Triumphrat

toofless

OK, so I'm making the move from my '04 TBA to a '08 Bonnie Black. I have no good justification for this - just that I fell in love w/ the Black last week. I'm getting a good deal (7,200 + state taxes and one other minor fee) and will hopefully sell my current bike tomorrow for a fair price. I think I will close the deal for the new bike over the phone, to pickup this weekend - dealer has 5 in stock. I live about 55 miles from the dealer.

Given that, here's my question:

Should I
1) be really anal and change the oil before I put a single mile on it, knowing that most of the crap has already been knocked loose and ready to be drained, or
2) just ride it home and change the oil then, or
3) wait for 500 miles and perform 1st scheduled maintenance?

If I do change it at the dealership, should I try to ask for at least an "at cost" oil change by them as part of the deal?

I've read so many different opinions on this topic - does anyone dispute http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm?

I'm leaning to something in between the mfg recommendations and this line of thinking. I personally think that in a non-computerized system, it's really only about varying RPM's.

Just looking for educated opinions.

Thanks.

rodburner

You NEED that breakin oil for the first 500mi. Then change the oil and filter yourself.You`re right about the rpm`s too.Just vary them and keep out of the highest revs until you get some miles on it. My dealer told me to ride it home [about 40mi] to get it good and hot,then park it until it was bone cold before riding it again.Don`t know if that made a difference,but my bike runs like a top,uses no oil and has gone 20,000+ miles without any problems .

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Ruining a perfectly good Bonnie since 2004.

koifarm

If you do pick the bike up at a dealer, and intend to ride it home, do yourself a huge favor and check the air pressure in the tires....dealers are notorious for plunking down a bike on the showroom floor and letting it sit...ergo the air in the tires leaks....they all do....and unless you personally know the mechanic who sets it up before delivery you may have a bike with really low tires....and don't go by what they tell you when you pick it up, just whip out a pressure gauge and check em.....
koifarm

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Sitting on a cornflake waiting for the van to come!

Pokeyjoe

Yes and no. That whole philosophy is based on getting the rings to seat properly. And from that perspective, it makes sense. However, the same oil in the crankcase also lubricates your transmission and clutch. I'm not real fond of taxing all your new shiny new bits by riding it hard from the go.

I think your conclusion is probably the best approach. Moderation seems to be a good call.

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John
3-7-77
Some people are like Slinkies. They're really good for nothing. But they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.

Lazyrider

Nothing in that article has any basis whatsoever in fact. It is entirely unscientific and hypothetical; merely one individual's unsubstantiated opinion.

As for educated opinions, manufacturers hire the best engineers they can for the design of their machines. The owner's manual represents their opinions and should be your number one resource for this information.

FWIW, I changed my oil at approximately 300 mi. to a semi-synthetic 20W-50 Castrol MC oil. If not for the fact it was over 100 degrees outside, I would have used 10W-40. I changed the oil again at 800 miles, but this time used Mobil 1 fully synthetic. I plan to change again at 3,000 miles.

Don't forget how important filters are. After much research regarding element efficiency and surface area, I use the Purolator PureOne filters.

Jack

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'08 Blue/White America

dledinger

Do you think so Jack?

Maybe, but I am certain there are at least three other reasons behind the manufacturers break in instructions.

(1) Get the customer to ride slow, and in short intervals so they can get familiar with the bike instead of wrecking.

(2) In case something is not assembled properly from the factory, or from the dealer. It's better for it to rear it's head at low speed than at high speed.

(3) Brand new tires don't grip worth a hoot.

Iceseven

I just go by what Triumph says. Also keep in mind that you are also breaking in the transmission as well as the engine. I think that Pokey said it well with "I'm not real fond of taxing all your new shiny new bits by riding it hard from the go". I would rather trust a Triumph engineer than Motoman from the internet.

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2006 Scrambler, Previously had 2004 Bonnie Black, 1995 T-Bird, 1974 Trident, various street and dirt bikes.

champ7fc

Koifarms advice regarding tire pressure has merit. I own a 07 Bonnie black. I did not ride it all winter, recovering from hip replacement surgery, I failed to check the tire pressure. Rode the bike for about 300 miles and kept wondering why the gas mileage was so s@#$y. Checked the pressure , front 38lbs, rear twelve lbs and the strange part is the tire never showed the low pressure visually. I have been monitoring the tire pressures after setting them to spec and wow has the gas mileage improved, 30 mpg to 44mpg. Run the oil for the 500 miles, I did and change it yourself like me. Sometimes even people who have ridden for 40 years overlook the obvious. best of luck and safe riding. Craig

B02S4

How do successful custom engine builders and race teams break in new engines? Hint - it ain't by the owners manual.

Much of the critisim of Motoman/Mototune appears to be directed at his style & demeanor, not necessarily his methods.

When you strip all the hype away, what's important in a breakin is to do the following:

1. Warm up the bike up to operating temerature, carefully.
2. After - and only after - the bike is up to operating temperature, do a series of roll-ons/roll-offs (accelerations/decelerations on 2nd & 3rd gears [maybe 4th, depending on circumstances]) - that's what helps seat the rings.
3. Change the oil & filter early on (Moto recomends it really quickly, but IMO within 100 mi or so is fine)
4. Change the oil & filter initially more often (2nd oil change within another 500 mi. or so, then whatever your normal cycle is)
5. Don't lug the engine. Ever.

All the rest is commentary. Do the above properly & by the second oil change you're good to go.

Personally I prefer dino oil for break-in, but that's just my force of habit. Much too much time is spent talking about oil.

The bottom line is if you don't abuse the engine (redline a cold motor, under or overfill the sump, fail to change the oil &/or filter at reasonable intervals [& if you are really anal then send out a sample for analysis], or use clearly inappropriate type or weight oil) the motor is going to be fine no matter what break in method you use (presuming of course no defects).

Do you want optimal compression & do you want to make the most of what Triumph gave you? Then by-gosh seat those rings optimally.

88blkbird

It's funny you should say this... due to the recent increase in fuel prices many "new" riders have been bringing their bikes to my workplace, one of these new riders brought his new R1 in to work. By new I mean he picked it up the night before.. it had a mere 23 miles on the odometer. Forgive the stereotype but he was a young, wet behind-the-ears kid and he thought he knew how to ride and when he left to go home he hit the throttle too hard around a curve, not 200 feet from the exit ramp and promptly dumped the bike sliding it into a curb.

He damaged both sides of the fairings, the seat, turn signals, mirrors, tank, and the primary clutch case ( causing an oil leak and jammed gears ). I believe the damage was in the neiborhood of 2500 dollars and the first thing I noticed when I walked up to the bike was the very narrow scrub pattern on the tires.

Inexperience kills. This kid was lucky he wasn't hitting a freeway offramp when he dumped it.