| Author | Message | ||
     Riclyd |
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm Any comments? | ||
| Diablobrian |
This is a hotly debated subject, with strong supporters on both sides. Kind of like the oil brand synthetic/dino debate, or tire debate. It is really up to you which method you want to use. No matter which way you go if you have problems the "other side" will say "told ya so". | ||
| Tpoppa |
I STRICTLY followed the break in proceedure in the manual. After 17,000 miles my XB9S run like a swiss watch. It makes very good power. After 3,000 miles my oil looks very clean, which tells me that the rings are sealed properly. | ||
| Jaimec |
Exactly. NOBODY knows more about that engine than Buell. I'm going to believe them in regards to break-in procedure over anybody else's ideas. I can endure 500 miles of "pain" to enjoy a lifetime of pleasure with the bike. 36,000 miles on my old Cyclone with no major engine worries. 5,600 miles on my XB12Ss with no worries whatsoever. I do the same thing with ALL of my bikes and I got 158,000 trouble free miles out of my BMW K100 (until it was stolen in 1995) and I have 96,000 trouble free miles on my K1200LT. Just as no one knows more than Buell about the Buell engine, no one knows more about BMW engines than BMW. | ||
| Josh_cox |
I would follow the Buell break in if you don't want to eat oil the whole time you have the bike. If you followed break in and still eat oil, check what version your valve seals are (they released an update to the old black ones. new are green and much better).An air cooled engine breaks in over time, for most, about 5,000 miles are put on before you stop getting metal shavings and such from the crankcase. But, after the first 500 or so, the engine is ready to run how you want. | ||
| 12r |
I read an interview with one of Ducati's chief engineers a while back and he said that new engines have to survive a number of tests including aflat out run for 6 minutes before they're put in a frame. Presumably Buell engines are run up in similar way which kindof makes that first ride somewhat less critical  | ||
| Diablobrian |
All buells are at least ridden up through the gears on the rollers before they are allowed to leave the factory. So even if you personally take it out of the crate you are not the first to ride your new bike.  | ||
| Chadhargis |
When I toured the factory, I personally witnessed them put every bike on the dyno and run it to redline in just about every gear. FRESH OFF THE LINE!! This is a clear indication that the factory specified break in procedure is there for two reasons. 1) Legal - Can you imagine the law suits piling up if Buell recommended you run your engine to redline over and over for the first 50 miles and a few dimwits ended up in a ditch. 2) Maintenance - No all owners do their own maintenance. It would cost Buell a few sales if they recommended you change the oil at 50 miles and again at 500 miles, and yet again at 1000 miles. It's your bike, do what you want with it. But I believe Motoman has some empirical evidence that shows his way is best. | ||
| Jaimec |
Maybe, but "Motoman" has nothing to lose if you destroy your engine. As I said earlier: 500 miles of "pain" is a small price to pay for a lifetime of happiness. Follow the factory break-in procedure. | ||
| Dago |
I followed the break-in procedure to the T, and my perfectly maintained engine cratered at 11,000 miles. So I tried a different route with my new bike. It was broken in on the dyno gradually over 2 days with many heat cycles and a gradual increase in rpms during each run. I've yet to see another one run as strongly as mine on the dyno or the track. | ||
| Buelltroll |
I TRIED to follow the break in. But my first ride home from the dealer was 300 miles of superslab so it lasted all of about 3 minutes before I cranked it up. 13 thousand miles later it hasn't grenaded yet. I personally think its BS. | ||
| Debueller |
I also TRIED to follow the break in also. After 50 miles I couldn't handle it anymore and floged the Uly up to Crystal Mtn ski area. About 2500' elevation climb in 10 miles of rough curvey pavement. I was just careful about high sustained RPM's 17k miles later and my bike runs excellent and uses virtually no oil between changes. | ||
| Kurosawa |
I don't know and don't care how mine got broke in. It cost 10,995 new and I got it 3600 miles and 2 years later for 6100, so somebody else paid 4,895 for the pleasure of breaking it in. All I paid for was the bike. | ||
