Response to multiple requests for a video on the break in procedure for the new classic 350. PayPal Donations. threelittlefishes@live.co.uk PATREON. / stuartfillingham #motorcyclebrakinprocedure #royalenfieldclassic350
I bought a new Honda CBR125R for my daughter in 2009. The running in was done very carefully (and took forever). I use it for getting to work since 2011 in Sydney and have now just past 40000 miles and still original (except tyres and brakes). I weigh over 100kg and the bike is ridden hard (after warming up). Running in is a great tool for a tight bastard like me.
Totally agree with your method gentle running in leads to longevity. And if you intend keeping the bike for a long period of time then leads to many miles of smiles 😀
As a former mechanic and machinist (ships and rail) I agree with you 100%. You are very clear in your presentation of information. Thanks for doing this.
I, like most viewers judging by the comments, was appalled by a recent RU-vidr who complained that the brand new Classic 350 she’d “kindly been lent” by her local dealer wouldn’t top 60mph despite the fact that she was “pinning it.” Whether she thought that this unsympathetic and aggressive behaviour would help her increase her paltry number off followers or that as a woman she felt she had to out machismo the men I couldn’t say but I avoid riders like that regardless of their gender. Stu, when I had my first service my dealer told me that the cutting oil RE used to use when bikes were shipped is now a thing of the past on the 350 and that the oil he took out was almost as clean as it went in which suggests that RE are more confident in their engine quality and/or that my careful running period paid off. I’m now at around 750 miles and it’s opened up beautifully and smooth as silk. Oh, and it would cruise at 70 if I’d ask it to but that would be to miss the point of this bike so I don’t!
"The internet is full of crap" understatement of the year. The only engines that do not require any empathy or running from new are company cars! Great that we've moved on from cast iron cylinder/piston ring surfaces but now we have the wonderful new metal developed by Accountants to deal with ....... Chinesium and some cases of very low quality components increasing being used across the motor industry. Some automotive engines are now worn out at the mileage they used to be run in at. Timing chains and guides made of cheese being a case in point.Thanks Stuart.
195,000 km ago I bought a new bike. It was run in correctly as per the manufacturer's recommendations and it is still running perfectly today. My advice: *RTFM*
I agree with your take on ''raving the nuts'' off any internal combustion engine Stu..., it will screw its long term longevity up.. I bought a brand new Guzzi 850 LeMans in 78/9. I asked the dealer about running in, He recommended 'Don't exceed a certain rev limit for the initial break in period...don't let the engine labour in any gear, let the engine rev freely..Gradually increase the RPMs with increased milage and vary the speed.... more or less what you said.....This bike generated about 70 HP and was capable of around 130 mph, that was pretty good for 1978...I think the power of any bike is dictated by its initial use. Even now, using a modern Triumph Striple 675 with liquid cooled engine I let the engine 'warm up' for a minute of two and always treat the engine and gear box, etc sympathetically for a few minutes once on the move, until the engine temperature has reached normal parameters....before giving it the 'beans'. higher revs and using the 'quick shifter. ' My bike is now eight years old, looks like new and runs smoothly and will go like a certain substance off a hot shiny shovel...when in hooligan mode....Greetings from España
G'day Stuart. Running in an engine needs to be done properly regardless of what some people say. A friend of mine took advise to run in his new V8 Ford in 2006 using the hard run in method. 12 months later when he had it tuned on a dyno it was found to be 40 horsepower down on the average for that model. Great video and advice for people who aren't mechanically minded
I laugh at the running in procedures “online experts” might suggest that goes against a company that spent millions in R&D, and basically designed the vehicle. But hey! I’ll ignore that and follow the advice of some random guy who saw it on a race bike once.
@@cowmath77 I think it depends on the metallurgy and specification of the engine. For example, standard procedure in old air cooled Beetle engines on first start up is 2000RPM for 15-20 minutes to run in the camshaft. That’s it. Other engines require something else. I’ve seen modern bike engines not run in correctly and running hot. A tear down revealed glazed cylinder walls. I think there are too many variables, and ultimately it doesn’t hurt to follow manufacturers procedures.
