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[Alremc]

Personally, I think one of the main reasons HD recommends what they do for the first 500 miles is to keep new owners from crashing by encouraging slower speeds until they get used to the bike. The one thing that is important, IMO, is not to run at a constant RPM for any period of time.  I've just read too many articles saying that in newer engines, with better tolerances, etc, the rings are pretty much seated in about 50 miles, so that's the most critical period of time.  So, on the '11, after it was thoroughly warmed up, I did several 3rd gear runs up to 60mph, then let the engine brake the bike down to 2,000 rpm, then repeat.  Did that for about 25 miles, then stopped, let the motor cool down for 30 minutes or so, then repeated the process, came home, and dumped the oil/filter.  After that, I just watched the constant rpm thing and didn't let that happen by simply downshifting as necessary, and by avoiding interstate runs for the first 500 miles.

 

Wow, that is a break-in process, any special reason why you dumped the oil so quick though?

[Midnight Rider]

Wow, that is a break-in process, any special reason why you dumped the oil so quick though?

Two reasons: One, I don't particularly care for Syn 3, but used it for "break in", and two, I feel like any "stuff", like suspended metals that are left in the engine during manufacturing and first few miles, will be caught in the filter and suspended in the hot oil.  The other 950 miles were with Mobil 1, then I switched to all Redline products, specific to the hole it goes in.  Then it's every 5K, as recommended.

Loading up the rings by letting the engine do the braking ( but NOT lugging the engine) is supposed to help seat the rings.  That's what I've read, so that's what I did.  May all be BS.  I don't think it's a good idea to wind the motor up to redline or anything like that, but I don't think the HD recommended break in process is necessarily the right way.  They don't want some yo-yo jumping on a 800 lb motorcycle that hasn't ridden in 20 years and go ripping up and down the road, so I think that's as much the reason for them recommending putting around as anything to do with the actual break in process.  Constant RPM's on a new engine, even a car, is not a good thing either, but after a couple of hundred miles, any high spots on metal parts are worn down, IMO.

Kind of a controversial subject, but that's how I did it.  Doing it by the manual is probably fine too, with a couple of things to keep in mind.  Lugging the engine is a bad thing, whether the engine is brand new or has 80K on it.  If you are on flat ground with very little throttle open, you can get away with running a HD engine at 1800 RPM, but twisting the throttle open from that rpm while rolling along in 5th or 6th gear is going to lug the engine, IMO.  I rarely let my rpm's get below 2K, and even then, I'll drop it down a gear to get on the throttle hard, as in passing a slower car/truck.  That's just how I ride my bike.  I'm sure others have different opinions on the matter.

[Alremc]

Two reasons: One, I don't particularly care for Syn 3, but used it for "break in", and two, I feel like any "stuff", like suspended metals that are left in the engine during manufacturing and first few miles, will be caught in the filter and suspended in the hot oil.  The other 950 miles were with Mobil 1, then I switched to all Redline products, specific to the hole it goes in.  Then it's every 5K, as recommended.

Loading up the rings by letting the engine do the braking ( but NOT lugging the engine) is supposed to help seat the rings.  That's what I've read, so that's what I did.  May all be BS.  I don't think it's a good idea to wind the motor up to redline or anything like that, but I don't think the HD recommended break in process is necessarily the right way.  They don't want some yo-yo jumping on a 800 lb motorcycle that hasn't ridden in 20 years and go ripping up and down the road, so I think that's as much the reason for them recommending putting around as anything to do with the actual break in process.  Constant RPM's on a new engine, even a car, is not a good thing either, but after a couple of hundred miles, any high spots on metal parts are worn down, IMO.

Kind of a controversial subject, but that's how I did it.  Doing it by the manual is probably fine too, with a couple of things to keep in mind.  Lugging the engine is a bad thing, whether the engine is brand new or has 80K on it.  If you are on flat ground with very little throttle open, you can get away with running a HD engine at 1800 RPM, but twisting the throttle open from that rpm while rolling along in 5th or 6th gear is going to lug the engine, IMO.  I rarely let my rpm's get below 2K, and even then, I'll drop it down a gear to get on the throttle hard, as in passing a slower car/truck.  That's just how I ride my bike.  I'm sure others have different opinions on the matter.

Got it,makes sense and your right, there are allot of views on this which is why we have this website, so we have input one way or another. The best part, we absorb all this data and we each decide for our own use. Thanks!!