Back in the AMF days I visited the factory in York, PA. Every bike that came off the assembly line was test run on rollers and all functions were checked. From the posts above, it doesn't sound like they do this anymore.

However; test running a bike is not the same as breaking it in. It takes a while to break in an engine, 500 - 1,000 miles or so.

 

I believe Kawasaki says 500 miles (not exceeding 4000 RPM).

 

Taken the tour at York twice, according to what they said and I saw every bike coming off the touring line gets a run on the dynamometer for about 5-10 minutes with a max speed over 80mph according to the displays they have set up. This would not be a break in but just a final test before shipping the bike, but the assembly line ends at the test station and every bike I saw come off the line went into the booth.

 

These motor are precision machined. The only reason they tell you to break it in to protect them just in case something was not tighten correctly or maybe a crack somewhere. By taking it easy you may catch it say before something really lets go. Lot cheaper that way on them and might be a little harry doing 90 and having an engine lock up. They tell you never to exceed over 85-90 in the manual. 65 is good for me.

 

Once in the bike...yep, a two mile breakin. BTW, if ever near Wisconsin, stop at the engine plant there for the Steel Toe Tour. Really neat tour.

 

what I was wondering is does HD run the motors to seat the rings (and second to test them) and it seems like they do...I have heard that the first several minutes of running a new motor are critical to proper ring seating and if they are not run hard during that time the rings will never seat well....for the rest of the engine and trans etc. the break/ wear in is much more gradual...

 

Just my opinion but this come from people who have not a clue to what they are doing and install rings in worn, out of round and with out honing the slight crosshatch pattern. Then they having oiling and blow by problem. If you have the proper measuring tools to verify what you are doing and get a descent pattern the rings will seat. Not a professional but lost count of the engines I have been in. This one was a 350 Chevy with Al heads. Had 112K with blown head gaskets. Did not even have a ridge ring. Honed the cylinders and with new rings and gaskets runs like new. Probably did not even need the rings. I was in a Honda Civic about 6 months ago that had a broken cam shaft and bent valves from a belt failure. What amazed me was they cylinders looked like the belonged in a hydraulic jack. They had no wear and strangely no crosshatch. The newer Al piston and cylinder in Harley run only a few thousands clearance. (.0006-.0025) This and a pattern and it does not matter how it's run. The rings seal by the expanding gas pressure expanding them out against the cylinders. If the are round at the correct diameter and the cylinders match they seal. If you have out of round by a .002 they probably will never seal.

 

Most engines are run hard at the factor to test them, not to break them in. Just because they are run hard at this point does not mean that you should also run them hard. A major part of the proper break-in procedure (short trips, avoid highways) is to heat-cycle the engine and temper it.

 

That's the same thing I saw / heard when I did the York tour (which was VERY cool).

A random sample of bikes gets a longer test on the rollers as well.

Matt

 

The bikes are run through a test procedure, but not broken in.