How to Break in a New Engine – Correctly

You havereceived your shiny new bike and are looking forward to a weekend ride with your buddies, maybe another convoy or two, or scythe through some canyons.

Hang on! You need to break in that new engine first.

There are so many myths and half-truths floating around the internet about how to break in an engine. One says“ride it hard,” the other says,“no you shouldn’t.”Then when you look in comment section and you see all sorts of “tips,” too.

Breaking in a new engine is not difficult. Instead, it just needs some discipline and common sense.

  • Read the owner’s manual and learn the manufacturer recommended break-in procedures.
  • The manual will tell you to keep to certain RPMs for certain mileage.
  • Check the oil level before you start the engine.
  • Start the engine, but DO NOT let it idle for too long.
  • DO NOT rev a cold engine to high RPM.
  • Ride away smoothly, without using big throttle.
  • Choose a road with light traffic (or trail) where you can safely run the bike up through (at least) the lower gears.
  • Avoid fast starts and hard braking, except in an emergency.
  • Avoid lugging a new engine. Downshift to prevent lugging.
  • Avoid riding at constant speeds for extended periods. Vary engine RPM and load as you ride.
  • If possible avoid riding on major highways for the first few hundred miles, as this usually leads to riding at a steady speed RPM for longer periods.
  • As the break-in process progresses, add 1000 rpm or so to the rev range you are using (as long as that is consistent with factory recommendations and does not over-rev the engine).
  • You can rev higher than the recommended revs, but do so briefly and not maintained for a long time.
  • DO NOT miss the first service. Remember to change the oil and filter.

That is it. Simple, no?

A close-up of a car engine Description automatically generated with medium confidence

How to Break in a New Engine – Correctly?

You havereceived your shiny new bike and are looking forward to a weekend ride with your buddies, maybe another convoy or two, or scythe through some canyons.

Hang on! You need to break in that new engine first.

There are so many myths and half-truths floating around the internet about how to break in an engine. One says“ride it hard,” the other says,“no you shouldn’t.”Then when you look in comment section and you see all sorts of “tips,” too.

Breaking in a new engine is not difficult. Instead, it just needs some discipline and common sense.

  • Read the owner’s manual and learn the manufacturer recommended break-in procedures.
  • The manual will tell you to keep to certain RPMs for certain mileage.
  • Check the oil level before you start the engine.
  • Start the engine, but DO NOT let it idle for too long.
  • DO NOT rev a cold engine to high RPM.
  • Ride away smoothly, without using big throttle.
  • Choose a road with light traffic (or trail) where you can safely run the bike up through (at least) the lower gears.
  • Avoid fast starts and hard braking, except in an emergency.
  • Avoid lugging a new engine. Downshift to prevent lugging.
  • Avoid riding at constant speeds for extended periods. Vary engine RPM and load as you ride.
  • If possible avoid riding on major highways for the first few hundred miles, as this usually leads to riding at a steady speed RPM for longer periods.
  • As the break-in process progresses, add 1000 rpm or so to the rev range you are using (as long as that is consistent with factory recommendations and does not over-rev the engine).
  • You can rev higher than the recommended revs, but do so briefly and not maintained for a long time.
  • DO NOT miss the first service. Remember to change the oil and filter.

That is it. Simple, no?