run at the factory and dealer, but I can’t change that.
Replace the oil filter. Try to drop a small super magnet in the oil filter. If the filter is a cartridge style, do the best you can to get the magnet where it doesn’t get lost. The spin-on oil filter is easy. Drop the magnet down the middle. It can’t get sucked out. You’ll throw away the magnet with the dirty oil filter. The magnet will grab the metal dust that’s so fine the filter can’t stop it.
Put 8oz of Marvel Mystery oil in the fuel.
Refill the engine with Driven 15w/40 Diesel Break-in oil. Diesel oil is great for a motorcycle dry clutch engine.
Run the engine gently until it’s at operating temperature. Then run the engine moderately hard. Try to put a load on the engine with up hills if you can. Pretend you’re trying to impress your Mother in law with what a bad ... her daughter married. But don’t let her slide off the back.
After 100 miles, change the oil and filter again. Same break-in oil.
Ride it a little more aggressively but stay away from the redline and do not lug the engine. After 200 miles change the oil and filter again. Same break-in oil. Ride it like you normally ride for 300 miles.
Now you’re done with the break-in.
I prefer to use unleaded 100 octane race gas. Ethanol in pump gas is hard on the fuel system when it sets for very long. If you use pump gas, I would suck it out if the bike will set for a month or more. I also like to have Marvel Mystery oil in the fuel. It lubricants the fuel system and prevents rust. Unleaded race gas doesn’t have ethanol and it can set in the tank. I would still put fuel stabilizer in the fuel. If it will set for the Winter, drain the tank. Run a little more Marvel Mystery oil in the fuel before you drain it for the Winter. That puts more in the injectors and other fuel system parts for the Winter.
I use Red Line 20w/60 Power Sports oil in all my engines. I charge the oil every 500 to 600 miles. Except the 2 strokes.
Click to expand...

The thing with new ducati's is running in the valve train. If it's a rebuild with fresh rings, warm it up and ride it like you stole it. You want to load the rings up. Friction not heat. So short burst's of wide open throttle is good. On the twins ducati used a top ring that twists a little so initially it's presenting more of an edge at the top of the ring. This is why ducati's with a factory ring pack are so easy to get a ring seal on. I assume this is the same on the fours but I've not seen one apart yet. Honing (particularly with nikasil) is an art. I've watched my buddy straighten rat chevy bores with a CK-10 a bunch. Takes patience and skill.
 
I only use latte for the break in period.

Drain all fluids from the bike, before running it. Then refill everything with latte. Run the bike for five miles, it's essential to bounce the engine off the limiter for every single mile. This should ensure the rings have a good opportunity to get proper 'latte seal'. Now, drain all the latte, refill everything with the magnetic fluid from your R8 magnaride shock absorbers. Run the bike for 18.75 miles, but never go above 1,750 revs. This allows the air filter to really bed into the airfilter holder.
Replace all brake lines and seat pad.

Once this is done, new fairings and engine. Your break in is complete.

Thank me later ..... 👌
 
RickD996 said:
I only use latte for the break in period.

Drain all fluids from the bike, before running it. Then refill everything with latte. Run the bike for five miles, it's essential to bounce the engine off the limiter for every single mile. This should ensure the rings have a good opportunity to get proper 'latte seal'. Now, drain all the latte, refill everything with the magnetic fluid from your R8 magnaride shock absorbers. Run the bike for 18.75 miles, but never go above 1,750 revs. This allows the air filter to really bed into the airfilter holder.
Replace all brake lines and seat pad.

Once this is done, new fairings and engine. Your break in is complete.

Thank me later ..... 👌
Click to expand...

Any issues with running in with orange mocha Frappuccino?
 
Here is the oil from my V4S after track day in March:

CJYiJay.jpg


Not sure if those particles are clutch material or what. Didn't beat on her too badly either. Started looking for a replacement engine on Ebay just to make me feel better about the next oil change after upcoming track day in Sept.

Did a wonderfully gentle break-in during pandemia and also vigorous oil and filter changes. She only has 9k on the odometer and no launching or over-rev hooligan stunts. Adhering to break-in procedures is calming to the nerves, but having spent a lot of time on the Autobahn wear and tear is wear and tear on parts.

Got to invest in an engine stand I guess for my upcoming adventure with this platform.
 
Last edited:

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