Breaking in the engine

[joewhite&blue]

Hi guys I'm off to pick up my brand new bike on tuesday. I've got a 160 miles ride home mostly motorway what do you reccomend for the break in ?

Maybe I should take the smaller roads to start to make sure I go through all the gears.

What sort of speeds and revs should I aim for or avoid?

Thanks for your help.
Cheers

John

(p.s EFI bonneville SE)

 

[Badlionsfan]

Stay off the highway. First it's boring, second bad for break in. My dealer suggested keeping the rpm under 4000, and avoid steady rpm. So yes, stop and go type roads are the best way to travel during break in.

 

[innominate]

i'm breakin in a speed 3 right now. the advice i'm following is to load the engine after she's warmed up. don't redline it or go WOT. but get the revs up some to put a load on the engine. and then let the engine decelerate you. engine braking to load the engine on the way down. and run through the gears. no constant rpm for miles and miles. it's easier to do if you have some roads all to yourself. that's how i'm doin it with the s3. ymmv

 

[Kirkus51]

Great you got a new bike. You should vary the rpms, go thru the gears. I'd keep it below 5,000. You don't have to avoid the big road, though why have a bike to run the super slab, just take it easy and vary your speed.

 

[joewhite&blue]

Hi guys the trip went well I stayed under 5,000 Rpm as advised and varied speeds as much as possible the bike is even better than I had imagined. I am ... can't find the words, very very pleased!!

Here is a pic, yeah I have already added a big ugly top box but practicality trumps beauty!

 

[joewhite&blue]

I do have a small issue that I would like to raise
Should my 2011 brand new (200 milles) have an oil patch on the ... well not sure how to explain where it is have a look for your selves.
cheers

 

[Kirkus51]

These engines are usually oil tight. There is one thing that happens on a lot of them and that's the cam cover weeps. It's common, harmless, and under warranty.

I haven't seen any pictures.

 

[joewhite&blue]

thumbnails added

 

[mark66]

I do have a small issue that I would like to raise
Should my 2011 brand new (200 milles) have an oil patch well not sure how to explain where it is have a look for your selves.
cheers

That oil looks like it's under your cam chain tensioner. I'd wipe it up and see if keeps returning. Brand new bike if it's coming from there it shouldn't be.

 

[joewhite&blue]

Thanks for the advice I've cleaned it up already I'll go for a ride in the morning to confirm.

 

[mark66]

Looking at your last picture it might also be the oil pipe feed to the cylinder head and oil ps switch. After you ride it see if that line is wet.

 

[Kirkus51]

Grab a wrench and tighten those puppies a bit.

 

[Baltobonneville]

I wouldn't tighten them, just make sure that they're not loose.

Could it be the notorious Cosmoline? Time will tell.

 

[strokerlmt]

Thanks for the advice I've cleaned it up already I'll go for a ride in the morning to confirm.

ditto....clean don't touch go for a ride see if it comes back.
LMT

PS...if it does come back a great excuse for a nice ride back to dealer ...let him tighten it ;-))))

 

[joewhite&blue]

Well I rode 40 miles today and a small amount of oil returned I cleaned it up and dried the metal pipe and surroudings and went for a shorter ride.
There was no evidence of a leak when I got back, 10 mile ride. However the big bolt as seen in pic felt quite lubricated.

There is no way I'm riding 150 miles of motorway to tighten a bolt or 200 miles of A roads for that matter !

PS British summer is being a bit reluctant, lots of rain and no sun

 

[strokerlmt]

Well I rode 40 miles today and a small amount of oil returned I cleaned it up and dried the metal pipe and surroudings and went for a shorter ride.
There was no evidence of a leak when I got back, 10 mile ride. However the big bolt as seen in pic felt quite lubricated.

There is no way I'm riding 150 miles of motorway to tighten a bolt or 200 miles of A roads for that matter !

PS British summer is being a bit reluctant, lots of rain and no sun

That I understand re no riding all the way back.
So back out the bolt....clean the bolt and clean the washers....if you see a score in the washer either sand it a little or replace it....then put back and torque to specs.
Hope it works....doesn't seem to be a bad issue.
LMT

 

[B06Tang]

+1 to cleaning, replace the washer and torque it back to specs...I think you will be fine

 

[mark66]

That bolt you've got arrowed in your last post is the cam chain tensioner plunger and its under spring pressure. I'd read up on it before I started losing and tightening it. There is a procedure for that. Just saying......