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2017 Fleet Break In


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Every year we need to break the new fleet in. The bikes just arrived, and we have scheduled the Break In day: Feb 6, Willow Springs. These break in days are fun, endless laps of riding--all at or below 6k rpm. Some guys come to these year after year.

 

Level 4 students get the first choice, but this year it's being scheduled a bit later than normal, and with a shorter notice. There might end up being room for students that aren't yet Level 4. Some even travel from afar to do this.

 

Overvew: 2 groups trading off back and forth, riding all day long. Goal is put 350 miles on 30 bikes, all below 6k rpm. Normal riding etiquette required, and riding completely in control--you break it, you pay for it. It's not a school or an open practice day, all bikes there will be doing the same thing.

 

These can be tons of fun, and I'm posting this up here to give enough notice for those that might be able to attend. If you can, send me an e-mail: cobie@superbikeschool.com.

 

Best,

Cobie

 

 

 

 

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They typically are a load of fun, it's like (for the most part) a calmed down day, and have to really pay attention to things you night not ordinarily. Also, there have been some need "freight trains" of riders and if one guys messes up, the other guys will inch past him.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Looked like we had a small chance of rain, but that looks to have evaporated, fine by me.

 

Having a riding plan...even for a low-key event like this, something to consider. Maybe should start a thread on that subject...

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Might be a silly question, but what on a motorcycle "breaks-in" during those miles....besides the engine?

I ask because, the engine can be run in on a test-stand. The drivetrain on a dynamometer. After 350 miles of track use, it might be prudent to refresh all fluids including suspension fluids and have a look at the brakes for abnormal wear patterns.

 

Hayden talks about a shakedown and technical problems on his 2017 WSBK Honda. The only technical problem he describes is engine braking (adjustments), which I don't consider a problem at all, but rather a tuning matter.

http://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2017/Hayden+Were+very+happy+to+get+out+on+the+new+bike

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Engine is the primary factor for sure. Used to require 600 miles. I think the suspension can change a bit too.

 

There are some different approaches to break in, and for full-blown race engines, it might not be exactly the same thinkin. With our bikes, all the data is recorded and the factory is requiring that 350 miles, before they are ridden hard.

 

CF

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Engine is the primary factor for sure. Used to require 600 miles. I think the suspension can change a bit too.

 

There are some different approaches to break in, and for full-blown race engines, it might not be exactly the same thinkin. With our bikes, all the data is recorded and the factory is requiring that 350 miles, before they are ridden hard.

 

CF

Now that's very interesting indeed. Certainly flies in the face of what mototune says. Well, you gotta contract and have to stick to the terms, no argument there.

 

And I was hoping to get something that definitively said which way to break-in was better. Looks like that argument lives another day.

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Jaybird, I changed the font size on your last sentence of your last post, it was very tiny for some reason, if you actually wanted it that way let me know and I'll change it back. :)

 

My rough understanding is that you can break in an engine more quickly (as you might have to do in racing), and it might even be a little faster as a result (looser) but not likely to ultimately last as long as a properly broken-in engine. Longevity might not be a priority for a race engine but probably would be for a street bike. I've done both types of break in and the ones I broke in faster did fine and made good power but I didn't keep them long enough to speak to how well they held up over time. For a brand new street bike I planned to keep for a long time, I'd play it safe and follow the manufacturer recommendation, I imagine their procedure is based on minimizing any warranty issues.

 

I've noticed that the shifting loosens up as the bike breaks in, too - to me they feel a little clunky to shift at first then smooth out pretty quickly. I'm not sure if that is internal to the transmission or external in the shift lever and connections.

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Jaybird, I changed the font size on your last sentence of your last post, it was very tiny for some reason, if you actually wanted it that way let me know and I'll change it back. :)

 

My rough understanding is that you can break in an engine more quickly (as you might have to do in racing), and it might even be a little faster as a result (looser) but not likely to ultimately last as long as a properly broken-in engine. Longevity might not be a priority for a race engine but probably would be for a street bike. I've done both types of break in and the ones I broke in faster did fine and made good power but I didn't keep them long enough to speak to how well they held up over time. For a brand new street bike I planned to keep for a long time, I'd play it safe and follow the manufacturer recommendation, I imagine their procedure is based on minimizing any warranty issues.

 

I've noticed that the shifting loosens up as the bike breaks in, too - to me they feel a little clunky to shift at first then smooth out pretty quickly. I'm not sure if that is internal to the transmission or external in the shift lever and connections.

I guess there's no way to loosen the transmission except by shifting. No brakes/shifting drills won't work for this exercise. Guess it has to be done "the hard way".

 

And yes, I wanted "the fine print".

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I'm not sure what the advantage would be of breaking in a bike on a test stand or dyno? You'd probably need to put fans on it to keep it cool, and dyno time is expensive, and wouldn't it be more fun just to ride the bike?

 

For sure it would take a LOOOONG time to break in the whole fleet that way. Much more fun to do a group break in day and just rent a track, as long as you can find a large crew of responsible riders. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry was out of town and missed this.

 

Tank tops, flip-flops and wheelie-ing from stoplight to stoplight: the classic California Squid of the '70's (and later too :).)

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No helmet law in the '70's, but you children probably weren't riding back then.

 

(100% chance Hotfoot will respond to that publicly or privately).

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