@@cowmath77 I'm an engineer. certain metals are what they call "Work hardened" like brass or bronze. (eg: Engine bearings). If you thrash them when new they will wear much faster than if you bed them in slowly. As an apprentice I had to make two Oldham couplings to show this effect.
Good vid Stuart and I’d prefer to contribute per vid if I enjoyed it rather than Patreon etc. So, to add my bit; mix hand machined bores with air cooled engines and worn out machinery as in the 60’s British factories, and you generally had far greater running in, wearing and seizing issues than you have today. Now, you can even automatically re-set lathes to compensate for tool wear as you machine down a big shaft. It’s a different ball game. Also, modern roller bearings are so well made now that it’s not an issue as long as you’re using a good brand. But, main bearings and gears are generally finally seated in operation so being careful for a while is always a good thing to do. There’s bound to be a bit of point loading for a while. Expansion of the metals is however an extremely important issue, and especially when engines are new. Never rev an engine to anywhere near its upper limits unless its fully up to temperature, and personally I never ride at all unless my engines are 75% of nominal operating temperature at just over 50 degC. Competition engines remember are always fully warmed up before any use at all, oil as well as water, and that’s important for them to rev to their limits. Don’t just jump on a cold bike and rev the balls out of it at any time in its life, unless you live in Sudan with an ambient temperature of 40 degrees or so. Kingston upon Hull on a windy January morning would be a slightly different matter. 😉😉
Hi, Uncle Stu. I always liked to start my bikes before kitting up; to allow a little warming but mainly, to ensure full oil circulation. I totally agree with following the maker's advice! A very comprehensive remake of your original advice.
Simplicity: one of the appealing attributes of the Classic RE. I'm about to relocate to rural New Hampshire, US from New York city. To sweeten the deal, I promised to treat myself with a return to motorcycling, after a 13-year hiatus. After much agonizing, and reflecting on several hundred hours of RU-vid motorcycle content, I came to the conclusion the RE Classic is the ideal treat. One of the drawbacks of rural life, it's at least a 2.5 hour one way ride to the nearest RE dealership. For routine services etc. that's not ideal. Is there a reason why I cannot, or should not, assume the service tasks myself? An oil change is a no brainer (Uncle Stu did a fantastic video) I've never tried meddling with tappets. But Warro, from Oz, did another fantastic self help video. Setting aside the can of worms that is 'THE WARRANTY'- is there anything else?
Thanks for the advice. My brand new RE Classic 350 gets delivered to my home today, can’t wait to be out riding it. Your, and others, reviews of the bike helped persuade me to purchase the Classic 350 in my mission to downsize. At 69 I don’t need my wonderful Triumph Sprint ST 1050 that’ll go faster than I care think about anymore.
As a soon to be new rider, this is exactly the type of advice I'm looking for. Well presented and well argued. Funny how the RE Classic 350 is currently leading as my first bike of choice and led me to words I needed to hear in regards to motorcycling in general.
Great advice Stuart, it’s a real comfort to have yourself posting helpful, useful information. I pick up my 350 classic in a couple of weeks, and I’ll certainly be following your advice. Coming back into biking after a 30 year plus break, and I’m really excited about the Royal Enfield after watching your videos - many thanks
I am not mechanically minded but with this explanation, I now understand why it is essential to run a motorcycle in properly. Thanks as always, Stu. Keep up the good work.
It's for this reason that you are way better off with a cheaper new bike that you have carefully run in rather than a pre-owned higher performance machine which may have been caned to within an inch of its life straight out of the showroom ESPECIALLY if you intend to have a long and happy relationship with your machine! Listen to this Man.He speaks the truth!!!
Excellent advice, Stu! It’s amazing how unbelievably bad ideas are perpetuated on the internet. It’s stunning that it wouldn’t occur to some people to actually read their owner’s manual when buying a new bike. Thanks for more excellent footage of your town!
I've always been fascinated by this topic and have run in many new bikes, (16 actually) I've read many accounts of correct procedure and the reasoning behind it and come to the same conclusion as yourself. I'm mechanically sympathetic anyway but it's just good to know you're doing the right thing.
Good advice Stuart I followed the running in recommendations on my new Trident 660 and all is well , I was amazed at the internet advice from others of " ride it like you stole it" guys ..
Loved the footage and your advice should be the only advice a person needs. As you say, I too don't want to hear the Italian Tune Up method of breaking an engine in! thankfully back in the day when i was a 250LC headbanger I had the nous to coax the engine in after it had been owned from new by an old boy whom I think had always ridden it at almost pushbike speeds. It was an extremely satisfying thing to loosen it up over the first weeks I owned it and it was a bike that never let me down.
great video, you bring up some great points on break in, I just placed a deposit on a classic 350 and I want it to last a long long time , so this is really relevant to me , thanks Stuart
Great talk, the wife and I enjoyed your trip around the villages / country sides. Our 06 Kawi. Drifter 800cc had a built-in rev. limiter. and oil change by dealer was mandatory at break in deration. 30K now and still looking 95 percent great. The 5 percent I blame on the painted aluminum front forks. may all your travels go well and have a prosperous life. This 350 is looking like something my wife of 43 years could enjoy. Plus, it should be easy to transport over to eastern Washinton where we can ride in God's country in the northeastern part of this state😁
All very good advise Stuart , I`ve heard this race run in method bandied many a time and yes it dose release power ect quickly , but at a cost in wear and longevity . I`m glad you mentioned the short shift bit , a mistake made by many being over cautious , especially with a single cylinder bike , even after run in it is always best to keep a single spinning rather than labour , more so during run in , like you say and manufactures , don`t over rev , just keep it running smoothly and freely
My tried and tested method which has served me well in 35 years of biking and many new bikes is just ride them normally and just don't sit in one gear /speed for mile after mile,build up the speed and revs gradually...every bike I've owned from new has run perfectly. :)
Thanks for this, it is very helpful and makes sense! Looking to take my bike test soon at the young age of 63 and am looking at getting either a meteor 350 or classic 350, so some very timely advice.
Properly running in an engine is a must as found out by a friend of ours on his new Ducati that they were very specific about but no he didn’t and that first oil change when chunks of piston skirt and other fine pieces came out the drain hole. Much to his surprise when he decided to try for a warranty claim they hooked up a computer and low and behold he had to pay for a new engine because all the efforts to redline the engine were stored for them to observe. That was one expensive bike in the end
Another sensible video Stu, I always prefer to call it running in or bedding in rather than breaking in, for obvious reasons, and this idea of flogging the guts out of an engine to get it working as it should is ridiculous, on my RE 500 the oil looked knackered after very few miles, in one sense I enjoyed running in my RE as from where I live I could go through a bit of urban area, then out into the countryside with winding roads and villages, and after 30 mins able to stop in a nice area, let it cool then return, now several thousand miles later the bike runs beautifully because of the early care... Love the videos, thanks
Spot on mate - I've had 23 motorcycles over the years and have run them all in carefully (the new ones that is lol). Everything you spoke about rings true and I can second it all. I remember having to run in my Kawasaki AR80 way back in the 80's and it did my head in... 78cc at no more than 4,000rpm for the first 500km and up to 6,000rpm for the last 500 to 1,000km and I was 18 years old! LOL - But, boy did she go well once I could open her up... at 1,001km LOL... weeeeeing 10,000rpm! at least one time before I calmed down to continue a more measured approach. In her prime, she could (almost) hang with RD125LCs and AR125s up to 50-60mph - 10,000rpm everywhere... My current Honda Rally... now more than 35 years later, has 99,356km (just checked) and rides like new. Nuff said!
