Do You Really Need To "Break In" a New Motorcycle? (Feat. Kawasaki Z H2)

Welcome to our video on whether you should be worried about "breaking in" you new motorcycle, and what effects your decision may have on the health of the bike over the longer term.
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End Credits:
Rip & Tear - Mick Gordon (DOOM 2016 Soundtrack)
Thanks for watching.

[@Bob-ts2tu]

i've watched a few vids about breaking in a new bike in anticipation of getting mine in a few weeks (honda cb750 hornet), and from what i gather the 'golden rules' for the first 600 miles or so of any bike are: dont lug it, dont redline it, and keep changing the gears and rpm, i.e dont get into a long distance constant speed/rpm scenario, and of course get the relevent oil and filter changes. As most of my riding is in the lanes and b-roads i think that my normal route's will naturally take care of all i need to do. I'll admit i was a bit worried in case i do anything wrong and stunt the long term performance, but watching your vid and others gives me confidence it should be fine. Tx

[@snakeman9902]

OK, my comment is going to be controversial. I agree that you should enjoy your motorcycle. If the manufacturer advises that you don't go above 5k revs and occasionally it hits 6k, that won't do any damage to the bike. However.. You need to run in a new clutch. Tires, pistons (and rings) etc.. So, you have to run in a new motorbike. You have a warranty, because like all things mechanical, it shouldn't but can have issues, it's a protection and a sweetener for peace of mind, this is why you usually get a warranty on a second hand vehicle. The way I see it, it's like going to the gym fir the first time, you find you way around and know your limits, as you start to go regularly, you build up more strength, the worse thing that can happen is you go too high, too quick in weight, if you can bench 50k, with a struggle for 5 reps, don't go and try 100k.. The higher the revs the more stress on the engine, without the engine getting time to adjust. Too much revs at an early stage can damage your engine, it may not show at first, later on in life though,. Ouch, just like the gym. Analogy.

[@apocalyptodelacruz4706]

Good answer bro. Just ride and enjoy your new motorcycle.

[@arvincheech]

i sold my 2022 zh2 last march 2023 and got a gsxs gt 2023... i missed my zh2 ,so i bought another 2023 zh2 2wks ago and still in the break -in period.. it is such a beast!ride safe!

[@antonioquesada-castro4925]

YES, Yes you do...next question

[@AdrianDyke-xd3tf]

Well how many Demo’s do you think get run in? Yes Kawasaki give you rpm’s to stick to but 4000rpm on a Z H2 is 60mph. It does also say in the manual you can exceed the recommended rpm’s for short periods of time!

[@physical54321]

bought a zh2 from kawasaki and the head mechanic said take it steady for the first 50 miles then you can start giving it the beans but obviously not redlining it oil change at 600 miles

[@seanee573]

What would be considered long distance for steady rpm? I have a 25 mile stretch I take every day on my new bike and I swear I ride ar about the 4k rpm and every few miles a roll smoth up to 5500 or so than back down to like 3500 than back to 4k. It's fkn miserable tho... what's your opinion on a 20 mile strech?

[@gerrydunne8768]

50 years ago brake in was something you do now a days you are better off changing the RPM up and down just dont bogg it down too much

[@Philippe275]

Well, you are wrong. Yes, the parts are very precisely made, but they are intended to be broken in. You can spin journals more easily if it has not been broken in, they have sacrificial layers made for the break-in process. Yes, revzilla tested both methods, and they "measured" parts, on a sample of 2 engines made by like Honda which is known for reliability. Properly broken in part will resist stress better and last longer. New parts have more square edges, parts can move a tiny little bit before they are properly settled for the rest of their life. Higher performance engine should be broken in more carefully, more gradually. Either way, they will probably last you for the length of the warranty, but I'd personally try to make a brand new h2 as long as possible within reason. Like new shoes, you don't go run a marathon with brand-new shoes. Walk with it a few days... metal is not this impervious substance immune to all things. Why does an engine run better after break-in than when it was brand new?! It has to be broken-in! The process changes it! woot !

[@YoMomsDaBombDotCom]

Folks gargling these engineers in the comments as if the manufacturer would tell people to ride their bikes hard on the street. First oil at 100, oil at 1000 and then normal interval. Oooh ahh scary. People break bikes in on the track on a couple laps. Everyone calm down and quit clutching your pearls imma do it this way.

[@solentmotorbiketours9545]

mmm Page 57 of the Kawasaki owners guide " Break -in ( 0- 250 miles 4000 rpm 250- 400 miles 6000rpm after 400 - 600 miles Ride Moderately) . This is recommended by QUALIFIED ENGINEERS but the F do the know eh. Yer I guess that the engineer at Kawasaki got bored one day and thought I will just put a bunch of numbers on paper.. You will getter better performance and longevity from your bike.

[@Bob-ts2tu]

hahaha nice one. I've seen vids on 'hard' breaking in saying 'ride it like you stole it', and perhaps it won't make too much of a difference, but i would'nt do it myself. I liken it to going to the doctor for advice then ignoring what he has to say coz you dont like it. GL

[@stratolestele7611]

I agree with you completely.

[@theducklover2652]

More like they don't want you to start speeding in your first 200 miles because there's a pretty good chance you're new, Motorcyclist Magazine already made a video with 2 Engines they assembled with the same parts and broke it in according to the Manual, and the other one broken in using Normal and slightly aggressive driving and they found little to no difference (note they measured all the parts down to nanometers to make it as accurate as possible, fuel and oil consumption and performance)

[@Talan274]

2:15 🐿️❤

[@stratolestele7611]

As for your comments around the 7:50 mark - you have absolutely no basis on which to make that argument. You're simply theorizing. I mean, heck, why bother to follow anything the people who design and build these bikes say. Use any oil you want, use whatever coolant is the cheapest, etc. Point is, when it comes to this stuff, you could go down this rabbit hole and never see light again. It's always been almost torturous to break-in my vehicles, but I make a habit of it - especially so that when I inevitably sell it, I can confidently say that I properly broke it in and maintained it per the Owner's manual.

[@steve00alt70]

(An update) they want you to take the theory test before your cbt now but thats just the government plans not in law yet

[@GoblinRides]

I really hope not! There's already enough bureaucracy! ☹

[@Bob-ts2tu]

sorry to sound like a buzzkill but i think it's actually a good idea, and something i voluntarily did myself before my CBT, even after over 40 years as a car driver. IMHO any knowledge is a good thing, and i feel i especially got more out of the hazard perception part than i thought i would, as experienced road users can get too blase, and inexperienced users don't know what they don't know, so if at least some of it sticks it can only help. GL

[@stratolestele7611]

No matter what engine it is - DO WHAT THE PEOPLE WHO ENGINEERED THE DAMN THING RECOMMEND! It's not difficult! No, nothing will break if you don't follow the manuals, but of course, no one is usually around many years later when the thing starts burning oil, losing power, etc.

[@Revanite88]

Calm down karen

[@steve00alt70]

No reason to break anything in, its all ready to go

[@stratolestele7611]

Nonsense!