Z1000SX First Service and Running In / Breaking In Bikes

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1. My '16 SX is now at 400 miles all of which have been in freezing cold (but dry) conditions. I must admit I've been focusing on the magical 600 miles but I guess you're right, I better not start ragging the arse off it as as soon as I get to 600. This is obviously the down side of getting a new bike. You're bang on the money about demonstrators too btw. I took out a blue one from a certain Scottish dealer that had 90 miles on the clock and let's just say I would NEVER have done that to my own bike ;-)
2. when i bought my CBR 125R i asked if there was a running in phase and they said no... all they said was that Honda doesn't give running in stages... just don't rag the shit out of the bike until it's 600 mile mark... i ragged the shit out of the bike anyway ^__^ i also have loads of footage of me trying to change gear usually from 1st to 2nd it would grind and slam into either neutral or 2nd and the back wheel will lock up especially going over roundabouts... (this was back before i learnt to straight line them) after my first service and the oil was changed the mechanic said that the specific oil that was used was for breaking in the bike and they had changed to a thicker oil and as it was a hot day on the day of the service, the oil was thinner and the changing from 1st to 2nd was smooth as anything... so moral of the story was the oil they put in the bike for the breaking in period was shit!
3. In my opinion you did exactly the right thing, it's absolutely ridiculous that they expect you to run a bike in like that, I don't think you have to run a car engine in so what's the difference, is it maybe just that a bike revs higher? the trip to wales did the trick, spot on mate, RS.
4. Sounds more sensible than the manufacturer's recommended break in method. You have to also bear in mind that bikes get dyno tested at the factory anyhow and that's all the way to the red line, so it has to be taken with a pinch of salt. At least you know the rings will be properly seated after that!
5. As I was relearning to ride after so many years off a bike. I was riding slow anyway. I was close to what the manufacturer said to do. RSM8
6. Never bought a new bike to run in, however in the 70s oh dear, showing my age I had a BSA Bantam but don't tell anyone, any road up had it rebored at the motor engineers and. The turning inside was very worrying so I can understand why engines have to be run in to make the chrome looking barrel after the several hundred miles. Mind you that was years ago maybe better machines now a days. Interesting subject.
7. The first 500, then Ride it...Like you Ride it !!!
   ;)
   Congrats on that Bike, too !!!
8. Woah! Hold on 1000miles?! When I said do what kana said, I thought it was for first 500 miles not double that. Dam... After 500 miles your bike will be well broken in away, cylinder expansion would have stabilised, cam and chains would be at the right tension and your breaks would have well bedded in. 1000 seem very excessive to me. Ps hard breaking in was designed for peak machine running constant high revs, not road bikes, you have chosen wisely.
9. Breaking in my 250cc Suzuki was interesting as it's hard not to rev the crap out of small bikes so on the odd occasion I did go above the 4k recommendation but not much ~6k with 10k redline.Riding in the city allowed the engine speeds to vary a lot however I'm uncertain if it's had the best break in but it still runs fine I guess now at 2.3k miles in fact it feels like it has more power than it did when new :)
10. On both the new bikes I've broken in, I just (like you said) had some mechanical sympathy for the machine. I didn't rag it, and didn't hold it at steady revs for long (mway etc). Apart from that, I was riding exactly how I normally would. Never did my bikes any harm. Although, maybe I was supposed to break the electrics in on the Shiver!
11. I wouldn't buy any demo bike I've road tested...lol
12. i really like it very comfy with the sergent seat. but i am about to change my front sprocket to a 16t ,i find its to low geared,what do you think ?
13. I'm more inclined to get a bike already run. I can't be arsed with the faff ;o).
14. I had my Z800 for one week wish I had seen this before I picked it up, I was told to keep the revs below 7k
15. I just did what the manufacturer recommended, with occasional short lapses. initially it was 3000rpm, after 500 miles l'm allowed 3500rpm. then 1st service @ 1000 miles, and after that you can ride it how you want.
16. I'm right with you on the break in period - I used basically this method on my MT-09 although I did have a little more patience and stuck closer to the recommended break in procedure. I read the hand book that comes with the bike and the manufacturer's break in procedure is detailed in there but the salesman at the dealer told me that rather than having an absolute rule of not going over 6k rpm he suggested a limit of 8k rpm but not for long periods and not to hold it at any rpm constantly for any length of time.
    
    Been to the dealer for my MT serviced and talked Z1000SX with the aforementioned salesman who sold me the MT. Just need to make a call to the insurance company about a multi-bike policy and a quote for the 2 bikes and should be getting a 2016 Z1000SX hopefully - just need to decide on the colour now, either green or blue in the new colours.
17. Sound advice about the demonstration bikes. No way would they have been run in correctly. I'm surprised that they still ask for near new price for ex-demo bikes. You don't save that much that it's worth it.
18. I dunno why they don't run them in at the manufacturing stage, a few quick checks & changes (factory service) then "here's you new motorcycle Sir"...seems that way with cars.
19. It's your bike, so break it in whichever way you are comfortable with. Most people don't keep a bike until the engine dies anyway so it's unlikely that what you do on day one is going to influence what happens on day omega. You should remember also that there are huge differences in the tolerances of a race engine compared to a consumer engine. A race engine is expected to only last about a thousand miles while you'd be taking yours back to the dealership if it blew up in that time under warranty - and you'd have a case probably regardless of how you broke it in.
    
    Unless you're going to get two bikes and run them in differently, then break down the engines at each break in point to compare the difference it's all a bit moot. Your bike, your rules.
20. The logic sounds good to me.