quite right. at the microscopic level all machining methods for metal tear metal away rather than cut it so the surfaces are very rough. running in is a polishing process and so much material is removed that the oil turns into a fine abrasive, hence the first oil change is at a few hundred miles and is the most important oil change you will ever make. the polishing also generates much more heat than a run in engine, so the rest periods are also needed. Royal Enfield are not just trying to avoid warranty claims. they want a spotless reputation, so they aim to minimize any problems you may have even decades later. in India bikes are owned for decades and frequently become heirlooms and clock up vast distances. 2 hundred thousand miles is fairly common
Stu' is %100 correct about break in. I don't just meet manufacturers break in I exceed it. A lot of off throttle/ downhill helps seat the rings. After 25k miles my interceptor uses zero oil.
More sound advice and well presented. I followed the RE instruction on running in my GT probably a little longer than the specified kilometres only because it still felt a little tight. From about 3,000klms on it has felt noticeably freer over the early period. Manufacturer's instructions do vary and I recall with some amusement those given by Ducati for the running in of the 750 Sport. It said with great seriousness that 6,000 revs should not be exceeded during the running period, These bikes had fairly tall gearing and and a 1,000 revs in top gear delivered 30km/h road speed with slightly over 3,000 revs getting me to the maximum speed limit. Needless to say I didn't use the rev limit in top gear.
Thanks! I use your method, essentially. Heat cycling and seating the rings, and getting a good wear in between parts, is the name of the game. Treat your new bike like the investment it is!
I’ve never understood why anyone would spend out good money and then trash what they’ve spent it on. I do enjoy the folk music you play in the background I have to say.
Good advice. I would also advise folks that have the money to buy new not secondhand because although you might loose a bit of value , you will guarantee it’s run in properly.
Agree with your comments especially when standing in standstill traffic switch off, and allow engine to cool for a short period especially with oil cooled engines
Once again, great advice, Stuart. My Vespa GTS SuperTech goes in this Monday for her first (600mi) service, after which she's "cleared for takeoff". before which I kept things (largely) in-check for proper break-in. Very much looking forward to your further observations/discoveries with the Classic 350, if for no other reason than my being able to advise a proverbial newbie on "what works."
Had mine for a week and I’m at 280 miles of ‘by-the-book’ running in. Earliest the RE dealer can do the 300-mile service is 11 May so I will do my own oil and filter change at 300 miles. Although the dealer said it will be fine to go over mileage I think it’s crucial to change that running-in oil on time - the other first service items are less critical.
Pick mine up next friday gunmetal grey, black engine etc can't wait always wanted an enfield at 66 i deserve one lol 😂 thanks for all the advice 350cc is the way to go cheers .
I'm looking at the intercepter 650 and have a test ride coming up in a couple of weeks, so should I take the plunge I will be following the manufacturer's advice. I found this video very informative and interesting. Thanks for taking the time to put that vid on youtube. It has given me a good insight to what to expect. Nice one!!
Stuart, Howdy from the states! Got a classic 350 a couple of weeks back and have been riding it almost every day. I’m at 180mi (289km) and my booklet had everything in km so I’ve been exceeding the speed limit by 5 miles or so (topping at 80kmph) I’ve been careful to follow the other portions of the run in my booklet specifies but I’m sorry to say I have exceeded here and there. Found your video and am glad I did, I hope I didn’t cause too much damage to the old girl, I love that bike so much. I’ll be careful not to go past 43mph (70km) from now on. She definitely hasn’t been on the motor way and has never exceeded 80kmph And rough riding isn’t exactly my style so I’ve been going through the gears carefully and just cruising around my locale. Any advice is welcome and great video!
Couldn’t agree more with you Stuart. You see too many people nowadays who have no understanding of how an internal combustion engine works and have little or no ‘mechanical sympathy! I won’t buy a low mileage second hand bike for that very reason.
I've had a lot of bikes Stu - probably too many. Some of them, such a short time that I've basically been providing a running in service for the next owner - and paying for the privilege 😂. I think modern liquid cooled motors can stand a little more abuse than air/oil cooled engines due to the tighter tolerances but I still treat both types the same. Basically, ride normally but avoid both lugging and over-revving. Also avoid running at the same engine speed constantly. Ironically, town riding is ideal. After the first service as the miles build, gently begin to ride within the full potential of the motor in order to complete the process. I remember back in the eighties riding my brand new Suzuki GP100 back from the dealer. After about two miles I could feel the engine sudden tighten considerably. I was young, but still understood what was happening. So I stopped for fifteen minutes to let it cool down. This did the trick and I completed my 5 mile ride home without any further issues. It never happened again. It scared me though. Thankfully, things have come on massively over the past forty years or so. Edit: Reading momentarily exceeding the recommended engine speed, as you say Stuart don't worry. When we first started riding, bikes came with extra neutral gears and would select themselves at the worst possible moment 😂
I remember running in my classic 500 a couple of years ago and asking Hitchcocks about the hard running in an getting a very kind email saying NOOOOOOO!!! Internet can be dangerous to your RE
Hi Stuart, of course you are right. I am hearing for at least 30 years that "modern" engines don't need running in. Most engines are not run in at the manufacturer, that is too expensive, and experience has shown it is not needed to lower warranty cost. They may be cold tested, just to check if "everything turns", and maybe shifted through the gears (and throttle), but too short to run the engine in effectively. Brake lights, blinker lights etc. are tested as well. And, if you mean the Motorman I know, he always warns for his New York humor ahead !
I'd add to your good advice, "Don't let the engine cool down on long downhills". That is standard procedure for aircraft air cooled piston engines. On long landing approaches, especially steep ones, the engine is reved up intermittently to keep the engine warm to avoid thermal shock if a of a go-around is necessary. On moto engine break-in, keeping the revs up on long downhills keeps the engine clearances from shrinking down to cause greater wear when power is generated at the bottom of the hill. It's all about keeping the engine temperatures near normal.
An aviator friend of mine said the sole reason the propeller is in front of the aircraft is to keep the pilot cool. Because if it stops spinning you'll marvel at just how much cooling it's been doing when the sweat starts pouring off the pilot's face and body !
I did my best running in the bike. Kept it below 50mph where i could. Do a bit of motorway driving so kept it between 40 and 45 as far as 250miles then didn't go past 50 for the next 350 miles. The bike supplier insisted on its first service at 500 miles and as this is my first new bike I didn't question it. They should know best. I havent ever run it at full pelt. I'll keep it around 50 for the remaining 600 miles before I open her up for any extended period.
Thanks for this, long term and short term benefits of running in your new bike properly - just read an article where a guy in India received delivery of a brand new RE, then rode 387km, parked up and within a few minutes it caught fire and exploded - overheated engine?
Buying a Royal enfield by definition is a slow meander through life, why try and rush running in, just enjoy it and take time, if that's not for you, take the thing back and buy someyhing else.
Thanks Stu ! Do you have any comments on RE suggesting only semi synthetic oil for the classic 350? Perhaps, should we use semi synthetic only during the break in period?
Excellent information Stuart. The nearest RE dealership to me here in Spokane, Washington is over on the West side of the state. If I was to purchase one of these beautiful classics there, riding it home on secondary roads would use up most of half of the 300 miles to the first service and riding it back would use up the second half. Does it have to be serviced by a RE dealership? The only time it isn't raining cats and dogs over there is when it is over here...
Hello Stuart, I watch your videos with interest as I have just bought a Classic 350.. Although it is 1 year old it is very low mileage so I am still riding carefully. I have a question if I may - the manual says do not overfill the petrol tank, but where to fill it to? The nozzle will not go far into the tank as there is a metal plate. Does petrol go to a level below this or just until it starts to cover the plate? Thanks for any advice
I just ran my classic 350 in normal conditions. Varying rpm and gears, and it seems to have broken in fine. I have to wait a little longer than recommended for the break on service so I plan on changing the oil to at least help it out a bit before then
