Proper engine break-in is required for high performance of the bike

If you happened to purchase a new bike then you must have come across the term “Break-in period”. During this period you must have been advised not to rip your bike at high speed and rpm and to take it easy with your bike. This article will tell you the importance of the break in period and how to take care of your bike during its initial kilometers of run.

So what is this break in period?

The first few thousand kilometers of run of your bike is called the Break in period. This is that period of time where you break-in your bike’s engine. This is simply setting up your bike’s engine during its initial days so that the maximum could be extracted from it in the days to come.

So what exactly happens in this break in period?

Your new bike has a brand new engine which has only run a few cycles before the bike gets delivered to you. The engine has moving parts which are manufactured to fit exactly with each other, but in actual this is not the case. The proper fitting of these moving parts can only be achieved after you make your engine run i.e. by riding your bike. This is what happens during this break in period, during this time the moving parts gets polished against each other and align themselves to fit properly.

Also during the initial stage, the lubrication between the engine parts is not up to that level, this film of lubrication develops around the engine parts after it has underwent a decent number of cycles. If you run your bike at high rpms during this initial stage then there will be more metal to metal contact causing more wear and tear to the engine thereby hampering the engine’s performance over a longer period of time.

Still thinking why you need to break in the engine?

So by now you must have realized why this break in period is so crucial for your bike’s performance, if you still haven’t then read further.

Proper breaking in results in a better engine with longer life. You will notice the benefits of proper breaking- in in the long run when your engine will still be smoother and more responsive with slightly more power from it and less oil consumption even when its old.

But some of you might have heard the opposite and would say that during the break-in period one should rev the bike to its maximum limit(in the red zone). Well this method is used for preparing the engines for racing bikes. Such engines are only meant to last a few races and therefore this method is suitable for them. The lifetime of such engines is very less as compared to the engine which has been prepared with the other method.

So how to break in your bike’s engine?

Well the key is to ride your bike in such a way that the engine is not stressed by any means. Ride your bike with varying rpms, avoid riding your bike at constant speed and rpm for a long time. Try to shift the gears as well as this will help in the breaking in of the gear box.

If possible avoid riding on steep roads or hilly areas so as to prevent the engine undergoing extra pressure. DO NOT accelerate your bike hard and always take smooth and slow pickups. Let the engine warm up a bit before going out for a ride.

Engine RPM

The engine rpm plays a very important role in breaking in the engine. The recommendation is always to follow what your bike manual says regarding the rpm range. In most of the cases you will find the rpm range for first 1000 kms of your bike. For the first 100 kms keep the rpm below 4000. As you progress with the number of kilometers you have ridden on your bike increase the rpm range gradually, do not take it to the next level suddenly.

While you are not allowed to ride your bike at high rpms during this initial stage it is also not recommended to ride the bike at very low rpms as well. Riding the bike at very low rpms will make it to work harder. As a general rule avoid going below 3000 rpm.

Acceleration

As already mentioned, accelerate slowly. Don’t forget that its just a matter of few thousand kilometers after which your bike would be ready to be used the way you want to!

Avoid taking your girlfriend or friend along for the time being, those days will come soon

Pillion Rider?

Avoid taking your friends or girlfriend for a ride for the time being. That day is not far away when they can accompany you on your motorcycle. Remember more weight means more stress on your bike.

So what happens post Break-in?

So you have done all the hard work with your bike specially being patient during the first few kilometers of the bike is the hardest thing to do. But don’t worry your hard work will pay off.

Now its time for you to run your bike at all available rpm. Let the needle touch the red line area from time to time. But here again try to take it there gradually and not all of a sudden. Take a step up approach while running your bike at higher rpms. It is important that you ride your bike at higher rpms from time to time so that the engine gets polished for those higher rpms as well.

It is always better to ride at high rpms for the first time on a down slope road.

Engine Oil

During the break-in period your engine might consume a lot of oil, so its always better to keep a check on its level. Another important aspect of the engine oil is to ensure that you avoid using a fully synthetic oil, use a semi-synthetic or a mineral oil during the break-in. The reason for this is that during this time then engine parts are supposed to be polished with each other, so it’s always better not to use an oil which as high lubricating properties which will result in improper polishing of the engine parts.

The first oil change should be done within a few hundred kilometers

Engine Oil change

It is very important to change the engine oil after the break in period as there would be minute metal particles floating in the engine oil as a result of the break in. In fact it would be better if you change the engine oil twice during the break-in period, the first one just after you have covered a few hundred kilometers and the second at the end of the break-in.

The reason for getting the oil changed after a few hundred kilometers is that the maximum wear of the engine happens in the early kilometers of the run and this results in a lot of minute metal particles floating in the oil. Apart from this there is some crude left over from the engine’s manufacturing process and its always better to remove these particles from the engine by changing the oil early.

In the end I hope that this article will be useful to you and will help you in maintain your bike in a much better manner. Remember that the first few kilometers of the bike would require lot of patience from you side but you will get a fruitful result in the end.

Entry posted on March 4th, 2010 and filed under Advise

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