Just picked up my new 2015 650L. I aksed the salesman about running in requirements, he said just don't thrash it. Thought there would have been a more technical answer than that! :surprise:
Very interesting! Now I don't feel so bad for going over the 4,000 rpm that the manual says not to do!
I rode it home about 60km after picking it up, about 50 of which were highway kms so probably between 4,000 and 5,000 rpm. I must admit I did give it a couple of squirts here and there (couldn't help myself!) but certainly no where near redlining.
Might need to re-read that page a couple of times to get my head around it!
Forget the manual recommendations, Kawasaki has the same recommendation for every bike. I go a little easy for the first 100 miles while running it through some heat cycles then ride it normal while taking a few runs up to redline. Oil changes at 100 miles then 500 then 2000 miles. I'm not a believer in the hard break in procedure anymore after seeing bad results on my wife's Ninja 250 and my KLX 250s.
Ryan - ALL three of my Vs were 'broken-in' on the ride home from the dealers by the method that invader showed, then oil & filter changed (and AGAIN at 501 kms) w/ 'dyno' oil, then AGAIN at 1,003 kms to Mobil1 15w-50 automobile oil. THESE are from the 2015 records, but PRETTY much identical for the '08 and '09 Vs, then at 8,000 km (5,000 mile) intervals.
Smiley- My wife's Ninja seized up the transmission at 187 miles. A gear seized on the shaft in the transmission. A really good mechanic at the shop I deal with and ended up working at in sales said it probably would have worn in okay in about another 350 miles. My KLX 250S had a bearing in the engine shred up at 6000 miles, I didn't own the bike when this happened but I saw it as I was working there when they fixed it. I can't say it was from the harsh break in method or not. I just don't do it anymore with my new bikes.
I know you are kidding... I think that the idea is that it will use more oil than if you broke it in "moto-man" style. I also broke mine in according to the manual and burn no oil at coming up on 26,000 miles.
I am glad that the engineers are making much better machines than they used to.
Why is it just motorcycle engines that need a special break in period?
Cars and trucks don't have a break in, lawn mowers generators and every other thing with an engine go straight up to max RPMs right out of the box. I never understood what is so special about a motorcycle engine that it needs to be babied for it's first few hundred miles.
Is it the relatively high RPMS that motorcycle engines operate at?
I've used the Motoman (hard break in) on my last four bikes, including the Versys. Never had an engine issue. Power seems to *improve* after 3k-6k miles, and shifting, and throttling has gotten consistently smoother. If you've driven home more than 60 miles, the break-in window for hard break in is over. I've broken in these last few on the way back from the dealer... Best thing you can do is put your bike on a dyno right out of the dealer. It'll be broken in by the end of the test.
I won't get into the oil change slippery slope, but I'm religious about changes. At 100 miles / 600 miles (dino); 1000 miles synthetic / and every 4k after with full synthetic.
As for the manual, break in recommendations are CYA. Most manufacturers list their shift points (in the manual) at rpms you'd never consider (look it up)... also CYA -- they'd have you believe you should be in 6th by 37mph or something in that neighborhood.
Most of the riders I know either do Motoman, or ride it out of the dealer the way they'd normally ride *after* a break in. Either way, you'll be fine. Just two things for the first couple hundred miles: don't lug it, and don't redline it...
I find it difficult not to "lug it" and stay under 4,000 rpm. My 2015 650 LT just wants to run at 4k or more. I'm still under 100 miles so I might just have to open it up a bit more.
by comparison... aircraft piston engine break in (if you don't have a test stand) varies a bit but mostly it is something like this.... minimum ground run to check for normal operation, power, and to correct any oil leaks. then full power take off but keep the airspeed up for cooling. at altitude, vary the throttle, keeping the speed up (cooling), stay above 75% power, carry power on the descent to minimize thermal shock. keep the cylinder temps out of the high end of the range, don't baby it. repeat until oil consumption stabilizes. most aircraft engines use "uncompounded" oil for break in, but a few use synthetic straight out (Lycoming 76 series).
bike engines I break in with a easy run to temp, let it cool & inspect for leaks etc. then a series of progressively more "spirited" rides with bursts of compression breaking. change oil early... like 50 miles (dino oil). don't lug it, vary the throttle, work the engine progressively harder over the first 500 miles.
I drained oil, passed through a coffee filter, and put back in at 50 and 600 miles. Put in Motul semi synthetic at 1500 miles. Gear box and idle are noticeably smoother.
I believe in frequent oil changes with a new motor simply to remove the metal. I also like to put in fresh oil just before winter storage to reduce the acids and other contaminants sitting for several months. Since I tend to ride only a few thousand miles per year (hoping to increase it) it turns out my annual oil change is at fairly close intervals in terms of miles.
I also change the oil in my Audi annually, which is about 7000 miles. I'm quite comfortable with that.
After letting my 2015 Versys 650 ABS warm up properly, I stopped babying it and rode it very similar to Motoman's suggested break-in tips.
For the past 13 years, I had been riding a Honda Valkyrie which is a very different animal. You can lug that 6 cylinder without a problem and can also ring it to the red line.
The 650 Versys told me very early in the ride that it hates lugging and wishes to rev. So much so, that I had difficulty staying under 5000 RPM. The engine was revved up and down in all gears (under load) for 107 kilometers.
The oil and filter were then changed and we are now ready for a few other spirited sprints.
This bike is a "hoot". I'll have a hard time keeping it under 6000 RPM!
There's NO question that the Gen 3 650s do NOT like being below 4,000 rpm in any of the 'higher' gears!
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