GS1200 Running-in... Advice wanted.

[philtaylor]

I've just bought my newest bike ever, a GS1200 with only 650 miles on it having only just had its first service. Irrespective of what the manual says how have other owners treated it to get the best out of it. Do I ride it hard now or coax it for another 1000 miles ?????..... I intend to keep this for a long time, so want to do the right thing..

Your advice please folks....

 

[Thunder]

I've just bought my newest bike ever, a GS1200 with only 650 miles on it having only just had its first service. Irrespective of what the manual says how have other owners treated it to get the best out of it. Do I ride it hard now or coax it for another 1000 miles ?????..... I intend to keep this for a long time, so want to do the right thing..

Your advice please folks....

Ride it as normal I'd say, it's past the first service stage so use it to the full

 

[Allroad]

ring its neck !!!!!!!!!

 

[Graham G]

I had mine from new (5 miles on the clock). Couldn't wait until I'd reached the 600 mile mark and that running-in service.

After that it was a case of....opening the throttle! :dance

...just looking forward to giving it a change of oil at 2K. (The oil is the engine).

 

[Geeza]

My GS recently had its 600mls service.......I was told to give it some stick

 

[cookiemonster]

I bought mine with 800 on the clock.

Didnt think twice about giving it full whack on the way back from the dealers...

 

[el gurro guapo]

I just had mine in for its first service and I'd stuck to the 4000rpm rev limit pretty much religiously.

However, I gave it the beans on the way home (and had been advised to do so by the BM mechanic) but since then she sounds like an absolute dog over 4000rpm - horrible noise when backing off the throttle.

I thought the exhaust was blowing out before the service but now it sounds like they put a bag of nails in the engine. I'm just hoping it opens up a bit soon, otherwise I'm going to be a bit of a miserable bunny...

 

[Dave284]

Have a read here and see if what your looking for.......

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

 

[roadrider]

Ride it like you Stole it.

 

[Mouse]

I've said it before and I'll say it again The "secret thrash it" break in method may be fine for race bikes that have the engine rebuilt every 100 miles. But there is more to running in an engine than seating the pistons rings. What's the point in having wonderfully seated rings if the big end fails?

I would go with the same procedure as for any other bike. Don't worry too much about the rev limit. Let the engine warm up before opening it up. Warm up by riding normally, not by letting it idle on your drive. Don't make the engine struggle in a high gear. Gradually (over the first few hundred miles) work your way towards full throttle. Change the oil after 100 miles if you feel like it. Once it's had the 600 mile service, go for it

 

[Phil Clarke]

Erm thrashing it straight after its first service is not a good idea..... There isn't a point where all the bearings and the bore is suddenly 'run in' it happens over time. The idea is to build up to full bore roar over a period of 500 - 1000 miles after its first service. The reason a lot of people don't run bikes in is that they don't want to keep them for high miles so they don't care about proper running in. A surprising amount of dealers advise people not to do any running in but I guess they want your business in the future! As stated by Mouse the web link to the site advising thrashing from new applies to race bikes which can't be run in over a couple of thousand miles but need to be ready to race pretty much immediately. You have just laid out a massive amount of cash for a bike which you want to keep for a while - treat it gently!
Phil

 

[Malcvtr]

I claim no expertise here, but my dealer recommended 4,000 rpm limit for the first 300 miles, then 4,500 rpm for the next hundred, 5,000 rpm for the next and 5,500 rpm for the final 100 miles before the 600 mile service. They warned that glazed bores were a real danger from being too gentle - and then the bike would use a lot of oil.

 

[Mike L]

My last GS was run in gently by only using the twisty, hilly roads that required lots of gear changing and constantly changing revs. She used very little oil and sounded sweet. Don't labour the engine and don't sit at the same revs for long. Enjoy the ride.

 

[Islander]

Gradual Welly

I followed the advice in the book - 4000 RPM for the first 600ish miles (1000km), but not steady (lots of gear changes etc) then gradually increased the RPM every 100 miles. Past 1200 miles it was off to the Ring and then ride like you stole it - watch out for the rev limiter though, its not subtle !!
Since then oil consumption has been minimal, and the motor seems more than happy.