How to break in a new motorcycle?

Question

How do you break in a brand new motorcycle? I'm hearing mixed reviews about following the manual or running the engine hard. Can an experienced motorcyclist help me out?

Answer 1

Is the bike 2 or 4 stroke?

Please add some more details, I will be more then happy to help you out.

Answer 2

Breaking in a motorcycle is very important.  Especially so with something like the gixer 600.  Knowing the reasons that it is important will help you understand, and motivate you to do, maintenance on your bike.  The breaking-in period with this particular motorcycle is going to play a direct role in how long your engine lasts, how frequently you'll have to make major repairs, long-term performance and maintenance, the list is long.

The breaking-in period with this bike should not exceed a tank, or a tank-and-a-half of fuel.  For most of the first tank, maybe three-quarters, keep the engine r.p.m. under 6500 rpms.  Do not run that first bit of fuel out of it all in one sitting.  It would be a good idea to operate the bike in intervals of about 20 minutes per ride for that first portion of the break-in.  Remembering to keep the rpm down, and just generally keep babying heck out of it.

This first stage of the break-in, there are a lot of things going on.  Most importantly, the motor is getting hot, and cold a bunch which causes expansion and contraction.  As this occurs bearing journals cut new paths in their races, the mains do something similar and, in general, all of the, "turning", parts are lining themselves up, and shedding material in the process.

Additionally, there will be fuel-residue-build up in the intake system that will be good for the bike.  This build up takes awhile, with the engine in operation, and the bike will always be a little lean until this forms.  Don't want to be too heavy handed until it can take full drinks of fuel.

The idea with this first stage is to just get the bike up to operating temp and run it for 10 to 15 minutes.  Go do your accessory shopping.  While you are out get a tire gauge and good hand pump.  Also avoid letting the bike idle for extended periods of time.  This can cause carbon build up that you would normally burn out with high rpms and you don't want that right now.

Once you feel you have thoroughly loosened the bike up, it is time to seat the rings.  The, "rings", being the piston-rings.  Whose job it is to seal for compression, and keep crankcase oil in the crankcase.  Babying the bike so far has had one adverse effect.  If you don't get the engine good and hot a couple of times, the cylinder walls will, "glaze".  This will prevent the rings from seating properly.  Which can lead to burned oil in the combustion chamber (Smokey exhaust), or low compression, or both.  Very bad, this, "glaze".

To seat the rings, you've got to kick its butt a little.  DON'T DO ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY DANGEROUS TO ACHIEVE THIS!!  The idea is that you need to get the engine pretty hot, and then place a significant amount of demand on it.  That is to say, you are going to get it good and warm and then wring its neck.  Keep in mind that you have a still very tight, brand new engine here.  Don't break it.  And the focus should be on making big rpm sweeps, in its tallest gears.  You want the engine to be gaining rpm quickly, more than you are looking for a particular rpm limit to aim at.  How long this takes, is up to you.  You'll need to be operating a very high performance motorcycle at the peak of its performance level, for little bursts of time.  Be very careful while you are doing this.  

Once you've wrung it out a little go back to 6500 rpm baby mode back to the garage.  The breaking in of the motorcycle is complete.  You are not done however.  Once the motorcycle is broken in, you need to have a talk with your mechanic.  You'll definitely need to change the crankcase oil IMMEDIATELY after it is broken in.  There will be metal particles in your oil at this point and they need to be removed.  It is then that you should decide what type of oil you are going to use, filter, etc..  

I usually drop the oil, go synthetic, and top dollar oil filter.  Don't do any of this until it is good and broken in.  Synthetics are so slick that they can prohibit a good ring seal, just like glazing.  You should really be getting this advice from a certified Suzuki mechanic, but when you do, they'll tell you just what I did.  Have fun and be safe.