Triumphrat

salty_scuff · 04-04-2006

this may sound kinda weird, but, I could use and expert opinion here. Ive done 200 easy miles on my bike as per manual breakin procedure. I have a track day this saturday, and I dont think I;ll have time to ride another 300 miles for a complete 500 mile breakin. so I'm wondering should I change the oil now at 200 or go to the track, where I will probably put another 300 miles on and change the oil after? I usually ride pretty hard on the track, but it may rain this weekend and will be cold, so I may go easy.
what to do what to do. :???:

Curmudgeon · 04-04-2006

If you're worried about it, change the oil twice (before the track time and after 500 miles). That's what I'd do. Changing oil on these bikes is fast and easy.

f1eric · 04-04-2006

you need to have a dealer do it for warranty and have them
stamp your O&M.

AaUuuuGaa · 04-04-2006

You don't need to have the dealer do it. It's illegal for any dealership to not honor a warranty issue because you performed your own maintenance. However, it's a good idea to save your dated receipts for the oil & filter.

Salty: you should have changed your oil by now. Definately change it before your track-day. You DO NOT want to run at or near track speeds with break-in oil. It's also a good idea to change it again after about 400-500 miles. You should then be good for the season, unless you do a lot of track-days. In which case, you're gonna have to change the oil more often.

kuhlka · 04-04-2006

I'd engine brake the ***** out of the bike for another 100 miles or so on a day off or after work to finish up the break-in early. Basically, smoothly roll-on accelerate in every gear and let off constantly loading the motor to set the rings in really nicely. You don't want to baby a bike during break-in too much, especially if you babied the bike for 200 then are going to flog the ***** out of it on the trackday...

Definitely change your oil with the recommended full synthetic 10w40 or 15w50. I use Mobil1 full synthetic from Walmart for like $20 a jug (1 oil change). Then you can either go with a Triumph filter or whatever else. I use the K&N's because they have the easy-off nut welded on. I had a filter get stuck and it was a PITA with it being up in the motor. Couldn't get a filter wrench on it so I had to do the stab with a screwdriver method and turn it off that way.

corners · 04-04-2006

I would change out the oil and filter and get more of the break in oil the semi-synthetic and run that for 500 more miles before you switch to the full synthetic.

In all 4 of my triumphs I went 500 miles changed out oil, put back in break in for 500 more miles and then switched to the full synthetic. I have had great luck with it and in comparison to other Triumph in my area mine have always made more power.

On a side note... I also break them in the way I ride them...

kuhlka · 04-04-2006

All I know is that after 500 miles of engine braking over a week and then swapping out for a K&N filter and full synthetic Mobil 1, my bike has run great since.

After putting the CF high mount race can on the bike and dyno tuning I got 113rwhp and 69ft lbs. Pretty good for an 03 compared to the numbers a lot of the 05/06 guys have been getting.

Don't baby the bike!

Kravr36 · 04-04-2006

So what's the consensus on the oil to change to for the first oil change? And, should I change the plugs as well? I don't know whether the stock S3 plugs are worth keeping.

My Thruxton stock plugs were ***** and they went bad shortly after a few miles. :???:

Diego · 04-04-2006

> So what's the consensus on the oil to change to for the first oil change?

It should be pretty clear that you don't want to still be running break-in oil at that point.

In fact, if you've been too gentle with this engine and only have 200 miles on it so far, it's NOWHERE NEAR ready for a track day, no matter whether you use full synthetic or something else. (The book running-in interval is not just 500 miles anyway, it's 1000. Five hundred is just your first scheduloed service.) Forget the rings--they're either seated adequately already or not. The rest of that engine is still too tight to be giving it that kind of treatment right now.

My recommendation, FWIW: Work your way up through the RPM limits with progressive loading (that is, finish out the break-in you've started, and not excessively gently...after the first hundred miles, the factory recommended procedure isn't necessarily "easy," just not extreme). Then take it to the track another time.

HiVel · 04-05-2006

This stuff goes on and on-there have been books written about break- in methods.
Just change the oil and filter at 50 miles and 500 and 1000 and 1500 and go from there. Do not lug the bike and run the thing like you stole it! These new bikes are so good they should be OK unless you really abuse them. I had a Kawasaki GPz 1100 in 1982 that never did seat the rings!! Despite no syn oil and racing the sucker often. Not so today. After 1000 miles use motorcycle specific Synthetic oil (it is cheap all things considered) and good oil filters. Have fun!!