Break In

sm0kediver · March 8th, 2009, 03:32 PM

I'm breaking in a 2009, and having a hard time staying under 4k RPM. The majority of the time I can do it, but the occasional connecting road requires that I get up around 6k to avoid getting run over. My dealer said as long as I warmed it before I rode, and kept it under 1/2 redline (6500) it would be fine.

Any thoughts/advice?

g21-30 · March 8th, 2009, 04:49 PM

See this thread:

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10171

sm0kediver · March 8th, 2009, 05:00 PM

Thanks. Looks like there are lots of opinions on this. I wonder which one is right?

g21-30 · March 8th, 2009, 05:36 PM

Everyone has an opinion! I have over 600 miles and still haven't hit the redline. Just ride like you always will and try to avoid a constant speed for long periods. Lots of engine braking and vary the rpms. I got all that info from this forum, etc.

sm0kediver · March 8th, 2009, 06:09 PM

After reading all that, I loosened up a little. Made a store run, and let it get up in the 7k range. It's like my old Ninja. The higher it revs, the more psycho it gets. This is going to be fun.

kkim · March 8th, 2009, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sm0kediver

The higher it revs, the more psycho it gets. This is going to be fun.

that's an understatement!

OldGuy · March 8th, 2009, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sm0kediver

After reading all that, I loosened up a little. Made a store run, and let it get up in the 7k range. It's like my old Ninja. The higher it revs, the more psycho it gets. This is going to be fun.

Oh Yea -

Ninja007 · March 8th, 2009, 08:38 PM

yeah, just do whatever you want. f*@# the "break in rules"...

kkim · March 8th, 2009, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninja007

yeah, just do whatever you want. f*@# the "break in rules"...

not entirely true... there are some conditions you should stay away from.

00v_Lucky · March 8th, 2009, 10:48 PM

break in rules are just so the stealership makes sure there are going to be no problems, I broke in my ninja by usually cruising around 4 -5 k but shifted at 6 to 7

edit. I wish i had this info before i broke in my bike, the link above is probably the best way to do it.

Jiu Jitsu Player · March 8th, 2009, 11:10 PM

I'm in the same boat. I try to cruise it around 4-5k as traffic allows, but every now and then I get the urge to just let her rip on up to about 7 or so. All the potential this little bike has is just crazy.

kkim · March 8th, 2009, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jiu Jitsu Player

I'm in the same boat. I try to cruise it around 4-5k as traffic allows, but every now and then I get the urge to just let her rip on up to about 7 or so. All the potential this little bike has is just crazy.

you have an 08 and you're still breaking it in? how many miles do you have on it?

Jiu Jitsu Player · March 8th, 2009, 11:27 PM

I bought it used from someone who only put 84 miles on her. They would just ride it to the corner store and back. Right now she's got about 330.

kkim · March 8th, 2009, 11:28 PM

hope you've changed the oil/filter at least once to this point. twice if you really like your bike.

sm0kediver · March 8th, 2009, 11:37 PM

Hey Kelly I just noticed you ride a dual sport too. Any good places to ride dirt over there?

kkim · March 8th, 2009, 11:41 PM

kauai is filled with lots of brutal off road riding. Though they have fenced off a lot of riding areas in the recent years due to the sugar cane companies closing, riding a dual sport allows me to jump from road to trail and back on the road when the trail ends.

how do you like the dr200?

sm0kediver · March 8th, 2009, 11:50 PM

I love the DR. It's a great little trail bike. It's a 200cc five speed, so it's limited on the road. Anything under 50 mph is fine though. In the woods it's hard to beat. You like the 230?

I bought a hitch carrier a while back, and the DR is perfect to carry along on family trips.

I just sold a KLR650 because it was just too big for trails. It was fast on the road, but not as fun as the Ninja.

Ninja007 · March 8th, 2009, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkim

not entirely true... there are some conditions you should stay away from.

ok, ok,...there are some things you shouldn't do, like redline it for minutes on end, ect., ect...but IMO, you can generally do whatever you want. if you wanna stay below the factory suggested 4k rpm, don't expect to go on the highway or anything over 50 mph for that matter. i pretty much just did whatever with my bike and it worked fine for me! still goin' strong!

kkim · March 9th, 2009, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sm0kediver

I love the DR. It's a great little trail bike. It's a 200cc five speed, so it's limited on the road. Anything under 50 mph is fine though. In the woods it's hard to beat. You like the 230?

love the 230, but like yours, a bit underpowered, though it can do 50-60. I've regeared the cs sprocket one up so it would have more top end. I've also desnorkeled, rejetted and opened up the exhaust to let the bike breathe a bit better. The gearing is so low on the bike stock, it still pulls nicely at slow speeds.

