Do i need to follow the break in procedure to the book on a Kawasaki Ninja 500r?

Question

Its a brand new 08 model and my commute to and from work makes me have to go at least 80. Will this harm my engine and is deviation from the procedure going to hurt my engine?

Answer 1

I should think not, its a sport bike (500cc's to boot) and the pistons are already calibrated for best racing (racing now) performance, but don't rev it too high too fast (full throttle) and you'll be fine. Kawasaki knows that their bikes will be revved to near max speeds asap, so they should compensate for that for the owners.

Answer 2

In the short term this will not really harm your engine in a noticeable way - however, in the long term it can cause significant engine wear that will shorten the engines life.

Motorcycle engines are built to much tighter tolerances than car engines and the initial break in period is important to allow the metal parts wear to their proper tolerances.

If you have no choice and must ride this bike at these initially excessive speeds then changing the oil and the filter several times during this period can help to remove the excessive metal residue and particles that will be produced by the stressed engine.

Answer 3

They wrote this procedure to maximize engine life!

Not following the factory procedures is the best way to kill an engine in the shortest period of time.

What the heck though - you'll probably want a new bike in a couple of years anyhow.

Answer 4

Yes,you need to follow the procedure pretty close.The break in period is critical to engine longevity and sometimes clutch performance.Manufacturers use this period to let engine components "seat" together.Not only does it let the machined parts of the engine wear in together, it also seals components through expansion and contraction,gaskets,rubber seals and various hoses.This aspect of the procedure, if not followed correctly,causes premature leaks.

Answer 5

yes it will cause premature failure, the manufacturer spent alot of time and money to do the research and development on something that carries their name to attempt to out last the competition. Besides break in also means initial wear on certain components that rely on wear patterns to make them operate correctly and efficiently, otherwise you will be needing a new engine half as soon as you would otherwise.

Answer 6

You don't have to do anything you don't want to.