Proper engine break in procedure?

[Phoenix_Rising]

Since I'm fairly sure I'm either going to be buying an 04 or 05 750 whats the proper break in procedure for a Kat? I searched the site and couldn't find a post about it. Can anyone show me a link or something. I'd just like to know the proper steps for breaking in a Kat engine, I'm sure it's farily similar to any car engine, are there any bike specific steps I need to know about?

[BraadaJim]

There are several schools of though for breaking in engines. Given that you are looking at a new bike with a factory warranty you are going to probably want to stick as closely as possible to the factory break-in procedure in the owners manual.

It's more detailed than this but basically you keep it under 5 grand until you do your first valve adjustment.

[Katgirl]

I followed what my manual said. And spoke with a few people including a mechanic who addvised me to do the same.
I'm sure you will hear differently though

[Phoenix_Rising]

I've never owned a new vehicle so I was unaware that there was a break in procedure in the owners manual

[Matt]

Run screaming from recommendations to break it in hard.

That may be all well and good for racers who want maximum performance AT THE COST of longevity and don't have to pay for their motors, but most of us want it to last a bit longer then they do.

[300]

just go by the book

dont forget that, manufacturer is one pays for all damages within warranty

they wont suggest you to do something that will hurt their deep pockets

[The CyberPoet]

Here is what the book says:

First 500 miles, do not exceed 5500 RPM.
Up to 1000 miles, do not exceed 8500 RPM
over 1000 miles, keep it below 11k RPM (redline).
Change the oil at 600 miles and have a valve adjustment check done.

Here's what I'm going to tell you:
(A) Stick to the RPM limits suggested by the factory. Although the cylinder walls are supposedly nitride coated for '01 & later (and the rings may even be nitride coated in the '03 onward), there is still a break-in aspect, and a seating process during this break-in period that dictates how much power the bike will produce as maximum in it's lifespan.

(B) Accelerate the oil changes. My personal opinion is to change the oil at 30 miles, at 100 miles*, at 300 miles, at 600 miles*, and then as the normal maintenance schedule indicates. At 600 miles, drop the oil pan and dump it out/clean it out (in addition to the factory-spec service items) -- you'll be blown away by how much metal is sitting in those honeycomb patterns in the bottom. Mileage marked with an astrick also get a filter change. Why? Because more than 70% of the internal damages that your engine will see in it's lifespan will happen in those first 600 miles as the engine's various bits shed metal shavings, excess casting materials, etc. The more of them that get removed, the less scoring that happens, and the higher the retained pressure at the cylinder, thus the more power the engine can make in general for it's lifespan.
SPECIAL NOTE: Many dealers skip the valve adjustment check at 600 miles for time/cost reasons. Suzuki acknowledged that 1 out of every 20 valves they ship is significantly out of spec by the 600 mile mark, so it behooves you to ensure it is done.

(C) Stick to true motorcycle-spec API SG or SH & JASO-MA dino oils for the first 3500 to 5000 miles of the bike's life. They will help the parts seat better, carry away the bigger debis better, and generally season the engine better. Synthetic oils are not recommended during the break-in proceedure under any circumstance. Using oils high in anti-galling compounds will also help the engine break-in smoothly.

(D) Heat cycling: It is far better for the engine to do one to four long-long rides during this break-in period than it is to do a several dozen one to five mile rides. The idea is that you want to get the oil & engine up to operating temp and hold it there for a long time, letting the engine just run fairly steady (vary the RPM!), so a long day on the interstate or back-road is an ideal solution. Running to the store five times a day for several weeks as the break-in period isn't ideal by any stretch of the imagination.

(E) Pre-ride warm-up: Preferably always, but especially during the break-in period, allow the bike to idle for at least two minutes before putting any load (in terms of releasing the clutch in gear) on it. You want to make sure all the engine components get fully coated in oil before the engine bearings and moving parts undergo any stress.

(F) Don't be concerned about low mileage figures in the first 1000 - 2000 miles. As the engine breaks in, the extra friction of parts wearing down plays into the load it has to support and artificially drives the MPG downwards. Most riders get better gas mileage at 5k on the odometer than they did at 1k on the odometer, unless they broke the bike in poorly.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet