Running-in questions

G'day all,

Just a couple of questions regarding running-in the new Bandit (& I did do a search for posts! )

The manual says 4,500rpm for the first 800km, and 7,000 until 1,600km and to vary the speed - don't sit on a constant speed. Does that mean you vary the speed continually, or don't sit on the same speed/revs for more than a few minutes? I did 200km last night and constantly varied the speed, but this drives me crazy! (a short trip, I assure you! )

I intend heading out for a few longer runs this (long) weekend and was wondering if it'd be okay to sit on the same revs for a few minutes at a time?

When they say vary the speed, how much? 5-10 k's, 10-20 k's?

Wouldn't you know it..... Took off from the lights last night and thought I'd see what 4,500 in top equated to (about 130km/h). I could see a car sitting on the top of the hill in the distance, but didn't pay it much attention as I was watching some plonker behind me sitting right up my date. Eventually realized the car on the side of the road was a bloody cop car, but luckily, he didn't have radar and must have stopped for a reason other than reveue-raising!

I ran mine in the same as you described, only I kept on dropping down about 10klm and then increased just above. Running in is just that. As long as there is not a sudden severe load, or a sudden burst of high revs you are ok. Most people run their bikes in the way they are going to ride them. It's ok if you go over rpm iwhile your running in as long as it's not sudden and too high or you'll bust the rings.

Anywhere between labouring and flogging is fine.
Vary the engine load. Don’t ride hard until its warmed up. Don’t idle for excessive periods.
Run it in like you’re going to ride it is good advice. Don’t be in a hurry to switch from mineral oil.

Going by recent posts these engines will outlast the rest of the bike so don’t stress.

My run in was the first couple of hundred were varied speeds until I got the bike home. Then hit up all the twisty roads until the 1000km first service was right to go (took 4 days to get to 1000k's). 1st service they dumped the oil and threw a new filter in the beast. Then that weekend I had a Track day organised, so I ran it in like I was going to keep riding it. 100kms later, one full tank of fuel and a second hand looking set of Dunlops and she was definitely run in.

Close to 30000k's later and not one problem. I second the motion to stick with mineral for a while. I switched to semi synth (Belray) at 12000k's and the bike has been fine.

Mine was a demo 1400k's on it. So probably ran in

Forget the words running in and just ride it as you normally would .No red line but dont 'baby" it either .

Reardo wrote:Mine was a demo 1400k's on it. So probably ran in

I probably told ya before, but. My Bandit sat on the showroom floor for a year or so, then got registered for demo, but taken home to be run in by the salesman's 65year old neighbour, who put a lot more K's on then he usually does (over a 1000) over the weekend (he runs in all the demo's 500k's) so a year later between me & 3 more test riders and the salesman it got up to 1400K's. The Price for a 1400Km old Bandit $9200 Or $ $10,500 on road, no more to pay.

I like to warm it up a bit before riding..............wheel out of shed and start motor....then put on jacket,ear plugs,helmet, shades (to look cool) and gloves.......................by then motor is warm enough...........takes about 5 min to get out of town then go.........................Grumpy

Hi guys,

Great advice, one and all.... Thanks very much!

I actually started letting her wind out a bit more today, and she seems happy. A lot of people have been telling me that they're pretty much run-in from the factory, but everyone agrees that the trick is to vary, vary, vary the speed and load, so I've got a couple of decent little trips organized this weekend and I'll slowly start to stretch it a bit.

But yeah, I'm loving this bike, especially after the 650 Thumper..... Awesome torque, almost no vibration, lovely suspension and great brakes..... I hardly know myself!

It's not just about running the engine in, it's about running the hole bike in and making it ready to ride.

My methods for running in a car/bike/truck/whatever are different again to other peoples but I've worked them out over many years or trial and error to get to where I am now.
Best bit of advice I can give is the 2/3 rule.

No more than 2/3 throttle and 2/3 rpm

Also, remember that you don't have to vary the vehicle speed really, just the engine speed. Sit on 100 all day if you want, just do it in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th. Just keep dropping down or changing up a gear regularly and add a few nice high speed passes.

there is the old method of instant run in................remove air cleaner and with motor running sprinkle about 1 table spoon of AJAX powdered sink cleaner in the hole.........................INSTANT run in (or out) ............................Grumpy

grumpy60 wrote:there is the old method of instant run in................remove air cleaner and with motor running sprinkle about 1 table spoon of AJAX powdered sink cleaner in the hole.........................INSTANT run in (or out) ............................Grumpy

You realise Gus is watching don't you. He's easily lead.

WHOOPS..................didn't think of that....................................Grumpy

Oh Grumpy. That's the remedy for glazed bores

also.........................................Grumpy

G'day guys,

A bit of an update and another question....

I'm now up to around 1,300km with the first service under the belt at 1,000km.

I've been riding the bike relatively gently, e.g. No full-throttle and not exceeding 7,000rpm (most of the time). Having said that, I haven't been babying it either.

This weekend, my mate and I are doing a "shakedown" trip prior to heading off to Alice Springs for the Black Dog Ride at the end of the month. This trip is designed to check our gear and also get some "real world" fuel consumption figures - something that is actually useful when your fuel-stops are potentially so far apart. Oh, and did I mention we can cruise legally at 130km/h?

So, the question is..... In the handbook, and the advice I've received from you blokes and others, they're saying not to sit on a constant speed whilst running-in. On this weekend trip, we're trying to ascertain, with some accuracy, what our fuel-consumption figures will be with the bikes loaded and us sitting on a constant speed. Can I now safely sit on a constant speed or should I still be continually varying the throttle position, and hence revs and load until I reach 1,600km?

Cheers!

Me ,Id just think no labouring no redline but anything in between fine .On a trip figures should be 18-19 kl per litre . Not that good at 140 . though

IMHO
It’s probably a bit young to be ticking over at 3,500 RPM for days on end but most would say it’s already run in and will be fine.
I’d still be varying the speed and engine load quite a bit. My bike kept improving engine wise until about 18,000km.
Now for the bad news. The Bandit will return quite good fuel figures at 100 -110km/h 130km/h+ and it will drink like a drunken sailor and throw in a tight new engine it will be worse.
I’d be doing your shakedown at whatever speed you think you’ll be doing and allow another 5%.

I too wish the Bandit carried 24lt on a trip but I’m bloody glad it doesn’t on a commute or on gravel roads

Yes, I know what you mean about its thirst! Now I'm starting to twist the throttle a bit more, it's quite alarming what a greedy little beast it is.... I guess there has to be a downside to all that lovely grunt though.....

I'm going to be traveling with a group, but I might tell them to do their own thing so that I can do my own thing and bed her in properly. Yes, yes.... I know I'm anal, but I do like to do the best by my machines - especially a "youngster"!

Damn, and here I was hangin' out to try my new "Cruise 2" throttle-lock..... Maybe on the way back....

DaveA1963 wrote:G'day guys,

Oh, and did I mention we can cruise legally at 130km/h?

Cheers!

It's never too late to get you kicked off the forum, you know.

Sorry.... couldn't resist!

don't forget the speedo reads 10% high (unless you have a speedo healer)

Yeah, I've got a RAM Mount for my GPS mounted on the handlebars, so I'm going to take that along at the weekend (and on the trip) so that I can work out the error.

IMO ride how you want from right now.
No need to baby it, no need to vary engine speeds and loads. bike is run in and will perform as intended.
History shows the engine will get better with age but what engine doesn't (I can think of a few but that's not the point of what I was trying to say)

Fuel use should be around 5-7l per 100 kms depending on which way you're going to alice, you might even see as good as the mid-hi 4's.

My tiger has a instant fuel consumption thingo on it and the highest I've seen so far is 15l per 100 kms.
One particular "squrt" didn't see it come down below 13 till I backed off