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Cruiser
Posts: 251
| Hey All I have never owned a new, right from the assembly line, motocycle before. However, I am sure that the initial "breaking-in" period must be very important. I am wondering, how everyone has brought their Vision through the breaking-in period? Thanks |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | I agree the first 500 miles or so is very important on most engines and will save a lot of heart-ache. I say as long as you don't drag race, rev heavy on the throttle or somehow otherwise mistreat it the first 500 you'll be alright. My first oil change was at 600 miles and I had got stuck in a traffic jam for about 5 miles on an 80 degree day in NC in November when I had the stalling issue. 33K miles later still running great, better than new! |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 965
New York State | My dealer said shift often ,keep the tach moving and avoid long highway rides at a constant spped. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 204
guelph ontario | The owners manuel describes exactly how the break in period should be done. I'd go with that. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 97
Brighton, Colorado | Have had 16 motorcycles in my life. All purchased new. Didn't have ANY problems during break in or thereafter. Never babied the throttle, didn't run at constant speeds for prolonged periods, didn't "red line" it through the gears. Fairly aggressive through the gears. Changed oil after 500 or 600 miles. On most of the bikes, I could feel a difference in performance after the break-in. After that.......KATY BAR THE DOORS! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 273
| Gerica - 2009-01-29 12:24 PM
Hey All I have never owned a new, right from the assembly line, motocycle before. However, I am sure that the initial "breaking-in" period must be very important. I am wondering, how everyone has brought their Vision through the breaking-in period? Thanks
Ride it like you stole it. I've never had a problem doing that except with a Ducati the factory put the wrong rings in.
Boy, did I ever smoke up Deal's Gap and Gatlinburg.  |
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Tourer
Posts: 400
| there is a section in the manual for engine break in. |
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Tourer
Posts: 311
Atlanta Area | I have had many new bikes over the years. Every time I babied one, I had problems with the motor down the road. Every bike I have broken in aggressively has been perfect. Including my Vision. My dealer even told me to ride it like I stole it. They warned me not to run at steady speeds/rpms for any length of time.... IMHO, of course. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | Every Victory motorcycle is run on a chassis dyno as the last station on the assembly line at the factory. Every one. I believe I also heard the tour guide say that every engine is dynoed at the engine plant in Wisconsin before being sent to Spirit Lake to be installed in a bike. In other words, these things have already been run a bit before you get them. Personally, I've run every new bike I've ever had just like I'm going to ride it. I've never had any problems. The first oil change at 500 miles is more important than how hard you run the bike. Also, use varying speeds and varying throttle initially. Open her up for short bursts of speed. That promotes a good ring seal. In other words, break it in like you're going to ride it. If you're really paranoid about your new baby, just follow the break-in procedure in your owners manual. Enjoy. These things are meant to be ridden, not just rolled out into the driveway for the neighbors to see.
Ronnie |
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Cruiser
Posts: 297
VA | Gericia, I pondered this same quesion back in 2004 when I bought my first bike. Everyone has their own opinions, and I am sure this could turn out like an oil thread with everyone saying something different on the subject. The below link is a site that I found, and I talked to a few mechanics, although not bike mechanics, and they all agreed at least in theory, that this could be plausible.
Basically, ride it like you stole it is actually good for the engine because it causes more combustion in the chamber and seats the rings better than doing a factory recommended break in. But, like rdbudd pointed out, they dyno each engine before it leaves, so a lot of the "break in" might already be done at that point according to this article. The most important part of you do this other style of break in, is to change the oil very soon after you do it. Like 20 miles. This is something I have heard from many people, that easy or hard, the break in occurs very early, and most of the junk, like metal shavings, get into the oil very soon after you first ride it.
I don't claim that this is the correct way, but since the manual already states how to break it in, this is just another perspective. If nothing else, it is a really interesting article. I would definitely read the entire thing before you make a decision to try it. I did this to both my bikes. While I can't speak for the Vision, as I haven't run it against any other Vision, my Kawasaki ran really strong. I only had 12K when I sold it, but I felt that it ran really well, and I never had a problem with it.
I think either way, I don't think you'll "hurt" it whichever way you decide. I had a mechanic of 35+ years tell me that the tolerances of today versus even 10-15 years ago are incredible. The engines are just built with a lot tighter tolerances. Good luck from whatever you decide to do, and rest assured that however you do it, it won't really be wrong, and you may never notice the difference either way.
