New bike running in
Discussion
Obviously I'm going to ask the dealer Saturday morning, but what the opinion? Is running in a new bike, old school, should be done, or imperitive?
I would automatically think "run it in properly"
But only doing around 3000 miles or so a year, I'm gonna spend 4 months runing it in! or do I just go for a dozen laps of the M25?
Life is so difficult sometimes...
I would automatically think "run it in properly"
But only doing around 3000 miles or so a year, I'm gonna spend 4 months runing it in! or do I just go for a dozen laps of the M25?
Life is so difficult sometimes...

Every brand new bike I've had has had the first 120-150 miles at 6,000 rpm and then let it loose. Most modern engines do not need running in per se.
Just take it easy for a little while then give it the berries and get the oil changed at 600 miles (should be a freebee running in service) from the supplying dealer......the fastest engines are ones caned from new.
Just take it easy for a little while then give it the berries and get the oil changed at 600 miles (should be a freebee running in service) from the supplying dealer......the fastest engines are ones caned from new.
Edited by Andy OH on Tuesday 26th June 15:02
When I ran in mine...I could detect vibration at the point where the engine needed `run in` so to speak...so I just progressively rolled on the throttle until it hit the vibes around 6K or whatever the bike needs...then shifted...I built up the strenth of the roll on`s until I was nearly full throttle..then done the same upto 7,then..8..9..etc....after a while I gave it some proper beans..they say at the end it needs to be opened up fully to let the engine know it`s operating range..so to speak...& they say a harder run in period is good for it`s power output..the brake pads will need the same sort of care to bed them in as will a careful eye on how the tyres are scrubbing in...I suppose everyone has slightly different takes on it...
virgil said:
or do I just go for a dozen laps of the M25?
That's the worst thing you could do....
Just take it easy for the first 50-100 miles or so, to let everything bed in , tyres, seals, brake pads n pistons etc., and in particular the clutch and then just ride it on mixed roads at lots of varying speeds, rather than one constant speed on a motorway. Only 2 critical things for running-in is don't take it too close to the rev limit, and don't labour the engine.
In fact labouring the engine is the real no-no more than anything, and use progressive throttle openings, rather than snapping it open too much in the first 5-600 miles.
Other than that just ride it.
Edited by aeropilot on Tuesday 26th June 15:58
Edited by aeropilot on Tuesday 26th June 16:00
sjwb said:
And at what point will you be running in the supension, tyres, brakes, transmission? Give it a chance to bed in and observe the manufacturer's recommendations.
If you have ever raced you will know that brake pads take about a lap on a track to bed in, on the road roughly about 15-20 miles but not traililng the brake as this will glaze the pads, with new tyres take it easy for about 40-50 miles and then crank it over and I've never heard of running in the suspension & transmission
that's a new one on me.aeropilot said:
Just take it easy for the first 50-100 miles or so, to let everything bed in , tyres, seals, brake pads n pistons etc., and in particular the clutch and then just ride it on mixed roads at lots of varying speeds, rather than one constant speed on a motorway. Only 2 critical things for running-in is don't take it too close to the rev limit, and don't labour the engine.
In fact labouring the engine is the real no-no more than anything, and use progressive throttle openings, rather than snapping it open too much in the first 5-600 miles.
Other than that just ride it.
I think this man has echoed what I said originally In fact labouring the engine is the real no-no more than anything, and use progressive throttle openings, rather than snapping it open too much in the first 5-600 miles.
Other than that just ride it.

Edited by Andy OH on Tuesday 26th June 17:00
The main thing you are running in is the gearbox so it is key not to labour the engine, keep it spinning and don't use full throttle low in the rev range. We proved this with two new 600rr's recently one got properly thrashed from day one the other was treated as above. The thrached one had a noticeably worse gearchange the engines were both fine!!
aeropilot said:
That's the worst thing you could do....
Just take it easy for the first 50-100 miles or so, to let everything bed in , tyres, seals, brake pads n pistons etc., and in particular the clutch and then just ride it on mixed roads at lots of varying speeds, rather than one constant speed on a motorway. Only 2 critical things for running-in is don't take it too close to the rev limit, and don't labour the engine.
In fact labouring the engine is the real no-no more than anything, and use progressive throttle openings, rather than snapping it open too much in the first 5-600 miles.
Other than that just ride it.
That's more or less how I run mine in, the odd gentle razz up the rev range in the lower gears, and no labouring in the higher gears.
