2011 TE 310 break in

[DavidB]

Manual says go easy for two hours. Some people say 20 hours or 500 miles. Some say half hour and ride it like you stole it. Opinions? Back in the day when I was in my teens and early 20's I use to build high performance VW motors. I was taught to give the motor an short break in and hit the streets with the pedal to the metal. Never had an issue. This was late 70's when dinosaurs roomed the earth. As my kids say.

 

[robertk61]

I have the same bike, took it easy for 3 hours, then let it rip. I reckon that's all it needs for a run in and I agree with you, run them in hard and they run better ( I am a mechanic by trade)

 

[Slowpoke]

I have the same bike, took it easy for 3 hours, then let it rip. I reckon that's all it needs for a run in and I agree with you, run them in hard and they run better ( I am a mechanic by trade)

Umm- if you took it easy for 3 hrs, it's kinda late to 'run it in hard' don't you think? Rings are already seated, properly or improperly by the end of that 3hrs depending how the bike was ridden.

I just warm it up for the first time in the driveway & then have at er for about 20 minutes; Break-in done.

 

[glangston]

You've correctly identifid the divide.
Pay your money and take you choice.

I am in the slower break-in camp. My dealer George thinks the better break-in considers the whole engine and it's heat issues, not just seating the rings. Sort of NEW AGE and Holistic,,,yeah, that's George..

 

[HomeFinance]

Don't forget to post a ride report

 

[Slowpoke]

You've correctly identifid the divide.
Pay your money and take you choice.

I am in the slower break-in camp. My dealer George thinks the better break-in considers the whole engine and it's heat issues, not just seating the rings. Sort of NEW AGE and Holistic,,,yeah, that's George..

Unfortunately you can't seat the rings properly with a slow break-in. If you could, I'd do it that way. The anecdotal evidence is starting to add up in my garage supporting the fast break-in method; 4 bike engines in the last 5 years....... So-far no negative issues, but the bikes all put out good power & are lasting well.

 

[pvduke]

hard and fast or slow to last? your choice. might get lucky your whole life but the one time ya dont flogging a new engine and it wears too soon and smokes and uses oil well...

new engines have a sh-t ton of sharp edges in them and they generate a ton of friction/heat/trash. they should be zero load heat cycled a few times then gently brought up to speed as this gently knocks the edges off hones, skirts, plus theres a ton of crap floating around in there.... friction is its highest on a brand new motor. friction is your enemy. once stuff is scraped off, and thats what happens durring run in, ya cant get it back. husky's are made tight and made to last. why rush it. again- ya might get lucky but physics are what they are. it's a risk im not willing to take w/ my wallet.

im NOT saying anyone's way is wrong, there's plenty of new motor floggers to back their way up.

but i build 'em too and know what new and old stuff looks like and what metal on metal really prefers to last longer and my customers get the: take it easy for a tank if nothing else speech. especially if a forged bullet goes in in place of cast or a new crank's dropped in cuz bearing cages are sharp and races need to heat/mate to cases and warm it up and take it easy till the oils hot- even after break-in.

anyways...bottom line- if ya gotta ask?

the answer is simple...George knows. just give him a call and do what he says and you'll never have an issue.

period.

 

[glangston]

The Mototune guy says the first 20 miles are critical, then says the break-in lasts for 200 miles later in his articles. In the long run his method is not so hard and George's is not so easy. The Mototune guy is still giving advice on break in to 1500 miles (use petroleum based oils, same as George, then switch to synthetic) so there's not so much difference in that matter either. Mototune says you're not going over 65 with his break-in so it's hard to call that fast. His method is actually hard acceleration and deceleration but he is not claiming he's hitting the rev limiter or saying that's the method. George says paddle through the gears briskly...sort of the same thing as the MT idea. So, in summary, I just don't think the difference is major at all once you get into the specifics and don't really just say "ride it like you stole it, balls to the wall" after you warm it up. Neither MT nor George says that. Both recommend getting the factory oil out pretty quick, within the first 50 miles or less.

Here's a thing I came across about engine break-in. You may or may not remember Smoky Yunick.

I'm working from memory here, from Circle Track Magazine articles, but...
The late, great Smokey Yunick found that his Trans-Am racing series engines (from Traco?)produced 20-30 more h.p. when he bolted on 'mule' heads (standard, not the racing parts) and gently broke in the shortblock for 30 hours on the test stand. These were the 305 Chevy SB engines, basing at 405 hp, and he got 430 by letting all the parts gently make friends. He had taken photos and done impressions of the rings with fast and slow break-in, and found scratches in the ring faces from fast/rough break-in.
Think about this. When you hone a cylinder, you are actually microscopically cutting threads in the cylinder wall. Cross hatching is cross threading, and the surface is microscopically torn and folded over. When the rings initially run on this torn and folded metal, it can either gently wear it away and be flushed away, or it can be torn away and be mashed into or gouge the ring face. Smooth rings seal. Rough rings can't.
Secondly, think of all the VISIBLE flecks/filings/crap being deposited in your oil in those first few miles. Seriously; I've seen metal flake oil from every new engine I've done an oil change on (very subtle, but take your clean pan with the oil in it and look at it in the sunlight). Do you really want to pound that abrasive crap into the piston skirt or bearing shells? I prefer to flush it out ridiculously early (less than 50 gentle miles) and use a new filter and oil for the next couple hundred miles, where I do start with the 'goose it and let off' cycling. And I change the oil again after a couple hundred miles.
Recent experience: Last fall I changed the oil in my new 03 Mazda Protege at about 50 miles. The otherwise new clear oil had black/gray/silver stuff in it that would actually SETTLE OUT to the botton of the catch bucket in a minute or so.
I think I'll listen to Smokey. He had patents out the wazoo and did development work for the Big Three, and ran well at Indy too.

