Just go easy on it and not redline. Don't keep it at one speed or gear for the whole 500 miles. I have always used premium but probably not necessary. His advise is extra careful so you don't break something. He fiqures you will go harder on it then what he recommends. They treat us like children. Break it in like a car. don't rev the piss out of it! High performance in this case means it works hard

OH congrats on the new bike. Remember everyone has an opinion on gas, oil , maintenance. The owners manual is your best bet unless you start modding heavily. Post picts.

 

Maybe he meant to say "High Revving?"

Just peg it to the limiter as you are leaving and watch his expression!!!
Lol, just kidding!! Everything Z said works, but some will tell you to ride it like you stole it, so whatever you feel comfortable with!

 

Thanks for the help, I plan on practicing with it a lot before I actually take it on the road so I don't think I'll be practicing long enough to keep it at any rpm for too long of a time.

And I'm gonna go with 87 unless I start hearing some pinging or other signs that it needs 91. I laughed when he called it a high performance engine, and then I missed my Mustang a bit more as I drove home in my beater 86 Accord :sad:

 

lol, yup, Z's hit it on the head! For your reference, I've never run anything but 85 in my 250.... At 5,000 feet, there just isn't enough air to warrant more octane... Not sure what you're elevation is, but 87 should do you just right...

The different schools of thought about breaking in an engine:

Baby-it: Don't go over a certain RPM, vary the revs below that limit, and don't ride it for extended periods of time. This theory hinges on the idea of heat-cycles. Heat-cycles is a term used to reference the heating and cooling of the engine, and the corresponding wear on the various parts. The rings and pistons have to mold to the cylinder wall on a microscopic level. In addition to this, the heat cycles are also supposed to heat-treat the rings and make for a proper seal.

Ride it like ya stole it: The idea here is with the improvement in materials and manufacturing techniques, the aluminum and steel in your engine doesn't change much with heat cycles, and that creating lots of explosion right off the bat will seat the piston rings better than the Baby-it break-in period would. The problem with this method is that a new engine does shave quite a bit of filings off of itself in the first 1,000 miles or so, and if you go crazy with the revving, some of those fillings could get into a bearing. It is recommended you not go more than 300 miles per oil change on this break-in method. To get to your first 1,000 miles then, it will require at least 3 oil changes....

So, you decide. I used the factory recommended "baby-it" method and my bike is still running nice and strong 47,000 miles later. Felix tried the "ride-it-like-ya-stole-it" and spun a big-end bearing at 12,000 miles or so (I can't remember exactly). There are many stories supporting both arguments though.

Essentially, what it comes down to is proper maintenance of the engine. Irrespective of which break-in method you use, keep the oil fresh in the beginning, and keep up on maintenance and your bike will outlast your desire to ride it....

 

In the manual it says go ez when new.But on the test stand in the factory it's a different story.I've seen it and hate it.

They full throtled it, redlined it. Abuse as hard as the engine can do.All that on a brand new engine for at least 3km (5-10min).



Speaking of breaking-in,eh?

 

Speaking of breaking-in,eh?

I hate you eric... more pics?

Oh and yeah your engine is bench tested like a little bitch... its a load of crap the break in... but then again I did spin a bearing at 12k

Felix

 

I kinda panicked when I read some of the "break in" thoughts. I'm fairly certain I kept it under 6k RPM for the first 150 miles but freeway riding on that thing takes you up to 8/8.5k easily! And I freeway-ride most of my miles. So I know for a fact that I didn't keep it under 5k/6k RPM for the first 500 miles. I didn't, however, go crazy either. Every bike is gonna roll off the line slightly different anyway so it's hard to gauge what's going to happen to yours even if you treat it exactly like someone else treated theirs. I love this bike and it's running great so I'm going to assume I didn't do any damage. (LOL)

 

yeah the only way I can reasonably get 500 miles of riding without going on the freeway for too long is to ride through every street in the Sacramento area for at least 2-3 hours a day and double on the weekends.

I'm going to do what I've read and ride it like I plan on normally riding it without speeding it around. I'm a total newb so I want to get at least 50-75 miles in my parking lot before I take the streets and start driving it to work regularly and then I want to get at least 150-200 miles before I take it on the freeway regularly. I'm basing that on whether I feel safe and comfortable enough.

 

Yorchi, Do what the motorcycle safety courses recommend: Take a few cones out to a high school parking lot (since they're out for summer) and practice cornering, quick stops, etc. It's good practice for even seasoned riders.

 

There is a really big parking lot directly in front of where I live. Like across the street. I practice my turns and quick stops on the straights and can get it to 3rd and 4th gear if I wanted to.

I measured out a 'box' and use that to practice the u-turns and figure 8's so I have plenty of room to practice and I know what to practice which isn't the issue. I used sidewalk chalk to make lines and marks because I don't like taking things with me when I ride around so I don't wanna take a stack of cones or cut up tennis balls. The sidewalk chalk works for me and it's easily removable in case I ever have to remove it so I won't get in trouble or anything.

My strategy to learn and break the bike in is this:

1) Ride my parking lot until I know that road like the back of my hand.

2) Practice everything that makes me nervous about my bike until I feel confident about it (slow tight turns in 1st/2nd gear to master my clutch/throttle control)

3) Learn everything about my bike by spending at least 75 miles in a controlled environment

4) Get at least 75 miles before I even attempt to drive it in the streets in a regular scenario like going to work or coming home from work

5) Get at least 150 miles before I even think about riding on the freeway

6) Ride around normally and without pushing myself or the bike until I get 500 miles and do my first oil change. Then ride around as far as I want but comfortably and always within my skill limit until I do my second oil change at 1,000 miles.

7) Have fun!

 

This is what I call my Newb Track...none of the buildings where you see the red line are occupied so I'm pretty much able to do what I want without worrying about people or cars in my way.

 

Hooligan Track. Nice.

 

Haha I wonder if an experienced rider could actually take the turns pretty hard?

Nice! And some great hard-and-fast rules! If you stick to them, you will indeed be a very safe rider, and grow quite quickly!

What do you mean by hard-and-fast rules?

I drove further today. Actually got into traffic. Made a few turns at intersections, stalled once lol, messed up on a short left turn from an uphill stop, and got a few dead bugs on my helmet lol. I think I'll be ready to drive it to work next week when my tank bag comes in...so excited, I'm definitely gonna video tape it.

 

Nice! And some great hard-and-fast rules! If you stick to them, you will indeed be a very safe rider, and grow quite quickly!

 

Nice stuff Yorchi! I think what Spooph was trying to say is that the rules you have set for yourself are good and you are on the right track for learning correctly!
Here in Tasmania, you are not allowed to ride a bike on the road until you have completed a course for learners(held at a local school), and passed a multiple choice test. Then you are just left tot your devices until you go for your provisional license ata later date. While the courses are completed in a day each, you have to develop your skills by yourself, so wahat you are doing is very safe and well thought out!!

Well done!

 

oh...yeah that makes sense lol

I used to have a Mustang that I did all my crazy racing stuff in so now I don't feel that urge to do anything crazy or fast in vehicles. I'm totally over having a new nice car and am much more happy riding along in my little beater Accord. I don't have any urges to do anything dumb on the Ninja. I just wanna ride the bike and have fun doing it.