Good to see another D/S on the board... there are a few others.

noche_caliente · March 9th, 2009, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkim

you have an 08 and you're still breaking it in? how many miles do you have on it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jiu Jitsu Player

I bought it used from someone who only put 84 miles on her. They would just ride it to the corner store and back. Right now she's got about 330.

Hey - no worries on the low mileage! I'm at 500 as of yesterday

HKr1 · March 9th, 2009, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noche_caliente

Hey - no worries on the low mileage! I'm at 500 as of yesterday

Your suppose to have more miles on your bike, than post's on this site

Ninja007 · March 9th, 2009, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HKr1

Your suppose to have more miles on your bike, than post's on this site

noche_caliente · March 9th, 2009, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HKr1

Your suppose to have more miles on your bike, than post's on this site

maybe you need to take that stick to one Kkim then.... I've dealt with a torn meniscus/lcl and lots of snow - what's his excuse?

HKr1 · March 9th, 2009, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noche_caliente

maybe you need to take that stick to one Kkim then.... I've dealt with a torn meniscus/lcl and lots of snow - what's his excuse?

Them sound like fighting words

kkim · March 9th, 2009, 05:17 PM

I've got more miles than posts, so you're on your own.

ninjabrewer · March 9th, 2009, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkim

I've got more miles than posts, so you're on your own.

ditto

RaceBikeRentals · March 9th, 2009, 05:26 PM

Remember when you bought a new car and you were supposed to break it in, too? OK, most of you don't remember, but it was true. Yeah, nobody breaks their new cars in anymore. They buy em and go out and drive em. If its a stick, you rev the piss out of it. The manufacturing process for engines has come a LONG ways in the last 30 years. My method:

5 warmup cycles (Gently vary the engine revs to warmup temp, then let it cool down completely)

30 miles or so of easy riding. Try to vary the revs, and keep them below 7K or so.

Change the oil

Rev the crap out of em for another 150 miles (one race weekend)

Change the oil

Rev the crap out of em for another 150 miles (one race weekend)

Change to Mobile 1 synthetic

Good to go

Karma250R · March 9th, 2009, 06:17 PM

Honestly break in is a joke. A friend of mine was invited to the Honda manufacture where he saw the Honda motorcycle assembly line. Trust me these bikes are broken in before you even sit on the bike. They rev the piss out of these motors at the plant.

A good way to break a motor in, is to moderatly but steadily bring the motor up to high RPM and then let off the gas but let the bike come to a stop by itself still in gear. Do this through all the gears and your done. I have done it this way since day one and never had a problem.
There are many different methods to break in a motor. This can be a touchy subject for some.

Jiu Jitsu Player · March 9th, 2009, 10:56 PM

Not to jack the thread but I tried searching and couldnt find anything and it kind of applies here- I was just told that you should never use the kill switch to shut off the engine unless in an emergency. Is this true and if so- how else do you shut the bike down?

Alex · March 9th, 2009, 11:16 PM

You can shut off the engine any way you like. Hit the kill switch, put the kickstand down while in gear, or turn the key to the off position. Engine doesn't care, and the bike's electrics certainly don't care. The logic that I've heard behind those that say not to use the kill switch is that the switch isn't rated to be switched on and off many times per day over many years, and if you wear the switch out it might fail and leave you stranded. Personally I think it's utter BS, and that same logic would apply to the ignition switch or the sidestand safety switch as well, so you have to pick one of the 3 to use each time. I guess you could alternate between the 3 to spread the wear out.

Jiu Jitsu Player · March 10th, 2009, 12:00 AM

Thanks. That makes alot more sense!

sm0kediver · March 10th, 2009, 04:01 AM

My thinking is that if I kill it with the switch, I may walk off and leave the key in the ignition.