 

[fletchman45]

At least for a 2-stroke I do a few things. 1st tank 40 to1. I do 2 20 minute heat cycles before ever even riding it. Then 1 hour only on dirt roads NO WOT. After that I start to beat on her a little more. 1st oil change to me is critical. New Husky 2-strokes no magnetic drain plug, gotta get one. Point is EVERYONE has their own opinion on oil and breakin, so you got to put it all together and decide on your own! My buddy does the ride it like you stole it! I myself DO NOT believe in that. Good Luck

 

[ioneater]

I wonder what kind of pre-ship test these motors get before the crate? My triumph dealer told me flat out not to sweat the break-in on our new bikes as they were wrung out at the factory to red line multiple times and if something was wrong it would manifest then or during the 2 year warranty time. I know, different bike, different engine, different warranty than husqw. Just pondering at the keyboard.

 

[Slowpoke]

The Mototune guy says the first 20 miles are critical, then says the break-in lasts for 200 miles later in his articles. In the long run his method is not so hard and George's is not so easy. The Mototune guy is still giving advice on break in to 1500 miles (use petroleum based oils, same as George, then switch to synthetic) so there's not so much difference in that matter either. Mototune says you're not going over 65 with his break-in so it's hard to call that fast. His method is actually hard acceleration and deceleration but he is not claiming he's hitting the rev limiter or saying that's the method. George says paddle through the gears briskly...sort of the same thing as the MT idea. So, in summary, I just don't think the difference is major at all once you get into the specifics and don't really just say "ride it like you stole it, balls to the wall" after you warm it up. Neither MT nor George says that. Both recommend getting the factory oil out pretty quick, within the first 50 miles or less.

Here's a thing I came across about engine break-in. You may or may not remember Smoky Yunick.

I'm working from memory here, from Circle Track Magazine articles, but...
The late, great Smokey Yunick found that his Trans-Am racing series engines (from Traco?)produced 20-30 more h.p. when he bolted on 'mule' heads (standard, not the racing parts) and gently broke in the shortblock for 30 hours on the test stand. These were the 305 Chevy SB engines, basing at 405 hp, and he got 430 by letting all the parts gently make friends. He had taken photos and done impressions of the rings with fast and slow break-in, and found scratches in the ring faces from fast/rough break-in.
Think about this. When you hone a cylinder, you are actually microscopically cutting threads in the cylinder wall. Cross hatching is cross threading, and the surface is microscopically torn and folded over. When the rings initially run on this torn and folded metal, it can either gently wear it away and be flushed away, or it can be torn away and be mashed into or gouge the ring face. Smooth rings seal. Rough rings can't.
Secondly, think of all the VISIBLE flecks/filings/crap being deposited in your oil in those first few miles. Seriously; I've seen metal flake oil from every new engine I've done an oil change on (very subtle, but take your clean pan with the oil in it and look at it in the sunlight). Do you really want to pound that abrasive crap into the piston skirt or bearing shells? I prefer to flush it out ridiculously early (less than 50 gentle miles) and use a new filter and oil for the next couple hundred miles, where I do start with the 'goose it and let off' cycling. And I change the oil again after a couple hundred miles.
Recent experience: Last fall I changed the oil in my new 03 Mazda Protege at about 50 miles. The otherwise new clear oil had black/gray/silver stuff in it that would actually SETTLE OUT to the botton of the catch bucket in a minute or so.
I think I'll listen to Smokey. He had patents out the wazoo and did development work for the Big Three, and ran well at Indy too.

(italics above)Great advice for 1970's & early 80's engine designs (& anything before that). Doesn't work as well for Nikasil plated cylinders & todays manufacturing methods. Don't get me wrong, I consider Smokey a genius. But what worked then doesn't work as well now and can actually be bad advice. The problem is that a lot of folks grew up with the slow break-in mantra & haven't adapted to the 21st century yet. Modern bike engines share almost nothing as far as metallurgy, manufacturing & designs etc. with engines in Smokeys era.

The Key thing about the Mototune(fast) method is the 1st 20 miles(20 minutes) - that's the only time that's really important. That's what I've been saying all along; warm it up, load those rings off and on for 20 minutes, change oil/filter. Break-in done- now go riding.

 

[big--d]

got my 310 on the friday did a 4hr enduro on the sunday with it****************************************that was last oct, nowt wrong with it so far.