| Bake |
I followed break in on both my Laverda and Buell, the Laverda is now 32 years old and running like a champ as well as the internals were in great shape 3 years ago. I hope the Buell will give me the same decent life. | ||
| Bumblebee |
Motoman is right. Run it hard. Fly at full throttle. Zoom. A coupe of caveats here tho…if the rings get too hot they will loose temper and collapse, then your engine will never break in properly. It’ll be an oil burner. They way Buell tells you to do it will tend to encourage lugging the engine; this is also a bad thing. I always told people to “just ride it normally” and avoid traffic congestion for the first 500 or so miles. No extended full throttle time, no traffic jams. This graduated not over this RPM for this long, then not over that RPM for this long...is all wrong. | ||
| Curtyd |
Warm it up, turn it off, warm it up longer, turn it off. RIDE IT, let it cool down, ride it a little longer, cool down...and then I just rode it home the 60 miles or so from where I bought it and just kept riding it after that, bounced it off the rev-limiter a few times in the first 100 miles or so, fairly easy enough, because I feel you have to run an engine at all RPM and loads to properly break it in. This XB9S and my M2 didn't seem to use much oil and didn't smoke, so a good sign they broke in well, for an air-cooled motor. Oh, I forgot, after you feel it's broken in, and it doesn't feel "tight" anymore, change oil in both cavities, external tank (with filter) and primary. I usually wait until about 1000 to 1500 miles, but I have done it at 500 and at 900 or so, because i just couldn't wait. (Message edited by CURTYD on June 27, 2006) | ||
| Chasespeed |
I agree THUROUGHLY with hard break in... Have done this on EVERY engine...with only one ill-result(on a dyno, during testing, tuner/operator fault, not engine).... Chase | ||
| Aesquire |
I'm not sure about motoman's ideas on ring seating. It is critical to both power & oil consumption. I, myself, did my best to keep to the Buell recommended rpm limits, ( and went start raving nuts, but no one noticed ) with brief near full throttle blips under load after 50 & 100 miles. I agree that the factory break in encourages lugging the engine too much, and that common sense is the best guide. I DO believe that running under load is far far better than unloaded revving. When I put a new ring/cylinder set together, honed or new, I'll try the motoman way, & see for myself. I really, really, totally agree with the idea to change oil early & often during break in. Even in the age of "it'll give you cancer!" I feel the used oil & use a magnifier to look for metal on my fingers. I changed oil about 4 times before I hit 500 miles. It's Cheap to keep the motor clean during the initial wear period. I also went synthetic @ about 1000 miles, & do not regret that. While on the subject of religion, I have buds that insist the Illuminati do not hold sway over the Mason's, no matter what the "Davinci Code" author thinks. I'll bet he likes dino oil till 5000 miles. | ||
| S2pengy |
Engines are run and trany tested when assembled .... Used to be at the Capital drive plant but I believe they are at the kansas city plant now... Fun to watch but no red line... | ||
| Metalstorm |
I have only two rules for break in. Rule #1 Don't lug it Rule #2 Don't bounce it off the rev limiter I always change the motor oil as soon as I get a new bike home, usually a 30-50 mile ride depending on location of dealer. After another hundred miles of riding I change the engine oil again plus the primary oil. | ||
| Tunes |
I always follow the manufacturer's recommended break-in procedure. | ||
| Ulendo |
go over to ADVRider, and read 'eeyores tale' in the beasts section ( ULY break in)... 'by the owners manual' is not necessarily a good thing. | ||
| Nasty73z |
David, the only Buell mechanic in Oklahoma City I trust, told me when I bought mine that I should not follow the factory break-in. He said during some of the Buell tech meetings or training seminars he's gone to the issue had come up and it was said that the engine broke in better when given more RPM after the first hundred or so miles. So I didn't baby mine, but I didn't run the piss out of it like I do sometimes now. I still saw 5-6K RPM occasionally, but always when accelerating smoothly and never bouncing it off the rev limiter. Mine runs very strong to say the least.  BTW if you need any service work done here in OKC, Dave(David) @ H-D World is the man. |