Justanothermp5 · March 10th, 2009, 04:23 AM

i didnt even break mine in, i couldnt
first ride was in 50mph traffic and then on to 55mph so i was around 7-8k the first 100 miles

but i dont see why you need to break an engine in, if it works the first 100, it'll work the next and the next
everything should seat pretty quickly and even if u hit redline im not seeing why anything would seat improperly and cause a problem

i preferably never hit redline on anything i drive

kkim · March 10th, 2009, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justanothermp5

i preferably never hit redline on anything i drive

try not to hit redline, but ride the bike up there near it... you'll have a blast!!

almost40 · April 9th, 2009, 09:03 AM

Search motoman break in method Im a believer.

wayanlam · April 24th, 2009, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by almost40

Search motoman break in method Im a believer.

yeah, i was about to bring this up, i read through the whole website of Motoman, and was truly impressed with a lot of his tips, especially with his break in technique.

i plan to follow his hard break method, but i still have this little voice saying "what if?"

so i wanted to ask here if anyone has done a proper hard break in as per Motomans procedure? if so, how did it go? any problems during the break in, or after?

on my last bike i tried my best to follow the factory 4k limit break in rule, nothing broke, and nothing special happened. but it was a hassle to stay under 4k rpm for so long! where as with the hard break in, you can get the proces over and done with faster, have better seals on the O rings, more power, and even reduce engine wear in the long run.

looking forward to hearing from other peoples experiences 1st hand with the 250r and their hard break in.

cheers

Nickds7 · April 24th, 2009, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayanlam

so i wanted to ask here if anyone has done a proper hard break in as per Motomans procedure? if so, how did it go? any problems during the break in, or after?

cheers

This is what the salesman from the dealership recommended. He didn't point me towards any guide on how to do it (such as the 'motoman break in method'). Anyone I know who rides has pretty much followed this method. No problems from it as far as I've heard.

hzrnbgy · April 24th, 2009, 12:47 AM

i kept it under 4k for the first 30 miles or so

the next 30 to 60 miles at around 6K max

60 to 100miles at 7.5K (lots of engine braking)

then normal usage after that

changed oil to full synthetic at 386miles, changed oil filter too

never went red line though, probably maxed out around 9.5K

rode on the freeway three times now at around 65 to 70ish at 9K+ rpm for around 20 to 30 minutes. wouldnt go above 75mph (i got slapped with a $157 fine for doing 75mph once on my other ninja)

kkim · April 24th, 2009, 02:56 AM

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10171

250Rocket · April 24th, 2009, 07:08 AM

I'm just wondering, i've read thru about 50 threads like this. The one prevailent thing is changing the oil. When i asked the dealer if i should he said as long as i'm not reving the piss outta my bike it should be good until 600 miles (the first official check up).

Should i change it or leave it considering 80% of my 200 km so far has been on sweeping side roads @ less than 5k?

March 8th, 2009, 03:32 PM	#1
sm0kediver one disaster at a time Name: Jody Location: West Georgia Join Date: Aug 2008 Motorcycle(s): EX250J9 Posts: 411	Break In I'm breaking in a 2009, and having a hard time staying under 4k RPM. The majority of the time I can do it, but the occasional connecting road requires that I get up around 6k to avoid getting run over. My dealer said as long as I warmed it before I rode, and kept it under 1/2 redline (6500) it would be fine. Any thoughts/advice?

March 9th, 2009, 05:26 PM	#27
RaceBikeRentals Pimpin Name: Richard Location: Ninja 250 Whorehouse Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): Bunch of em Posts: 973	Remember when you bought a new car and you were supposed to break it in, too? OK, most of you don't remember, but it was true. Yeah, nobody breaks their new cars in anymore. They buy em and go out and drive em. If its a stick, you rev the piss out of it. The manufacturing process for engines has come a LONG ways in the last 30 years. My method: 5 warmup cycles (Gently vary the engine revs to warmup temp, then let it cool down completely) 30 miles or so of easy riding. Try to vary the revs, and keep them below 7K or so. Change the oil Rev the crap out of em for another 150 miles (one race weekend) Change the oil Rev the crap out of em for another 150 miles (one race weekend) Change to Mobile 1 synthetic Good to go __________________________________________________ -Richard MotoList.com <<<List your stuff!