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
Marc
Edited by divesharc 2009-01-29 11:59 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 136
CALGARY ALBERTA | The big mistake most new V twin riders do is LUG it. Keep the RPM in the range and not below @ 1500 rpm while riding. You hear the riders in 4th gear dong 20 MPH and the engine is just banging. Don't baby it. Run it nice for the first 500 and find a little throttle every now and then.
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Cruiser
Posts: 204
guelph ontario | Some of the stuff in the mototune site seems extreme-run it hard, change oil after 20 mi and replace original factory oil with petroleum oil before running at all-any other views on this. If you have issues and the dealer finds out that you ran it like is suggested I doubt they would honour the warranty. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 79
Austin, Texas | I had an almost 800 mile trip home from the dealer with the new bike. I followed the break in recommendations out of the manual specifically. I also stopped at 500 miles at a Walmart, bought a foil pan and used the oil change kit I had bought with the bike to change the oil in the Walmart parking lot. Pretty much obsessive/compulsive behavior, but made sure I stayed within the warranty guidelines. Time will tell about the benefits of this break in period (now at only 7K miles) but I can say the bike just gets better and better. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 297
VA | I admit that some of the ideas seem extreme, but I will say that it does make a certain amount of sense. I have changed the rings on a piston, and the spring tension is not very much, probably a few pounds as stated in the article. The pressure of the combustion seating or sealing the rings to the cylinder wall seems pretty believeable to me. I was kinda hoping that someone with more mechanical knowledge would refute or confirm the information, because I know there are a lot of people here with varied experience. Again, I don't claim that it's right or wrong, just what I read. I did it for my bike, and no ill effects thus far.
I will say that I can't imagine that a dealer would be able to tell the difference unless they took the engine apart. Even then, how could they make the argument that you "rode it too hard." I think that is part of the reason that they dyno the engine before install. They know that most people are going to get on it and gun it. I think that is almost human nature. Well, at least for most men anyways. Either way, just presented for intellectual digestion. |
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Tourer
Posts: 353
| divesharc - 2009-01-29 8:57 PM
Basically, ride it like you stole it is actually good for the engine because it causes more combustion in the chamber and seats the rings better than doing a factory recommended break in. But, like rdbudd pointed out, they dyno each engine before it leaves, so a lot of the "break in" might already be done at that point according to this article. The most important part of you do this other style of break in, is to change the oil very soon after you do it. Like 20 miles. This is something I have heard from many people, that easy or hard, the break in occurs very early, and most of the junk, like metal shavings, get into the oil very soon after you first ride it.
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
Marc
Rode my 1st bike a Suzuki Savage like I stole it, rode my 8-Ball like I stole it from the start and it runs great as I approach 20k miles, uses no oil between changes, (full syn with 5k miles interval), the ride home from the dealer with my Vision was done the mototuneusa method and it runs great also.
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Cruiser
Posts: 102
Madison, AL | I rode it like I stole it then change the oil at 50 miles, and again at 300, 1900, 2500. Now on a regular cycle of changing the oil around every 2,500 miles. Kind of depends on the travel I do on the bike. Stop and go to work and back I change the oil more often, taking long rides for pleasure or a trip, then I stretch out the interval a bit. I've done my other bikes, cars, trucks, etc. the same way and have never had problems. I read the article on mototuneusa.com and it make sense to me, but I had been told pretty much the same thing by family and friends years ago.
I'm a preventative maintenance guy and always get strange looks when I take a battery in that is a few year old and get a new one. The guy behind the counter will ask me if the batter is dead, I'll say no and then the strange looks start. I do not want to be the guy on the side of the road and never have been (except for a flat tire every now and then).
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Cruiser
Posts: 55
Las Vegas, NV | Well, i was a bit more timid during break in. My bike was the first "big bike" I ever owned. And I added the hot rod parts to it. The first few hundred miles, I was pretty gentle, but after I adjusted to having that much power, I started riding it harder. I had the 1st oil change done at 504 miles. Since then, through the 2k i've got on it now, it's getting more powerful and smoother with every mile. I enjoy riding with others and showing what the Vision can do pulling away from a light. Most Harley guys that first shook their heads at me approach me at the next light asking "what the hell is that thing, it left me standing still!".
I guess the morale of the story is, do what you're comfortable with. This is not a trailer bike. It loves to be ridden and can handle either style. |
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Getting a general concensus on how to....
