how do I break in a new vfr

It looks like I may be able to pick up my new '06 vfr tomorrow. The last time I had a brand new bike I followed the manual regarding break in procedure which stated to not exceed 3/4 throttle and avoid heavy breaking etc... I have heard conflicting info as to the best way to break in a new motor and could really use some help here.

When I pick it up it will have 0 km on it and my ride home is about 50km, which is a mix of city and highway, what is the best thing for me do on the first ride. And do I need to do an oil change right away or not, if so, what oil and filter should I use.

 

Hi mate, its been a long time since my last brand spanking new bike (love that new bike smell!) but I don't think you can go too wrong if you let it warm up before tootling off. Somewhere between babying it and trying to wring its neck - I wouldn't let it stay on say 9000 rpm on cruise - between 5-6000 rpm for cruising should be ok.

'Smooth' is probably the best way to describe how I would try to ride it during break in - dont hammer the brakes and letting the tacho needle nudge 8000 every now and then. If your really worried have a yack to the guys at the shop - they should set you straight. Speaking of the shop the very first oil change should be on them!

Cheers.

 

The 64,000 dollar question, some say ride it from the off like you stole it to maximise HP....Others say follow the owners manual to ensure maximum engine life.

Me ? I broke my original '03 VTec in as per bike shop advice brisk but smooth throttle ( not WOT ) to half Max RPM for first 500km's then increase 1000 RPM per 100km until Redline.

Don't know which is most right but thought the bike shops advice seemed to make most sense ...

 

My personal way is to start the bike up and then ride off gently untill the bike has warmed up a bit, basically don't thrash it and don't slog it.... over the running in period increase the revs slowly. I don't take it to maximum rev's untill after the first oil change as I wouldn't like any "swarf" spinning about at high revs .

For the record I also never start a bike up and leave it ticking over untill the gauge says it's warm, just start up and ride off gently. My thinking is that with different materials expanding and contracting at varying tempretures, why just warm up the pistons / heads then ride off with the rest of the engine / gearbox cold? surely it's better to have all materials warming up at the same time (radiators are for moving air too cool the heads... no moving air = overheating).

Of course this is just my personel point of view....and I could be wrong:biggrin:

 

Yeppers change that oil when you get home, as far as filters go until some one can prove to me that after market filters, less amsoils version, is better I'm sticking with oem filters, beside Honda filters are just a run to the dealer to get. then change your oil at the 300 mile mark then the service then at the 1000 and 2000, at the 3000 mark you're good to go full synthatic. Theres also a thread here were I posted up a great link to the breakin method. now where was that?. Hey! congrats! you're going to love that ride.

 

Thanks for the info guys, all the help is greatly appreciated as I really want to do this right. Unlike the break in process on my cruiser when I wasn't to concerned about performance I do with the vfr want to ensure aptimum performance and engine preservasion is acheived as the reason for making the switch to this bike is for what this great engine is and what it can do, and for all the technology behind it.

 

I just went through this a couple of months ago. This is what the shop recommended:

-warm up until the engine temperature gauge comes on
-for the first 100k/60miles don't rev above 5000rpm
-for each additional 100k/60miles increase the allowable rpm by 1000
that is 60-120miles 6000, 120-180miles 7000. Do that till it doesn't matter anymore. The first couple of hundred miles are a bit of a pain but after than you hardly notice.
- don't lug the engine ie don't try to accelerate in gear below 3000rpm
- And last but definitely not least DON'T RIDE AT A STEADY SPEED for the first 600miles (avoid freeways). This can glaze the cylinders and cause problems letter on.

I havn't had mine for long enough to know whether or not his works but so far so good.

Keep the rubber on the road and enjoy. I LOVE my viffer.

 

The stealership never gave me one bit of advice about breaking the motor in.
I never rode at a steady speed for long, used up to 8000rpm at times and plenty of engine braking.
I lurked here and at other places before i picked up my new '05 recently so i had plenty of info before i took mthe plunge.