March 9th, 2009, 11:16 PM	#30
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	You can shut off the engine any way you like. Hit the kill switch, put the kickstand down while in gear, or turn the key to the off position. Engine doesn't care, and the bike's electrics certainly don't care. The logic that I've heard behind those that say not to use the kill switch is that the switch isn't rated to be switched on and off many times per day over many years, and if you wear the switch out it might fail and leave you stranded. Personally I think it's utter BS, and that same logic would apply to the ignition switch or the sidestand safety switch as well, so you have to pick one of the 3 to use each time. I guess you could alternate between the 3 to spread the wear out. __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

April 9th, 2009, 09:03 AM	#35
almost40 ninjette.org Monkey Spank Name: Kevin Location: Illinois Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 250R Track-Bike Woodcraft clip-ons and rearsets FZ-6 track bike Posts: A lot.	Search motoman break in method Im a believer. __________________________________________________ Black 250R Full Area P QC Dyno Jet Kit 100 main 41T Rear Sprocket

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March 8th, 2009, 04:49 PM	#2
g21-30 ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Sam Location: Northern Virginia Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250R 2009 and ZX-12R 2000 Posts: A lot.	See this thread: http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10171

March 8th, 2009, 05:00 PM	#3
sm0kediver one disaster at a time Name: Jody Location: West Georgia Join Date: Aug 2008 Motorcycle(s): EX250J9 Posts: 411	Thanks. Looks like there are lots of opinions on this. I wonder which one is right?

March 8th, 2009, 05:36 PM	#4
g21-30 ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Sam Location: Northern Virginia Join Date: Nov 2008 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250R 2009 and ZX-12R 2000 Posts: A lot.	Everyone has an opinion! I have over 600 miles and still haven't hit the redline. Just ride like you always will and try to avoid a constant speed for long periods. Lots of engine braking and vary the rpms. I got all that info from this forum, etc.

March 8th, 2009, 06:09 PM	#5
sm0kediver one disaster at a time Name: Jody Location: West Georgia Join Date: Aug 2008 Motorcycle(s): EX250J9 Posts: 411	After reading all that, I loosened up a little. Made a store run, and let it get up in the 7k range. It's like my old Ninja. The higher it revs, the more psycho it gets. This is going to be fun.

March 8th, 2009, 08:38 PM	#8
Ninja007 忍者 Name: Jake Location: WA Join Date: Dec 2008 Motorcycle(s): None Now - Used to have an '08 Ninja 250R Candy Blue Posts: 151	yeah, just do whatever you want. f*@# the "break in rules"...

March 8th, 2009, 10:48 PM	#10
00v_Lucky ninjette.org sage Name: Howard Location: Cypress, So. Cal. Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 Candy Thunder Blue Ninja 250R Posts: 618	break in rules are just so the stealership makes sure there are going to be no problems, I broke in my ninja by usually cruising around 4 -5 k but shifted at 6 to 7 edit. I wish i had this info before i broke in my bike, the link above is probably the best way to do it.

March 8th, 2009, 11:10 PM	#11
Jiu Jitsu Player Live 2 Ride Forced 2 Work Name: Chris Location: Guam Join Date: Mar 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 RED 250r Posts: 386	I'm in the same boat. I try to cruise it around 4-5k as traffic allows, but every now and then I get the urge to just let her rip on up to about 7 or so. All the potential this little bike has is just crazy.

March 8th, 2009, 11:27 PM	#13
Jiu Jitsu Player Live 2 Ride Forced 2 Work Name: Chris Location: Guam Join Date: Mar 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 RED 250r Posts: 386	I bought it used from someone who only put 84 miles on her. They would just ride it to the corner store and back. Right now she's got about 330.

March 8th, 2009, 11:28 PM	#14
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	hope you've changed the oil/filter at least once to this point. twice if you really like your bike.

March 8th, 2009, 11:37 PM	#15
sm0kediver one disaster at a time Name: Jody Location: West Georgia Join Date: Aug 2008 Motorcycle(s): EX250J9 Posts: 411	Hey Kelly I just noticed you ride a dual sport too. Any good places to ride dirt over there?

March 8th, 2009, 11:41 PM	#16
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	kauai is filled with lots of brutal off road riding. Though they have fenced off a lot of riding areas in the recent years due to the sugar cane companies closing, riding a dual sport allows me to jump from road to trail and back on the road when the trail ends. how do you like the dr200?

