[sagarpadaki]

I think break-in is more for the rider than the bike. The rider needs to acclimatize to the riding position, engine characteristics, handling and braking of the new bike. Not so much from the bike and its mechanical components itself. The Tyres, brakes and suspension will bed in a couple of hundred kms.

[jerk_free]

Another informative video about the Run in or Break in process.

Some notable points from the video

1. With modern, newer vehicles, Running-in is not really to be worried about

2. Change your oil once halfway before the 1st recommended oil change

3. Driving in traffic helps you achieve differnet RPMs and Speeds - which is what you do for Run in

4. Just don't go full crazy with a newer vehicle.

http://youtu.be/dH2b8AMUyOQ?si=x0rZwIIzFQSMqKrB

[Sensible_Speed]

The Revzilla video with Ari Henning explains that current motorcycles are produced to great standards, so riding it normally when new won't do it any harm at all. This means, not revving the nuts off the engine or holding high or low RPMs constantly. The recommendation in the manual also roughly translates to this I guess. It says don't be constant with throttle input. Mix it up a bit within the limits.

[t3rm1n80r]

I think yes.

My CB300R's engine smoothness was very unHonda like prior to it's first service. After that the engine became noticably smoother.
I've heard/read that even the Himalayan 450s engine gets better with usage.

If that's the case, then one definitely needs to be on the cautious side and follow the owners manual. The difference between a carefully run-in engine and a maniacally run-in engine might be negligible, but for those 0.00...1% cases, being careful might save some bigger expenses later on.

Btw here's a good video on the same topic. The engine in consideration is a Honda, the results might vary for different manufacturers.

https://Youtu.be/xpoglovyy_8?si=FHD8QxdLuAmphumU

Another very good video by F9 on similar topic:

https://Youtu.be/9GAUo8eUXeU?si=qmLjFoiJ0oJuksKp

[MT_Hyderabad]

It is not about metallurgy or precision alone. It is about fuel and engine oil as well.

Factory fills break-in oil initially, but fuel is not controlled. With premix ethanol and other impurities, I will be cautious for the first 500 kms. After that, it will break in more or less without any particular care.

[Cresterk]

With modern engines it’s not really required unless it’s some high end, very high performance car or bike.
Apparently, they tried to get rid of the break in period in manuals but they were flooded with complaints from disbelieving folks who meant well. And telling someone that their new purchase isn’t considered “high end” enough to require a break in period was bad optics for customer satisfaction.

What matters more than the break in period is your first oil and filter change. Do that within 1-3k kms despite whatever the manual tells you and you will be doing way more good for the car.

[BullettuPaandi]

First oil change is still recommended relatively sooner than usual. This alone is enough to say that breaking-in is still required. If we inspect the drained engine oil on the 1st service, I bet we'd still find impurities in it - more than usual considering the distance run, freshness of the oil etc. This is because, depending on the manufacturing conditions, there may be any number & variety of impurities.

It may be true that with modern engineering, manufacturers are able to achieve 'tighter tolerances' - it sounds like a fair assumption. But I don't know if this applies to mass production of the engines in general. May be those novel methods would reduce production rate if applied for all parts; and so are designated only for intricate ones that demand those. I'm just guessing - but only this sounds like a safe assumption to me.

Adding to @MT_Hyderabad's post above, breaking-in is not only for properly seating the piston in the cylinder. Every single part of the engine is new to the various stresses they'd be under, different oil pressures, heat levels, etc. There's a lot of 'bedding' that happen during this - speaking of which, worth mentioning that the brakes also need to be bed-in. 'Break-in' can also be seen as you, yourself breaking-in with the motorcycle!

All that said, I don't actually strictly adhere to the recommendation in the manual. I think varying the RPM, including all the way to the red line,from just about above idle (to avoid lugging) helps break-in more effectively. The reason being, varying the RPM puts all of the components through the various stresses, pressures and heat levels that I'd mentioned. I bed the breaks simultaneously during this, until I see clean circles of residue on the disc. I think, manufacturers take the more gradual, longer approach in their recommendation as they can't suggest users to ride at higher engine speeds on road.

Basically, I only see 'break-in period' as being mindful of what we're doing & resisting the temptation to just enjoy the ride.

[true_sedan]

Here's my take:

1) The first 300 kilometres is the most important. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to the T.

2) 300-500 kilometres, increase the RPMs gradually. But most of the time(say 90%) stay within the RPM band specified by the manufacturer.

3) Between 500-1500 kilometres, occasional bursts of speed can be done. Say you can accelerate from 40-80 kmph and 60-100 kmph rapidly. But no flat foot acceleration.

4) Last and most important step - avoid flat footing or outright acceleration for the first 1500 kilometres. Your 0-100 kmph time test can wait.

