strategies to break in 125 engine quickly

[daifuco]

Hi. I have ordered a budget scooter, a new Address 125. A couple of days ago I realised that... oh shit... the engine break-in is going be a painful process. The Address can hardly reach over 60mph at full throttle.

Im happy to follow the manual, which I think it says for the first 500 miles 1/2 throttle and for the next 500 3/4 throttle limit.

Half throttle on a 125, what speed are we talking about? 25 mph?

I doubt I can use the bike at half throttle for my weekend job (I am a home carer, and we really have to go quickly from home to home). So I need to get those first 500 miles in my spare time.

They say that the best thing is urban enviroment with constant pace changes.
I have also heard that country lanes are a good option, with twisted bits, little hills and more fun. But also "national speed limit" nutters and my bike with 12" and 10" wheels might fall inside a countryside pothole.
What do you think is the best way?
Thanks in advance.
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CBF125 - CB600F Hornet '12

[Nobby the Bastard]

If you stick to the manual your warrenty will stay intact.

If you follow what could be snake oil youtube break in techniques you may end up trying to explain why your engine is ruined.

Presonally,on a 125 I always went with about 250 miles being gentle. and not labouring the engine and then started opening the revs progressively for the next 250.

The last bike I ran in was a FZR1000R and that was very difficult to actually stress the engine unless ragging the actual nads off it.

500 miles isn't that painful.

What you are really trying to achieve is wearing in the rings so they match the barrel without taking out all the honing marks in the barrel because they retain the oil.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[daifuco]

Yeah Im not interested in special techniques, but I wonder if the best strategy is doing a bit of countryside touring on a urban scooter with tiny wheels at half throttle
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CBF125 - CB600F Hornet '12

[Nobby the Bastard]

Do the miles as quickly as possible.

Sticking to half throttle isn't as important as not stressing the engine so if you are going up a hill give it a bit more so that the engine doesn't get stressed.

Once you've done the forst 250 miles, gradually open up the throttle.

The type of road you ride on is largely irrelevant so long as you don't spend 3 hours riding up an a road. Varying revs will be better.

TBH it'll be dead by 5K miles so meh.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[redeem ouzzer]

Heat cycle it three times then thrash it. There is a small window between bedding something it and wearing it out.
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Be a REAL MAN!

[Nobby the Bastard]

[stinkwheel]

Remind me again what this "breaking in" is going to achieve?

Which bits need time at half throttle to learn how to be what they are? What is going to break if you don't do this?

As far as I am aware, the only bits on a modern motorcycle that are going to have to "bed in" are the piston rings. To do this properly they need to be pressurised and rubbed against the bore while it still has honing marks so they seal well. This will generate extra heat due to the increased friction so you need to be mindful of that.

What I do is get the oil up to temperature then go and find the engine some work to do. I generally accelerate full throttle up some hills, taking it up through the rev range then give it a bit of neutral-load cruising on the flat to dissipate any heat, then give it some work again. After 100 miles I call it run in. Oil and filter change (because that oil has just been given a kicking), re-torque head bolts and ride normally.

Putting my money where my mouth is, I did that on my big-bore, high compression Enfield Bullet which is a 1950s engine design. I might have taken it a bit easier if it had a floating bush big-end and a bronze crank seal like the originals (which conceivably could need some rough edges knocked off them initially) but I have roller bearings and rubber seals so I didn't. The forged accralite piston I'm using costs £211. No visible blowpast on the last teardown.

The important bit is to make sure the oil is up to temperature before giving it some.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Nobby the Bastard]

Remind me again, when was your enfield out of warrenty?
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[arry]

[stinkwheel]

[MarJay]

I'd follow the book. People who talk about hard break in usually either don't know what they are talking about, or are talking about bikes that don't need to last more than a few racing seasons.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[that_impulse_guy]

https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/busting-engine-break-in-myth/

its not like your scooter engine is stressed, or doing 200hp/litre output. It just goes "hnnnnnnnnn...nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn". Not a supercharged h2.