March 8th, 2009, 11:50 PM	#17
sm0kediver one disaster at a time Name: Jody Location: West Georgia Join Date: Aug 2008 Motorcycle(s): EX250J9 Posts: 411	I love the DR. It's a great little trail bike. It's a 200cc five speed, so it's limited on the road. Anything under 50 mph is fine though. In the woods it's hard to beat. You like the 230? I bought a hitch carrier a while back, and the DR is perfect to carry along on family trips. I just sold a KLR650 because it was just too big for trails. It was fast on the road, but not as fun as the Ninja.

March 9th, 2009, 05:17 PM	#25
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	I've got more miles than posts, so you're on your own.

March 9th, 2009, 06:17 PM	#28
Karma250R ninjette.org member Name: Brian Location: Elk Grove Join Date: Mar 2009 Motorcycle(s): Ninja 250R, K7 GSXR 600, 2 Honda Ruckus' Posts: 12	Honestly break in is a joke. A friend of mine was invited to the Honda manufacture where he saw the Honda motorcycle assembly line. Trust me these bikes are broken in before you even sit on the bike. They rev the piss out of these motors at the plant. A good way to break a motor in, is to moderatly but steadily bring the motor up to high RPM and then let off the gas but let the bike come to a stop by itself still in gear. Do this through all the gears and your done. I have done it this way since day one and never had a problem. There are many different methods to break in a motor. This can be a touchy subject for some.

March 9th, 2009, 10:56 PM	#29
Jiu Jitsu Player Live 2 Ride Forced 2 Work Name: Chris Location: Guam Join Date: Mar 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 RED 250r Posts: 386	Not to jack the thread but I tried searching and couldnt find anything and it kind of applies here- I was just told that you should never use the kill switch to shut off the engine unless in an emergency. Is this true and if so- how else do you shut the bike down?

March 10th, 2009, 12:00 AM	#31
Jiu Jitsu Player Live 2 Ride Forced 2 Work Name: Chris Location: Guam Join Date: Mar 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2008 RED 250r Posts: 386	Thanks. That makes alot more sense!

March 10th, 2009, 04:01 AM	#32
sm0kediver one disaster at a time Name: Jody Location: West Georgia Join Date: Aug 2008 Motorcycle(s): EX250J9 Posts: 411	My thinking is that if I kill it with the switch, I may walk off and leave the key in the ignition.

March 10th, 2009, 04:23 AM	#33
Justanothermp5 ninjette.org member Name: Simon Location: Linden, NC Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R Posts: 81	i didnt even break mine in, i couldnt first ride was in 50mph traffic and then on to 55mph so i was around 7-8k the first 100 miles but i dont see why you need to break an engine in, if it works the first 100, it'll work the next and the next everything should seat pretty quickly and even if u hit redline im not seeing why anything would seat improperly and cause a problem i preferably never hit redline on anything i drive

April 24th, 2009, 12:47 AM	#38
hzrnbgy ninjette.org member Name: HzrnBgy Location: Hawaii Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Black Ninja 250R, 2004 Yellow Ninja 250R Posts: 111	i kept it under 4k for the first 30 miles or so the next 30 to 60 miles at around 6K max 60 to 100miles at 7.5K (lots of engine braking) then normal usage after that changed oil to full synthetic at 386miles, changed oil filter too never went red line though, probably maxed out around 9.5K rode on the freeway three times now at around 65 to 70ish at 9K+ rpm for around 20 to 30 minutes. wouldnt go above 75mph (i got slapped with a $157 fine for doing 75mph once on my other ninja)

April 24th, 2009, 02:56 AM	#39
kkim Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: Too much.	http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10171

April 24th, 2009, 07:08 AM	#40
250Rocket ninjette.org member Name: Rob Location: Montreal, Canada Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): '09 Ninja 250R Posts: 171	I'm just wondering, i've read thru about 50 threads like this. The one prevailent thing is changing the oil. When i asked the dealer if i should he said as long as i'm not reving the piss outta my bike it should be good until 600 miles (the first official check up). Should i change it or leave it considering 80% of my 200 km so far has been on sweeping side roads @ less than 5k?