This has worked well for me so far. I have a 2013 i20 diesel which has run 1,25,000 lakh kilometres and the engine is still buttery smooth.

[blogslogger]

Umm sorry to be 'that person' but I see most of the posts being from a car perspective. Bikes are different. The single & dual cylinder engines need a few thousand revs to set properly. And most of the bikes I know are purring at less than 6k rpm at 80. Which is way less than the redline of 8–12k most bikes have. So regular style of riding would be sufficient.

Burnouts, stoppies and wheelies are not recommended during the lifetime of the bike ( but YOLO right!). So to answer OP's question, nothing special in terms of riding is required. Just make sure you're not at the red line.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by blogslogger

Umm sorry to be 'that person' but I see most of the posts being from a car perspective. Bikes are different.

I was wondering the exact same thing. Thank you for making that point. In my mind, running in a bike is more about getting the bike and the rider mated. I run in all my used bikes similarly. And I definitely believe an extra infusion of fresh oil quickly, early on in the process (around 750-1000 km) does wonders for your engine. Oil is much cheaper than engine parts.

Cheers, Doc

[blogslogger]

Originally Posted by ebonho

I And I definitely believe an extra infusion of fresh oil quickly, early on in the process (around 750-1000 km) does wonders for your engine. Oil is much cheaper than engine parts.

Very true. A master mechanic I know and KTM suggests Mineral Oil for the first two changes. Something to do with better 'cleansing' and seating of the piston.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by blogslogger

Very true. A master mechanic I know and KTM suggests Mineral Oil for the first two changes. Something to do with better 'cleansing' and seating of the piston.

That definitely used to be true in the old days with Bullet rebuilds. I think new bikes like KTMs with hardened cylinder liners do not come from the factory with mineral oil. That said, all bikes get a pre factory roll out test where the throttle is whacked open. Much like the old Bullet mechanics in my previous post. That's all it really takes for the piston oil rings to seat properly. Permanently.

Cheers, Doc

[VW2010]

Break-in for the rider to get used to the bike is one main factor for the first 1000 km. Just getting used to the balance, braking limits, or testing the safe limits of the bikes. What changes at 1001 km to suddenly ride it differently, makes no sense if the reason is the engine is suddenly set and good to be whacked open.

Every new bike I have owned I have always ensured only one thing. No constant rpm for prolonged time and prefer squidding inside city vs cruising in highway during the early days.

[VijayAnand1]

This topic would simply be deemed as beating a dead horse, with the resounding aspect of gumption. Google would simply yield a thousand pages on why it's important and better to have a given motor bed-in or run-in, the pros outweigh the cons if any.

Modern engines simply don't need to be run-in, what they simply need is engine ethics. The usage pattern might vary depending on whether the person is experienced, intermediate or a complete noob when it comes to engine ethics. Now, why engine ethics matters is primarily related to the "nut" that connects the bars (as in motorcycles) or a steering wheel (in case of a cage).

Almost 99.9% of the vehicles today that run off the line are redlined in the factory for QC and then dispatched accordingly. Running-in simply means stop over-revving and that's the ethics and essence of it. By riding within the RPM, varying the RPM and never riding at constant speeds -- this way the engine goes through varying heat/friction cycles which help parts mate better, that's all there is to it.

Pampering hasn't helped, not will it help, it's just an old wives tale for zillion year old school engines.

The mantra is: Ride/drive as you normally would, just don't over-rev. Keep the engine ethics in mind and there's no tale to worry about.

Cheers!
VJ

[HillMan]

From my experience of owning 2 & 4 wheelers in the last 3 decades one thing I have learned. Whatever manufacturers may claim about precision engineering, break-in is important. Not all components are made of the same material and with the same precision. Piston, bore and rings are not the only components that need break-in. These complex engineered machines with hundreds of moving parts all tightly coupled. A small difference in timing, gap in spark plug, jet nozzle spray performance, gears, everything matters.
Rough use will spoil the engine. You can be enthusiastic and push the limits once in a while, but these vehicles are not intended for sustained high speeds. Constant high rpm will cause long term damage and you will feel the difference every time you start the vehicle. This is for post break-in as well. Engine oil change has a very positive effect on the smoothness, however temporary, as it helps remove metal shavings left over from the manufacturing process, the oil circulates through the filter without much resistance.
My way of doing it is to just keep the RPM/speed in check as per the manufacturer recommendations. Once in a while going above limits won't hurt either, for example if you have to overtake another vehicle or just came across a nice wide open stretch.
It has two purposes:
1- You get to know your machine better. The feel of the power bands and right gear for the speed.
2- Peace of mind that you showed some care and the machine will treat you well in return.