Just take it easy for the first 50-100 miles or so, to let everything bed in , tyres, seals, brake pads n pistons etc., and in particular the clutch and then just ride it on mixed roads at lots of varying speeds, rather than one constant speed on a motorway. Only 2 critical things for running-in is don't take it too close to the rev limit, and don't labour the engine.
In fact labouring the engine is the real no-no more than anything, and use progressive throttle openings, rather than snapping it open too much in the first 5-600 miles.
Other than that just ride it.
Must admit I've run-in every single new bike I've owned exactly as recommended in the handbook (which was 1500 miles on the Duke and took all my will power
). Modern bikes can go well even within the running in limits, and I see no reason to do otherwise if you plan on keeping the bike a good while. If you intend to change every year or two I suppose you could take a diiferent view.
). Modern bikes can go well even within the running in limits, and I see no reason to do otherwise if you plan on keeping the bike a good while. If you intend to change every year or two I suppose you could take a diiferent view.Ah well, perhaps I wasted all that time developing brakes for high performance vehicles and should have listened to the sage advice given here! That would have saved the company lots of money on validation and testing. However, I think the warranty bills would have told us otherwise.
Top choice of bike.
Best advice for running in the 1050 is to be reasonable nice to it until the 500 miles service and try and stay close to the recommended revs, however as said above better to let it go over the revs than to let it labour. Try not to sit at the same revs all the time (ie don't do 500 miles at 70 mph in top on the motorway to run it in - vary the riding if possible). After the 500 mile service it is pretty much run it should be fine to treat as you like.
(I know a few techie types at Triumph)
S...
Best advice for running in the 1050 is to be reasonable nice to it until the 500 miles service and try and stay close to the recommended revs, however as said above better to let it go over the revs than to let it labour. Try not to sit at the same revs all the time (ie don't do 500 miles at 70 mph in top on the motorway to run it in - vary the riding if possible). After the 500 mile service it is pretty much run it should be fine to treat as you like.
(I know a few techie types at Triumph)
S...
I ran my GSX-R600 in really hard, up to 90% of rev range from the get go, full throttle for short bursts. Never laboured it at full throttle/low revs never sustained high revs for long. Changed the oil at 500 and 1000 miles for a cheap mineral and used it properly hard. Then put in synthetic at 2000 miles.
My main concern is getting big combustion pressure for short bursts (max torque) to get those rings cut into the bores while the factory bore honing is still sharp whilst considering the tight big ends and main bearings which will overheat and maybe turn due to heat generated at max torque.
It never used a drop of oil, revved hard and was quick enough on trackdays for people on GSX-R750s to wonder if it was a 750 engine in there, even at snetterton. I sold it with about 10k miles on and it was a fantastic engine.
This whole 6k for 150 miles BS is purely to keep warranty claims down in the case of a meathead flogging it flat out at 180mph for 10 miles.
My biggest concern with a new bike is that the brakes don't work
My new GSX-R1000 took over 100 miles of twisty roads before the brakes got any sort of bite.
Tyres scrub in quickly enough if you make sure and lean the thing a little more, a little more a little more over the first few tens of miles.
If you pussy around with it you'll just glaze over that bore honing before it's had a chance to bed the rings in and you'll end up with something that uses oil and has less power than it should. But much worse than that you've been seen riding like a pussy...
Oh, it's a Ducati is it.... I'd take it easy mate...
SM
My main concern is getting big combustion pressure for short bursts (max torque) to get those rings cut into the bores while the factory bore honing is still sharp whilst considering the tight big ends and main bearings which will overheat and maybe turn due to heat generated at max torque.
It never used a drop of oil, revved hard and was quick enough on trackdays for people on GSX-R750s to wonder if it was a 750 engine in there, even at snetterton. I sold it with about 10k miles on and it was a fantastic engine.
This whole 6k for 150 miles BS is purely to keep warranty claims down in the case of a meathead flogging it flat out at 180mph for 10 miles.
My biggest concern with a new bike is that the brakes don't work
My new GSX-R1000 took over 100 miles of twisty roads before the brakes got any sort of bite. Tyres scrub in quickly enough if you make sure and lean the thing a little more, a little more a little more over the first few tens of miles.
If you pussy around with it you'll just glaze over that bore honing before it's had a chance to bed the rings in and you'll end up with something that uses oil and has less power than it should. But much worse than that you've been seen riding like a pussy...
Oh, it's a Ducati is it.... I'd take it easy mate...
SM
I've always run everything in by the book (owners manual) which included a full 2000 mile effort recommended by the ZX12R manual. Having read this I think I might give the ZZR14 a bit more stick! It just feels so brutal to thrash from new, like it does to thrash from cold or is that a good idea too these days?
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff



