Breaking In A New Motorbike

[heybruce]

After a month of shopping and many questions posted on this forum (and many thanks to those who provided very useful information) I have purchased a new Suzuki Raider. I know there are lots of reasons why I should have bought something smaller and more practical or bigger and more comfortable, but I like my Raider.

Now I am looking for suggestions on the best way to break in the engine. The Suzuki shop told me to keep the speed under 60 Km/hour for the first thousand Km (that will be difficult) then bring it in for an oil change. That seems like reasonable advice, but I would like to hear from others with experience on the subject. Any suggestions?

Also, the bike came with what I assume are stock tires. Should I drive until I wear them out and then worry about the best replacement, or replace them right away with tires that will give better traction on wet roads? Any suggestions for good rain tires?

Thanks again for all the help.

[madjbs]

I tried to break my bike in by not reving to high but unfortunatly I got bored after 200km. Its good advice to change the oil regulary as there is going to be lots of metal in there. I wouldnt worry to much just dont abuse it to much.

[mikethevigoman]

After a month of shopping and many questions posted on this forum (and many thanks to those who provided very useful information) I have purchased a new Suzuki Raider. I know there are lots of reasons why I should have bought something smaller and more practical or bigger and more comfortable, but I like my Raider.

Now I am looking for suggestions on the best way to break in the engine. The Suzuki shop told me to keep the speed under 60 Km/hour for the first thousand Km (that will be difficult) then bring it in for an oil change. That seems like reasonable advice, but I would like to hear from others with experience on the subject. Any suggestions?

Also, the bike came with what I assume are stock tires. Should I drive until I wear them out and then worry about the best replacement, or replace them right away with tires that will give better traction on wet roads? Any suggestions for good rain tires?

Thanks again for all the help.

Good choice id say,.Give it hel_l from day one. it will make no difference whatsoever,. ive had close to a hundred new bikes, i bed in the brakes and tyres for about 50 miles then ride normal ( for me thats flat out most of the time ) ,.as for the tyres they wil be fine for normal use,. they are quite a hard compound but seem to be good at stopping compression punctures caused by falling into potholes,. Edited June 3, 2007 by mikethevigoman

[LoveDaBlues]

drive it like you stole it. you won't hurt it.

[JimmyTheMook]

Also, the bike came with what I assume are stock tires. Should I drive until I wear them out and then worry about the best replacement, or replace them right away with tires that will give better traction on wet roads? Any suggestions for good rain tires?

Normally the bikes come with pretty good general traction tires.

I am assuming your bike must be from old stock as this model is not made in anymore , if so check the tires are also not old stock that have been sitting for awhile.

You may want new tires if that is the case.

What did you pay for the bike?

[geoffphuket]

drive it like you stole it. you won't hurt it.

Got to agree there. Long gone are the days when you had to break in a new engine. In fact you'll probably do it more harm than good limiting it to 60 Klm/h. My experience with cars and bikes is that they go much better if they've been given a good pasting from new.

geoffphuket

[geoffphuket]

Also, the bike came with what I assume are stock tires. Should I drive until I wear them out and then worry about the best replacement, or replace them right away with tires that will give better traction on wet roads? Any suggestions for good rain tires?

Normally the bikes come with pretty good general traction tires.

I am assuming your bike must be from old stock as this model is not made in anymore , if so check the tires are also not old stock that have been sitting for awhile.

You may want new tires if that is the case.

What did you pay for the bike?

New Raider model from Suzuki:.... http://www.thaisuzuki.co.th/en/product_raider_r150_new.asp

[2long]

Change the tyres whenever you like. Better tyres are best fitted as soon as possible, but I'm a hypocrite on that subject because I've needed new ones for ages.

Any new engine needs running in, but most are done at the factory to a certain extent. The WORST thing you can do is keep the bike at constant revs for long periods. The speed of the bike is irrellevant, it's the engine speed that's important. Constant revs will cause glazing in the cylinder. Although thrashing new engnes from day one helps them to perform better, the do so for their reduced lives. If you're only planning on keeping the bike for a short time and don't care who owns it next, thrash it and enjoy it's slightly better performance. If, on the oither hand, you want to have a reliable bike for a long time, drive it sensibly, but not like an old granny. Gradually increase maximum engine speed in spurts. Try not to thrash it (redline) until it's at least 500klms old, best 1,000klm. Another thing they don't like is being ridden carefully until the crucial kilometer mark you've been told, then trashed!

In short, if you're in Bangkers, just ride it as normal. The traffic will take care of the rest!

Good luck, enjoy it and if you're in Bangkok on a Monday morning, we sometimes meet to ride around the go-kart track behind Seacon Square. I couldn't think of a better bike bike to ride round there than a Raider 150!

[heybruce]

Also, the bike came with what I assume are stock tires. Should I drive until I wear them out and then worry about the best replacement, or replace them right away with tires that will give better traction on wet roads? Any suggestions for good rain tires?

Normally the bikes come with pretty good general traction tires.

I am assuming your bike must be from old stock as this model is not made in anymore , if so check the tires are also not old stock that have been sitting for awhile.

You may want new tires if that is the case.

What did you pay for the bike?

There are no signs of dry rot, if that is the correct term for the cracks that appear in tires that have been sitting too long. This is the Raider 150R or R150, which I don't think is old. I'm not sure if Suzuki has discontinued the Raider series or just isn't selling them in Thailand anymore, I surfed the web a bit but could not find an answer. I paid 45,000 baht, which is about 20.000 baht cheaper than the Honda CBR150, the only other Japanese made 150cc bike that I could find (not that I am drawing a comparison, I realize the CBR and the Raider are very different bikes). I've had it for less than 36 hours, but so far the more I drive it the more I like it.

[heybruce]

Change the tyres whenever you like. Better tyres are best fitted as soon as possible, but I'm a hypocrite on that subject because I've needed new ones for ages.

Any new engine needs running in, but most are done at the factory to a certain extent. The WORST thing you can do is keep the bike at constant revs for long periods. The speed of the bike is irrellevant, it's the engine speed that's important. Constant revs will cause glazing in the cylinder. Although thrashing new engnes from day one helps them to perform better, the do so for their reduced lives. If you're only planning on keeping the bike for a short time and don't care who owns it next, thrash it and enjoy it's slightly better performance. If, on the oither hand, you want to have a reliable bike for a long time, drive it sensibly, but not like an old granny. Gradually increase maximum engine speed in spurts. Try not to thrash it (redline) until it's at least 500klms old, best 1,000klm. Another thing they don't like is being ridden carefully until the crucial kilometer mark you've been told, then trashed!

In short, if you're in Bangkers, just ride it as normal. The traffic will take care of the rest!

Good luck, enjoy it and if you're in Bangkok on a Monday morning, we sometimes meet to ride around the go-kart track behind Seacon Square. I couldn't think of a better bike bike to ride round there than a Raider 150!

This seems like knowledgable advice, thanks. I'm not sure how long I will keep the bike, but as an engineer it is against my nature to abuse a well made machine. I have already decided to change the oil at 500 and 1000 Km, and will keep your recommendations in mind during the first 1000 Km. I'm in Chiang Mai, so I will have to pass on the go-kart track. Too bad, it sounds like fun.

[georgebkk]

I hate to tell you this, but your first mistake was going with Suzuki. Not the best engines. Honda or Yamaha make the best engines, with Honda being the best. Sorry, but those be the facts.

Advice on breaking in the engine: go easy on it for the first 1000Km, change the oil to get rid of all those metal particles floating around. After that, it's whatever the manufacturer recommends.

This idea about "not having to break in new engines anymore" is ridiculous. OF COURSE you need to break them in. You're asking for trouble if you don't.

[LoveDaBlues]

I hate to tell you this, but your first mistake was going with Suzuki. Not the best engines. Honda or Yamaha make the best engines, with Honda being the best. Sorry, but those be the facts.

Advice on breaking in the engine: go easy on it for the first 1000Km, change the oil to get rid of all those metal particles floating around. After that, it's whatever the manufacturer recommends.

This idea about "not having to break in new engines anymore" is ridiculous. OF COURSE you need to break them in. You're asking for trouble if you don't.

There's obviously 2 camps here, just like the sinsod debate lol.

I've owned more than a few new cars. Drove em hard from the get-go and never a problem. Did the same with engines I rebuilt; once the rings set (very fast) drove em hard with no problems.

The Air Blade I just bought has already hit 96 kph lol.......I'm going for 100 soon as they say that's the top end. I have less than 200k on it.

Whatever floats yer boat.

[goldfish]

I hate to tell you this, but your first mistake was going with Suzuki. Not the best engines. Honda or Yamaha make the best engines, with Honda being the best. Sorry, but those be the facts.

Advice on breaking in the engine: go easy on it for the first 1000Km, change the oil to get rid of all those metal particles floating around. After that, it's whatever the manufacturer recommends.

This idea about "not having to break in new engines anymore" is ridiculous. OF COURSE you need to break them in. You're asking for trouble if you don't.

Agreed. Bought 3 new mios, one of which was rented to a thai friend (farang boyfriend paid) and she rode it from new. First service found 2-3 times as much metal in the oil on her bike.

There is another school of thought which states it will cost about the same to rebuild an engine as to give regular oil changes. Personally I'd rather just change the oil.

One more thing, forget the warranty and service it yourself. If you are only semi competant that will put you on a level with the thai mechanics, and the extra care and little bit of thought will guarantee a far better job

[mikethevigoman]

Also, the bike came with what I assume are stock tires. Should I drive until I wear them out and then worry about the best replacement, or replace them right away with tires that will give better traction on wet roads? Any suggestions for good rain tires?

Normally the bikes come with pretty good general traction tires.

I am assuming your bike must be from old stock as this model is not made in anymore , if so check the tires are also not old stock that have been sitting for awhile.

You may want new tires if that is the case.

What did you pay for the bike?

I couldnt resist it sorry, .! dosent this guy ( from the suzuki website ) look like hes saying, " no, farang full of shit . the waider is still in our line up "

[JimmyTheMook]

Also, the bike came with what I assume are stock tires. Should I drive until I wear them out and then worry about the best replacement, or replace them right away with tires that will give better traction on wet roads? Any suggestions for good rain tires?

Normally the bikes come with pretty good general traction tires.

I am assuming your bike must be from old stock as this model is not made in anymore , if so check the tires are also not old stock that have been sitting for awhile.

You may want new tires if that is the case.

What did you pay for the bike?

I couldnt resist it sorry, .! dosent this guy ( from the suzuki website ) look like hes saying, " no, farang full of shit . the waider is still in our line up "

There are none for sale in Pattaya , same with the Super Best that was also mentioned in this thread.

The new fuel injected Honda Wave 125i looks pretty nice.

[mikethevigoman]

I hate to tell you this, but your first mistake was going with Suzuki. Not the best engines. Honda or Yamaha make the best engines, with Honda being the best. Sorry, but those be the facts.

Advice on breaking in the engine: go easy on it for the first 1000Km, change the oil to get rid of all those metal particles floating around. After that, it's whatever the manufacturer recommends.

This idea about "not having to break in new engines anymore" is ridiculous. OF COURSE you need to break them in. You're asking for trouble if you don't.

George with all respect are you an older gentleman ?,. the days of the old bikes where you had to run a bike in because it was basically crap and was going to hatch it was just a matter of when,have long gone,. i have been riding bikes for 40 years with a short break between 1967 and 1970 because everything i rode ( british, italian etc ) blew up weekly,. hitch hiking was a much more reliable form of transport ,they used to leak oil out of everything ,except the headlight !,. but when the japanese started coming i was back on, no mechanical sympathy and never blown one up !. hate to be unpatriotic ,but facts is facts,. ive raced bikes out of the crate, just scuff in the tyres and go for it, on and off road, i have to say im a stickler for maintenance ,especially oil changes, but the new engines from the big 4 are all very good,everyone knows that hondas have the best finish but at the end of the day its all personal preferance and whatever you bought provinding it starts with a H, aY,an S or a K and its japanese you will be happy !

[mikethevigoman]

Also, the bike came with what I assume are stock tires. Should I drive until I wear them out and then worry about the best replacement, or replace them right away with tires that will give better traction on wet roads? Any suggestions for good rain tires?

Normally the bikes come with pretty good general traction tires.

I am assuming your bike must be from old stock as this model is not made in anymore , if so check the tires are also not old stock that have been sitting for awhile.

You may want new tires if that is the case.

What did you pay for the bike?

I couldnt resist it sorry, .! dosent this guy ( from the suzuki website ) look like hes saying, " no, farang full of shit . the waider is still in our line up "

There are none for sale in Pattaya , same with the Super Best that was also mentioned in this thread.

The new fuel injected Honda Wave 125i looks pretty nice.

I looked at the new yamaha 135 with gears today, but im used to a neuvo now and like the auto, and they go well !

[Tim207]

Good choice id say,.Give it hel_l from day one. it will make no difference whatsoever,. ive had close to a hundred new bikes,

LOL

I don't know which breakin theory is best but I found this quote hilarious and am shocked that no one has even mentioned the incongruity of someone stating "give it hel_l. it will make no difference" and then using the huge number of bikes he has gone through as proof of his knowledge.

[mikethevigoman]

Good choice id say,.Give it hel_l from day one. it will make no difference whatsoever,. ive had close to a hundred new bikes,

LOL

I don't know which breakin theory is best but I found this quote hilarious and am shocked that no one has even mentioned the incongruity of someone stating "give it hel_l. it will make no difference" and then using the huge number of bikes he has gone through as proof of his knowledge.

I my friend am well qualified to comment, i have owned and ridden hundreds of bikes, but more than that i am an ex motorcycle dealer /importer and have actually handled thousands of bikes,.i have ridden all over N america ,60000 miles on the same bike in 24 months, gold wing( When i lived ther for 2 years ). ridden the same bike all over asia, africa twin,20.000 miles ,and still do a run around cambodia once every 2 months, mainly off road,.so you could say im hands on still,maintenace is top priority ,but i still give em hel_l ! wanna come for a ride ?

[JimmyTheMook]

I my friend am well qualified to comment, i have owned and ridden hundreds of bikes, but more than that i am an ex motorcycle dealer /importer and have actually handled thousands of bikes,.i have ridden all over N america ,60000 miles on the same bike in 24 months, gold wing( When i lived ther for 2 years ). ridden the same bike all over asia, africa twin,20.000 miles ,and still do a run around cambodia once every 2 months, mainly off road,.so you could say im hands on still,maintenace is top priority ,but i still give em hel_l ! wanna come for a ride ?

With all that time under your belt dont you want a clutch and some gears to play with in traffic?

I have a Nouvo also and it is nice and an easy ride and also has been very reliable - but rather boring.

Looking at that damm Honda Sonic again , saw the Yamaha x1r but the lines are funny looking and it is a 4 speed.

[2long]

Too many facts and figures, Mr Vigo. To quote a Crowded House song (I think) "Judge a man by what he has to say."

The length of time this thread's been going, the Raider in question will need trading in soon.

[mikethevigoman]

I my friend am well qualified to comment, i have owned and ridden hundreds of bikes, but more than that i am an ex motorcycle dealer /importer and have actually handled thousands of bikes,.i have ridden all over N america ,60000 miles on the same bike in 24 months, gold wing( When i lived ther for 2 years ). ridden the same bike all over asia, africa twin,20.000 miles ,and still do a run around cambodia once every 2 months, mainly off road,.so you could say im hands on still,maintenace is top priority ,but i still give em hel_l ! wanna come for a ride ?

With all that time under your belt dont you want a clutch and some gears to play with in traffic?

I have a Nouvo also and it is nice and an easy ride and also has been very reliable - but rather boring.

Looking at that damm Honda Sonic again , saw the Yamaha x1r but the lines are funny looking and it is a 4 speed.

thats the yamaha i looked at but as with the car i drive ive got used to automatic, decisions decisions

[Tim207]

I my friend am well qualified to comment, i have owned and ridden hundreds of bikes, but more than that i am an ex motorcycle dealer /importer and have actually handled thousands of bikes,.i have ridden all over N america ,60000 miles on the same bike in 24 months, gold wing( When i lived ther for 2 years ). ridden the same bike all over asia, africa twin,20.000 miles ,and still do a run around cambodia once every 2 months, mainly off road,.so you could say im hands on still,maintenace is top priority ,but i still give em hel_l ! wanna come for a ride ?

Relax, I was not commenting on your qualifications. I assumed you had not been foolish enough to run over 100 bikes into the ground and then offer up advice on how to treat one properly. I found the obviously unintentional wording of your original statement amusing.

[mikethevigoman]

Too many facts and figures, Mr Vigo. To quote a Crowded House song (I think) "Judge a man by what he has to say."

The length of time this thread's been going, the Raider in question will need trading in soon.

I was getting stick over my one liners ! cant win Im only having a bit of a laugh really,all the jap stuff is good these days, i considered a raider myself about 5 years ago but bought the sonic, but i often wondered which was the better bike, the sonic and the raider are a bit long in the tooth now and could be a new model is about ?. why oh why dont one of or all of the big 4 make a trail bike ? its beyond me, if i were the marketing manger id jump right on it,.bizzare,.

[2long]

I looked at a Raider, but my knees touched the handlebars and I felt as stupid as I looked on it. I'm only 5' 10" but it just didn't work. ASre the new, yellow ones any better? I love the look of them and think the idea of a 6 speed 150 in town is fun fun fun. Currently riding a Nouvo.

[mikethevigoman]

I looked at a Raider, but my knees touched the handlebars and I felt as stupid as I looked on it. I'm only 5' 10" but it just didn't work. ASre the new, yellow ones any better? I love the look of them and think the idea of a 6 speed 150 in town is fun fun fun. Currently riding a Nouvo.

i think you will find al of that style are a bit on the cramped style, im 5.8 so just fit ? have you tried a cbr150 ? thats a good bike and a bit bigger

[Phil Conners]

How much (horse) power does a Raider 150 have? Honda Sonic? Airblade? Wave?

The websites and print ads don't say and when you ask the dealers all they know is it's a 125cc or whatever....

[ThaiLife]

Ive had the Raider 150 , for over a year now, bought it from a guy wanting to leave Thailand in a hurry

It was 4 months old, and I paid him 34,000 Baht for it. The only problem I had was one week after I bought the bike

The front wheel bearing started making a noise, so I took it back under warranty; the guy put a new front wheel bearing

On, and its been Ok ever since, I did ask the mechanic (if you could call him that) why the front wheel bearing went so soon

His reply …You go on too many roads with holes!!,… enough said .

[ThaiLife]

Raider iAW - 150

[heybruce]

I didn't realize how popular this thread would be when I began it. Thanks for all the advice. Touching of a few of the subjects raised:

I'm old enough to know modern engines are far better than engines of a few decades ago. They give better performance, better fuel economy, and last three times as long or more before they need an overhaul. However I still think a break-in period has some benefits, and certainly can do no harm. So I'll take it easy the first 1000 Km and change the oil at 500 and 1000 Km.

I read somewhere in this forum that Suzuki will stop selling the Raider in Thailand, but I think it will still be sold elsewhere in SE Asia. I bought my Raider in Chiang Mai at the Suzuki dealor on Ratchadamnoen near the intersection with Pokklao, however they got it from the Suzuki place on Thanon Chang Phuak. The people at this Suzuki place don't speak English and I don't speak Thai, so I couldn't ask them if any more are available or what the deal is with Raiders in Thailand. I may have bought the last one in Chiang Mai. They still had the Suzuki Best Super (Super Best?) on Saturday. It is a 125cc 4-speed clutch bike with front and back disk breaks and bigger than average tires, and only costs 36,000 baht. I don't think Honda makes anything that cheap. If I had not bought the Raider I would have bought the Best Super, I think that is a really good price for a bike that would be fun and practical.

Earlier in this thread someone wrote that I made a mistake in buying a Suzuki because their engines are not as good as Honda's. Before buying I asked a lot of questions on this forum, and for every person who said Honda makes the best engines there was someone else who wrote that there is no significant quality difference between the Japanese bikes. Only one person said what his opinion was base on, in his case he was passing on the opinion of a bike mechanic he trusted. Is there some organization that tests and compares these bikes? Or are all the opinions other than the one based on personal experience? In either case, will the next person who writes Honda is better than Suzuki please say how they know or why they think this is so?

Once again, thanks for all the info. Please carry on, I enjoy reading these threads.