Forum

[DavidC]

Any thoughts on running in. Have done100 miles at 40mph, 200 miles at 45 mph, had the service. Handbook states I should not exceed 50 mph until I have done 1200 miles. What do you think?

[Daiwiskers]

Personally I feel that keeping it below 50 mph for 1200 miles then running it flat out is about the worse thing you could do

I just keep the load light and slowly work my way up the rev range

Don't let the motor slog or over rev at any time

Don't hold it at a set speed in any one gear for any length of time

That's the way I do it but, I don't know if newer bikes have a way of recording the engine revs or bike speed that would show up if a claim was made under warranty, others here may know!

If I buy a second hand bike I also run it in for 500 Mile's or so just to be safe

Listen to what others say
Cheers Dai

[Andy C]

Agree with Dai.

When I ran my Him in I followed the guidance I was given regarding speeds / revs etc, but was always weary not to let the engine labour.

When I reached the magic mileage where it was declared as "run in" I did not crack the throttle open to the max straight away, but as Dai said I worked up to it, i my case probably over a few hundred miles, but most important during running in, dont rev the nust off it and dont let it labour in any of the gears.

My Him is nearing 10.000 miles and cant fault it's running.

[stinkwheel]

Always a contravertial issue.

Personally, I'd give the engine some work to do because the whole point of running in an engine is to make the piston rings seal against the honing marks in the bore and to do that they need to generate friction and pressure. If anything else in the engine needs to "wear in" it wasn't manufactured properly. Perhaps back in the days of cranks sitting on bronze bushes and such that doesn't hold water but everything is on bearings now. It probably doesn't even hold true with floating bush big ends like the older bullets have because if they are making metal to metal contact at any point, things will go badly anyway.

I'm not sure what gently "running in" an engine is supposed to achieve and I've certainly seen cases of very timidly run in engines where the honing marks were still present after 1000+ miles (but presumably minus the sharp edges) where there was significant blowpast on the rings.

The new enfield factory is super clean, there aren't going to be bits of muck, dust, hair and swarf hanging about in there. A recent video on youtube by fortnine showed the first service oil out of the new REs to contain one of the lowest levels of particulate of any manufacturer.

So my running in of a rebuilt/new engine consists of getting it up to working temperature by riding around gently then going for a reasonably spirited but mindful ride of about 100 miles where I take the engine through the full rev range. I definately avoid "lugging" the engine, it wants to rev freely and I avoid staying at a constant rev speed for a prolonged period. I will find a couple of longish hills on the route and accelerate the bike briskly up through the gears up it, using the full rev range to put some load on the engine followed by an easier "cruise" to allow heat to dissipate then repeat.

After 100 miles, I call it run in, I do an oil and filter change because the above process puts a lot of shear force on the oil, the filter will remove any particulates from the bedding in process (of both the rings and the clutch). I then ride it like normal. Older bullets are usually ready to have the cylinder head bolts re-torqued at that point.

Others will strongly disagree with the above. I'd be interested in their reasons why though. I'd suggest the main (maybe only) risk is if you generate too much heat doing a "hard" run-in, you could potentially suffer an engine seizure.

I hired a 500 EFI bullet a few years ago when on holiday in Portugal. When it was dropped off, it had 6km on it. Now I'm not paying to rent a bike on holiday to nurse it about and I didn't. First run was about 15 miles of unmetalled and steep roads 2-up. Second run was about 150 miles 2-up on the very hilly and twisty N2 road (a famous Portugese biking route). I handed it back after 3 days with 400 miles of spirited riding on it and it was purring like a kitten (and leaking very slightly round the head gasket in one place which was presumably due a tighten down).

[Wheaters]

I agree about not treating a new engine too gently.

My son bought a lovely BMW coupe with a 2.3 litre straight six engine. It had been owned from new by a retired doctor who had apparently always driven it very carefully and hardly ever went above 40 mph. It was in very nice condition but we found it burned almost as much oil as it did petrol. A classic case of an engine that never had been properly run in, I think.

[Grumpy Rider]

as said before, this is a contraversial issue,
just for info, this is how I ran in my classic 500, but I appreciate and understand that the new 350 is a different animal.....
I Read the Owner's Manual and followed the Running In instructions. The maximum speeds given in it I was told by the dealership were a little slow for the EFI-500 . and I went with their recommended speeds in each phase
(0-300 miles) - limit to half throttle, use very gently to 45mph. Stop to let the motor cool down after every hour of riding.
(300-600 miles) - limit to 3/4 throttle and 60mph. Vary the throttle.
(600 miles and beyond) - Avoid prolonged use of full throttle. Turning that around it means occasionally use full throttle. As the engine loosens up, from maybe 1000-1200 miles gradually increase the revs to point of vibration by changing up later and later through the gears i.e. in 3, 4, & 5. In 1st and 2nd it is rather too easy to over-rev. Do not force it through but change up. Work needs to be put into the engine to bed it in so only under power not on the over run by changing down. It is a gradual process not a violent one,
The vibration point gradually moved up the rev band and dissipates.
My engine now runs as sweet as a nut and can hit the rev limiter in top.
I looked at buying used before getting mine but so many seemed to have been 'broken in' vibrated too much and didn't 'feel' right at all, I then test rode one which I knew to have been 'bedded in/run in' with, shall we say 'respect' and it was a world apart from the others, I thought they wanted too much for it given the cost of new so went new.
I think the key to running in any engine and machine is to work it, but not thrash it and keep it in fresh/good oil

[Wheaters]

I agree!

[Classic 350]

I've done 740 miles so far, first 300 kept to RE guide but stopped after 30 - 40 mins riding for 15 mins to cool slightly. First service done at 330 miles. A few videos on YouTube say to avoid hills I'm in South Devon and no chance of avoiding hills. The engine has labored for a split second sometimes as not being able to throttle up to get up the hills. I change down and keep in the gear that will get the bike up the hill without reving it too much, on and off the throttle to keep the revs steady , Hope I've done the right thing. I now stop after an hours riding for 15 mins, I'm not going over 50mph. This is my first RE in the first two, three gears the bike sounds a little ropey and then smooths out is this normal, it's sounds fine when ticking over to let it warm up. I'm loving the bike, I've gonevfrom a Triumph T120 to the 350 and really enjoy the new bike.

[Jamesy]

This running in period is a problem for me as It could take over a year to achieve with the low mileage I do My current bike an interceptor twin I bought with a few thousand miles on the clock with one careful owner.Well he was elderly and seemed genuine.Its the chance you take.

[Trev]

I've bought all but one of my bikes (the Hunter Cub 125) second hand, mostly with 20k+ miles on so any running in issues were long ago dissolved into the mists of time. I did own, ride and rebuild plenty of 2 strokes back in the day and of course 'ran these in' when I did any serious motor work but that's a different kettle of flippery things.

I will say that my Guzzi V9 Boober, that came to me with only 170 miles, has freed up noticeably now it's showing 2k miles and the gear change action in particular has improved. I got my Himmy with similar mileage but immediately proceeded out onto the green lanes with it so running in was secondary, it still works