Go ride the thing properly after the first 50 or 100 miles once you've ridden off the layer on the brakes and tyres and got the hang of it.
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Gone: Yamaha DT50lc, Suzuki DR500, Suzuki A100, Kawasaki z250ltd, RD350YPVS, Suzuki DR Big, Kawasaki AR125, Kawasaki KMX200, Suzuki GS1000S, Katana 1100, GS550M, Suzuki RGV250
Now: Suzuki GSX400X, Suzuki RF900R

[Bhud]

Just follow whatever the manual says.

[stinkwheel]

[Bhud]

Imagine you've just paid the equivalent of 4 months' salary for a quality Japanese bike, in 1979. Do you follow the break-in routine or do you not? Ask yourself and answer truthfully. I'm asking this question because someone did, and now Bhud is riding said Japanese bike for fun and chores in 2023, more than 40 years later, and yes, the bores are still in amazingly good shape, with visible cross-hatching, minimal ledge at the top, and it's still on the original piston ring size. This is actual fact. I ride old Kawasaki because it was built and bought by people of quality. At the end of the day, it all boils down to someone giving a shit. Both the chef and the eater. Do you give a shit or don't you give a shit? Everyone likes pizza, right? All it takes to get pizza right is to give a shit. Triple-zero durum flour, high temperature oven, mozzarella, mascarpone, provolone, plus nduja paste, and a properly sauteed-down sauce...

Point is, if you thrash the f out of that engine you will smash down the sharp edges of the piston rings, but you will not necessarily preserve the cross-hatching and create the right glaze on the bores. At the end of the day what's your time worth? What's your approach to life in general? Are you gonna be a billionaire one day or are you NOT (i.e. is this a disposable machine and will there be some asshole in 40 years from now riding it thanks to your choices today)? I am just asking you whether this chinky or whatever scooter actually matters to you. My personal pov is unfashionable but it's this: take pride in everything. The things you own and the things you do.

[WD Forte]

Suzuki have to cover their ass when giving advice
so I'd translate that as
'Don't thrash the tits off it for few hundred miles until everything
has chance to bed in then you can be bit more cavalier'.

I often do work for a guy who has clocked up 60000 miles
in 2 and a half years on a Honda ANC/SH125 doing Deliveroo work.
I've had to do some ancilliary work and repairs, but the engine is sweet as a nut.
Starts easy, no smoke or rattles.
If you ignored the beat to shit panels, road rash, filth and odo you wouldn't think it had done that much and he did no running in at all
and doubt he even understands the concept.

He did follow my advice to give it regular oil changes below the
service interval though and this may have had an effect but there's no way for me to know.
His previous Honda Vision 125 engine was the same at 45000.

I would hope for the same service from a Suzuki Address 125 unless they cheaped out on quality control

Just get on and ride the thing
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bikers smell of wee

[MarJay]

[dave001]

just take easy with and dont labour the engine and it will be fine

[Fat Angry Scotsman]

just fucking ride it mate
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PRESENT: 2018 BMW S1000XR SE Sport.
PAST: 2009 Kawasaki ER-6F. 2021 Zontes ZT-125U.

[MCN]

Main points:
Do not labour the engine. Use lower gear. Is you use the higher gears it means you put full load on the bits.

Keep to the manual recommended limits.

Pick a target and ride there.
How many miles is the run-in?
Pick a target half the distance go cum.

The reason for run-in is not just for wear patterns. It also provides opperchancity to make frequent stops and check all the bits are not at risk of dropping off.

Make up/buy some ham and cheese wtploughmans sandwiches, some coke (I use Irn-Bru) and head for victory.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[WD Forte]

issa scooty innit?
hard to labour the engine on a scooty cos variator n stuff

One o these
https://mcn-images.bauersecure.com/wp-images/195425/600x400/suzuki-address-125-01.jpg
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bikers smell of wee

[MCN]

[WD Forte]

I often usually just read the last post and dive in regardless too

All our youngfellermelad has to do is go easy for month and then cane the arse off it.
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bikers smell of wee

[stinkwheel]

You have to wonder why generator engines don't just blow up then. Those come out of the box, get filled up then immediatelty sit at full-chat for hours at a time. Never heard of anyone "running in" a genny and it'll be pretty much the same engine as a scooter.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[jeffyjeff]