why, why, why . . .

[stonewall]

. . . must kawasaki torture me by limiting me to 4K RPM's till 500 miles?!?!  couldn't they put 500 miles of "break-in" on the powerplant before putting it in the bike somehow? 

luckily, the heavy rain was gone this a.m. when i got up.  unfortunately, the wind was howling like mad.  regardless, i bundled up and hopped on to ride.  gotta get this thing broken in quick.  road most the day off and on.  didn't check before i came inside a minute ago, but i got around 100 miles on the bike.  definitely getting used to the feel, handling, and seating position.  i absolutely love how you literally feel like you're part of this bike.  you're not on it, you're in it.  though, i was limited RPM-wise, i hit up some of the better twisties in my area (it's southeast GA so it's definitely not like the mountains).  there are a few backroads that will make you smile.  felt like i might as well have been on a straightaway cause this bike really straightened out those curves.  didn't get too crazy since the tires are still wearing off the newness.  but, i still carved it up a bit.

might look into that gel seat that sits a bit lower.  going to give what i got a shot till it's broken in then decided whether to invest in the other seat.

[Marty]

Stonewall,

You can wait for 500 miles if you would like.

However . . . . it is my humble opinion that you are wasting your time with that method of engine break-in.

I rode my Versys to the house - yes, I was observing the 4000 rpm rule as it had 1.2 miles on it when I left the dealership.  Once I got home, I changed the oil and oil filter.

Then I rode it nice and easy for the next heat cycle on the engine, limiting myself to 4000 rpms and 1/4 throttle.  Each time I went to slow down, I used the engine as my main brake by downshifting.  This helps the rings break-in.  I parked it and let it cool down completely.

On my next ride, I still observed the 4000 rpm barrier, but used up to 1/3 throttle and then the engine to slow down with.  I put it away and let it cool down completely.

Next came a short ride and 1/2 throttle, engine braking and cool down.

Then we did 2/3 throttle, engine braking and cool down.

Once again I changed my oil.  At this point I declared the engine as brokent in and started riding it up to 6000 rpm and up to 3/4 throttle.  I could feel the difference in the motor as it felt smoother and wanted to gain rpm much quicker.

When I reached 1000 miles, I once again changed oil.  In my opinion, oil and oil filters are cheap.  Keep good oil in the engine and keep it clean.

The bike pulls very hard all the way to 8000 rpm now and I'm very happy I used this method of break-in.  I've used this on 4 cycle race motors for many years and is very close to what many others recommend as a way to break-in a motor.

Of course, this is simply my opinion.

[Gustavo]

I have been using the racing approach to break-in since, well, since I started racing.  It actually works rather well on street bikes too.  My friend Marc put together a nice and easy to follow page, so I am not going to repeat it, just take a look at the info (and link to the MotoMan page) and decide if it's the right thing for you:

http://www.fjr1300.info/breakin.html

FWIW, I still have a V-Strom that was broken-in using this method, it has 60K miles and consumes no measurable oil between changes.

Cheers,


Gustavo

[stonewall]

thanks for the input, gentlemen.  i'll check out the link you gave gustavo.  i've got 190 miles on the bike right now.  supposed to get much colder the next few days down here in south GA so i probably won't ride to work in the a.m.  but, in the afternoons i'm going to hop on and ride.  might have to try the methods both of you suggest to speed up the process a bit.

[KLRKen]

extreme break in method..ride it like you stole it...lol

[stonewall]

extreme break in method..ride it like you stole it...lol

don't think i'm not tempted!   

but, they say good things come to those who wait.  guess a few more miles of tenderness will pay off in the long run. 

[Sly-one]

extreme break in method..ride it like you stole it...lol

Yah Ken, but if you break it, you have the skills to also put it back together!   

[KLRKen]

I know I know. I rode my klr easy for 1200 miles breaking in. CHanged oil 3 times and let it rip...ken

[Sly-one]

I know I know. I rode my klr easy for 1200 miles breaking in. CHanged oil 3 times and let it rip...ken

A 1,200 mile break-in? Man, you have more patience than I do!

[KLRKen]

I might have pulled a wheelie in between