 

My dealer told me something like keep it under 6k rpms for the first 500 miles, I take what they tell me with a grain of salt since I'm not sure they really know what the hell they're talking about sometimes. I really just used common sense, didn't redline it, tried to vary the rpms as much as possible (no long fwy rides), pretty much just kept things mello for the first few hundred miles and followed the service schedule in the manual.

 

One thing with the VTEC that I thought about when running mine in.... if you always keep it below the VTEC range, then only half the valves are in use, so the bike is not being run in properly.

I just did as most others here seem to say... start it up, ride it gentle until warmed up, and then just don't flog it. Make sure you vary the rpms when on a constant speed (say travelling on a highway), just bump up to 6th for a while, then down to 5th, etc. Better to be somewhere you can play with the speed a bit though.

From memory the manual said something about take it easy for 500kms and then go nuts :biggrin:

 

I like what the last guy said. my dealer told me to crank it start off slow don't over rev it. ride for a short trips for the first 500 miles, if you stop let it cool for 15 min before restarting. after that then go nuts. first five hundred miles took me http://vfrworld.com/forums/images/smilies/cool.gif
four days then I went nuts
Dan F

 

I concur on the "vary the RPMs as much as possible during brake-in."

Other than that you have the two camps, "brake it in like the manual says" or "brake it in like you are going to ride it".

Keep in mind with all of this... how many guys do you know that got little mileage from the VFR? Yeah, me neither... everybody gets a ton of miles out of the V4... so I fall into the "brake it in like you are going to ride it".

Congrats

 

I varried rpm for the first 600 miles. Ran up to 7000 to kick in VTEC and backed off at least once a ride. First few rides only about 30 miles each and then a cool down. Then ran to 8000 at 700 miles, 9000 at 800 miles, 10,000 at 900 miles and red line at 1000 miles. Changed the oil at 200, 600, 1000, 2000, 4000, and then added golden spectro at 5000 -- always a filter change. Found the bike to get smoother with miles and power boosts at 3000 and 4500 ... I've heard it takes around 3000 to break a vfr in (my experience would concur). Of course, you realize breaking in a bike is like baking a cake ... each diff to each cook. JMHO ... just read my post ... is all that anal or what

 

Id agree with what most people say but

Most people who buy a new toy, treat it gently for a bit anyway. Im picking you would have to treat it bad before you would do any noticable damage to it.

Regarding running in the vtec valves that cut in at 6500 rpm - Im of the opinion valves wouldnt need much if any running in.

I believe the items that only really benefit from running in properly are the cylinder lining, piston and rings, con rod and crank bearings, gerabox mesh, brake pads and disks.

And some of this is debatable.

Dont get too hung up on it.

 

break-in

This is an old thread, but have a question relative to it.

Have a chance at an 04 vfr w/ 2,000 miles. Owner said he bought it in Florida with 300 miles on it and drive back to St. Louis (@ 1200 miles).

The price is a deal, could probably get for $4500 (about half of my other alternative, a new RWB 07).

Was just curious if a 1200 mile trip on an engine w/ only 300 miles is problem. I understood that the owner changed the oil when getting to st louis, but wasn't changed before to leaving...so it sounded like 1500 miles on so on factory oil.

 

:thumbsup:

I agree, here here.......use a new(honda) filter eveytime....i did mine 300 600 1000 then next 1000.and i like the hondaline 10-40 gn4 but am a fan of bel-ray exp and exs to each there own.. sweet nothing like a new bike...:thumbsup::thumbsup:I seen a picture of an ama bike had oem filter so there you have it folks; if the 250k bike uses it so will I....:thumbsup:I found the bike Hodgson (cbr1000 coronaextra) in the new cycleworld with the duc and bimota on the cover,page 71 look a honda oil filter........................:humble::humble::humble::humble::humble::humble::humble: