[JimmyElsewhere]

I took delivery of my 2014 N1K a bit over a month ago. I love this bike, I think it’s superb and everything I want in a road bike. I’ve owned many other sports, road and dirt bikes so I’m no stranger to the Break in process.

I decided to follow Kawasaki’s recommended Breaking in procedure, even though I know plenty of “experts” (including mechanical engineers) who think otherwise.

The Breaking in process in the owners’ manual is as follows;
For the first 500 miles (800Km) max 4000 Rpm, 500 – 1000 Miles (800 km – 1600 km) max 6000 rpm.

I know it’s important to vary the rev range and not just sit on one speed breaking in, from all the other bikes I've owned but they don’t even mention that in the N1K manual surprisingly. I’ve been varying the revs anyway as best as I can.

For the first 200 miles I stayed under 4000 rpm but it so sooooo sloooow. That’s not even 70 in top gear which on the highways I commute to work on is dangerously slow. It’s taking short-shifting to the extreme and the gearbox and clutch in my bike didn’t like it much. I found it just too painful to ride at that rpm and decided after about 300 miles of taking the slow way everywhere to progressively ramp it up until I got to the 500 mile mark and so on, until the run in is complete.

I’m at about 700 miles now, the first service is done and I’m pushing up around 6000-7000 rpm max which I’ll increase as I’m heading towards 1000 miles. The way I see it , I’m still being kind to the engine but without the ridiculous rpm brackets in the manual.

How did you break-in your bike ?
If you followed the manual did you hate it as much as I did ?

 

[ZEUS]

Well.... personally i think the first 500 just use the bike very conservative with once in a while user some rpms over 7K but easy. This is important to sit the piston rings on place.

 

[Mikey1000]

Besides varying the rpm's I believe it's more important to do an oil change. My '14 had it changed @ 150 miles. Then again @ 600 miles, then @2500 miles. Will go to full syn @ 4500 or there abouts.

 

[Chrispy]

My practice is to keep the revs down until at least 5 or 6 good heat cycles, each cycle being full operating temp for around 30 minutes (by riding it, not on the stand) to fully cooled down.

After that, just make sure it's fully up to temperature and ride it like you stole it !!

 

[Warprints]

I followed the Kawi schedule. Riding home from dealer (100+ miles) was torture.

 

[sdkoskey]

I've got about 300 miles on my new 2015 and I kept the RPMs below 5000 until I got it over 200 miles. I let it slip above that a little bit but haven't hit 7000 yet. I'm doing my first oil change this weekend. I'll change the oil again at around 750 miles. After that, all bets are off.

FWIW... when I got my brand new 2006 Triumph Sprint ST in 2007, I pretended it was fully broken in from day one/mile 1. When I wrecked it just over a year ago, it had just over 50k miles on it and didn't smoke or burn any oil. Ran like new.

 

[sprockethead]

I've had two Ninja 1000s now and I broke the first one in per Kawi specs and the second I did a hard break in. Absolutely no difference in performance between the two. The first bike I traded in around 15k and the second has 36k on it now.

That being said, I think early oil changes are more important than how the bike is broken in, because of the tiny metal particles in the oil early on. I did oil changes at 150, 300, 600, 1000, 2,000 and I try to change the oil every 2,000 or so now.

 

[JimmyElsewhere]

Yeah good idea, I'll do a couple of oil changes before the next service.

 

[GaryK]

if you use approved oil and filters the factory intervals are fine.

A lot has changed with our understanding about how long synthetics and filters last. Getting a magnetic drain plug (if you can find one) isn't a bad idea. People have been getting 30K out of stock internals on sport bikes with no problems.

I was over changing my car oils at 3K... pretty stupid to waste all that synthetic when studies have shown that it is working perfect at 10K or more. The filter is actually the weak link. Most filters will only go 10-15K in cars.

 

[Norskie]

if you use approved oil and filters the factory intervals are fine.

A lot has changed with our understanding about how long synthetics and filters last. Getting a magnetic drain plug (if you can find one) isn't a bad idea. People have been getting 30K out of stock internals on sport bikes with no problems.

I was over changing my car oils at 3K... pretty stupid to waste all that synthetic when studies have shown that it is working perfect at 10K or more. The filter is actually the weak link. Most filters will only go 10-15K in cars.

You can send your oil off to Blackstone Labs and for a fee they will indicate how much of the wear additives are left and how much longer you can run the oil. The full report is about $35 and also shows particulates.

In my 2000 VFR800 w/102,000 miles they recommend every 4k miles; my Honda Prelude w/145k they also recommend every 4k. In my FJR1300 w/96k they recommend 10k intervals.

My point is that ever engine is different, and in a different state of tune. Getting your oil analyzed takes much of the guess work out of how long you can run the oil.

 

[Norskie]

I think early oil changes are more important than how the bike is broken in, because of the tiny metal particles in the oil early on.

That is the conventional wisdom, but some brands engineer their engines to require some level of abrasion to properly seat them. That could be by using a lower viscosity oil, allowing the metal particles to circulate for a bit, or actually adding wear additives. I don't know what Kawasaki does, and each model may be different, but it seems to make sense that the folks who made the bike would know best.

 

[maximus96792]

Break In

I got her 4 days after Xmas. I live on a Island. Doing the recommended RPMs was tough. Although I did hit a tad higher RPMs I did a 500 Mile change. I'm now at 1100 plus miles I'm gonna do another change at 2000 to 2500 miles. Then Ill go every 2K Miles. BTW..... the 2014 N1K ABS comes from the factory Full Synthetic. Retarded if you ask me, but You need to know this on your first change. Tighten Your Header bolts, they are likely loose, and Check your chain slack. Happy riding Bro.

 

[mrsand]

I have not heard that the new 2014 Ninja 1000 ABS came to the dealer filled with Synthetic oil before. How was this observation concluded? Just curious........

 

[JimmyElsewhere]

Some reading on this subject:

https://rideapart.com/articles/how-to-break-in-a-new-motorcycle-engine

 

[1cobra]

Cylinder walls

Hi,
The cylinder walls are coated with a Hi Tech coating, they are not the old iron sleeves like on older engines. That means you have 1 chance to break the rings in( they seat quicker in this type of engine) If you do not seat the rings in then the cylinders need to be replaced, they cannot be honed and re ringed as nobody can do the coating on the cylinder walls, just the factory. That is how I understand it, maybe someone else knows more about it?
Perry

 

[East Bay Ninja]

Hi,
The cylinder walls are coated with a Hi Tech coating, they are not the old iron sleeves like on older engines. That means you have 1 chance to break the rings in( they seat quicker in this type of engine) If you do not seat the rings in then the cylinders need to be replaced, they cannot be honed and re ringed as nobody can do the coating on the cylinder walls, just the factory. That is how I understand it, maybe someone else knows more about it?
Perry

When I picked my bike up ('14) I was told by the mechanic that Kawi already broke the coating at the factory and you could escentially go balls out from the get go. In order to protect my investment, I like most of those who posted went easy for the first 500 miles and an oil change. Funny beacause on my supermoto, when replacing the top end you go balls out from the get go too.

 

[JimmyElsewhere]

Does anyone know if they put these engines on a stand or bikes on a dyno and and run them for testing purposes at the factory ? I've seen footage of them doing this in the past.

Also, I thought these bikes were all delivered completely dry from the factory and the dealer put all fluids in. So the oil in the bike when it's delivered to you depends on the dealer. Is that right or are they shipped with oil ?

 

[rcannon409]

I had a situation develop, last summer, and was able to put three tank fulls of fuel through my concours 14. I did this in under 3 hrs. Riding style knocked fuel consumption down to well under 20, and way closer to 15.....

Anyway, after that night, the bike runs smoother, shifts better, sounds better. A loto f"feel" stuff, but it made a difference. I dont think it was ever properly broken in, until then.

I would love to do the same to my Ninja. I did change its oil, and filter, at 50 miles. Thats the only time I ever saw shavings, or shiny things in its oil. I'll do this from here out to any car or bike I get.

 

[sprockethead]

Also, I thought these bikes were all delivered completely dry from the factory and the dealer put all fluids in. So the oil in the bike when it's delivered to you depends on the dealer. Is that right or are they shipped with oil ?

Mine was delivered dry. I watched the dealership put oil and other fluids in. They had a model on the showroom floor that may have had fluids in it already but mine came straight out of a crate.

These break in threads always drive me crazy.... I start rethinking how I broke in my Ninjas. Like I said earlier, I broke my first N1k in per the owner's manual and the second I did a hard break in. Performance after 15k was exactly the same on both bikes so I don't think it matters as much as we think it does.

 

[rcannon409]

You can hone these cylinders. We've been doing it on dirt bikes for 20 years....but, you are right, too.....

You can hone until the stones wear out and it wont do much except tear up the hone. All you do is scrape off whats on the cylinder and you'll see the original diamond hone marks. Often times, wiping the surface by hand, with atf, did as much as a hone would.

Often times you'd melt a piston and think it damaged the coating. At that point, you'd go in with a hone and knock off the melted aluminum..the cyl looked brand new. You'd drop a new piston and rings in, and thats that....You coudl do the same with our bikes, too. Just no oversize option.

In appearance, it looks like a bad bumper plate job.. Its not pretty. Often times it will have ugly spots, or small pinholes in it...

Heres a pic. http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/attachment.php?attachmentid=51756&stc=1&d=1327948352

You can typically wear out five pistons (with rings) before the coating wore through.

The reason they use it is because its durable, and CHEAP.......No more paying a skilled buy to fit liners. There are other reasons to use it, but high on the list will be low cost.

Its all this for durable, but what it wont handle is dirt. If you get dirt past your air filter, forget it.

Heres how they typically get damaged. This looks like a "four corner" seizure, and they wont stand up to that....But, an iron liner wont , either.

http://www.nzcylinders.com/Our%20plating%20process_YZ125%20damage%20assessment%20small.JPG