Break in, hard running, lean, general comments/questions

[toaster404]

2014 California 1400, a few thousand.

I've babied this bike a  bit, seemed to have reached a plateau on first part of break-in.  Better idle, more consistent power, etc.  Just a gradual improvement with time.  Biggest jumps in smoothness and response have come from climbing the Appalachians on steep roads working through the gears.

Two days ago, had a local caller and ran out to look at some construction issues.  Guy was on US 129 towards the mountains, so of course required that I go on 2 wheels.  Ran up an insanely steep rutted gravel drive with the traction control popping in and out. Amazing.  Downhill was super as well - didn't even engage ABS.

On way back, had fellow in pickup pull into my lane to pass a tractor.  I had fog lights, high beams, etc.  Not a small bike.  This perturbed me.  I had anticipated, and the 1400 handles well, but still, rather rude.  By the time I turned around to have a chat with this fellow about his weak eyes, defective mind, and poor social skills, he was well out of sight.

Now I tend to ride gently and smoothly, more in a grand touring style, but had heard that the 1400 was sort of a big sport bike in cruising clothes, and it was now sufficiently broken in.  US129 is an interesting road, as well, with a mix of good sight lines and blind curves.  So I shifted my approach from my usual 3000 to 4800 rpm mode to a 4000 to 7000 rpm mode, and used the cornering clearance and braking capabilities more than usual. 

After pulling the culprit over, I immediately noticed the odor of hot oil, clutch, and hot rubber.  Now, is it normal for a vigorous run on a fairly new bike to result in smells like that, even after a few thousand miles, and is that simply that I got it hotter than I normally do?

Also, now the bike seems to run much more nicely.  I am assuming I can run this machine fairly hard at times, perhaps even full throttle.  I was getting up to perhaps 2/3 throttle. 

Still seems to be a bit lean, but the upgraded reflash helped.  And I can hear that it wants more air through the box, more fuel injected, and less constriction on the exhaust.

The fellow, by the way, understood my concerns about his eyesight, common sense, concern for others on the road, and took my suggestion that he stay home, stay off the road, and get his mental functioning checked with an open mind.

[CapitalGoose]

The fellow, by the way, understood my concerns about his eyesight, common sense, concern for others on the road, and took my suggestion that he stay home, stay off the road, and get his mental functioning checked with an open mind.

Well done!

Smells similar to my new V7 after a spirited run. But I'll let the more experienced folks chime in, They'd know far better than I.

[Kev m]

How many miles on it now?

I DO seem to remember some break-in smells on the V7 for a time...and maybe the Breva 1100 too, but we're going back in time far enough that I can't say for sure.

[Cool Runnings]

Break it in like you stole it!

[canuguzzi]

Stopping someone to have a chat with them.about their driving skills is a recipief or disaster. Why some people think they need to engage people they do not know, have no idea what they are capable of and see only their own point of view is beyond me.

If you didn't get hit that falls into move on because you weren't damaged. If I got upset every time some sled nearly hit me I would need to stop riding and get into driver counseling. Sooner or ater the people that stop other drivers to chastise them run into the wrong person.

Riding a motorcycle has risk. You can put all the lights on you want, think your bike is big and special, someone is going to come close to hitting you.

Stopping someone or engaging them is far riskier than riding a motorcycle.

[oldbike54]

 Dunno , have successfully engaged with a few cagers after an incident . Much depends on one's approach , an ability to appear nonthreatening and keep a bit of distance is important . Like most situations in life , a smile and a wagging tail can disarm most folks .

  Dusty

[canuguzzi]

Dunno , have successfully engaged with a few cagers after an incident . Much depends on one's approach , an ability to appear nonthreatening and keep a bit of distance is important . Like most situations in life , a smile and a wagging tail can disarm most folks .

  Dusty

Sure, until you run into the wrong person who doesn't recognize your police powers.

I read what the OP wrote and he stopped someone. Pulling someone over to do what, tell them they almost hit you? Maybe in some small town or where people might put up with that. I ride but if someone on a motorcycle tries to pull me over it isn't going to go nicely for them.

I see your point, its one thing to stop at the sign or light and let them know to watch for bikes or point to 6iur eyes and theirs to let them know to be more aware. Stop someone? Unless your bike has red and blue lights and you wear a uniform no one has any business stopping anyone else unless maybe you are trying to tell them about fire or flat tire. There are people out there who become afraid when someone tries to stop them, being the hall monitor on a moto Guzzi and seeing them in reverse coming at you will ruin your day.

[oldbike54]

 Well , and in none of the instances did I chase the offending driver down , the meetings happened organically. No doubt , chasing a car down , especially on a motorbike , is unwise  . However , assuming that the OP acted a fool based on his somewhat cryptic description of events seems to be making a large leap . Heck , I couldn't quite make out how serious his story was based on the telling . Once again , a smile and a wagging tail usually go a long way towards defusing any tense situation .

  Dusty

[canuguzzi]

Somewhat jaded as here sometimes just looking at another driver invites the WTF are you looking at thing. Signs if the times in larger metro areas, Can especially.

[oldbike54]

Somewhat jaded as here sometimes just looking at another driver invites the WTF are you looking at thing. Signs if the times in larger metro areas, Can especially.

 I get that , living in a more rural area probably colors my perceptions a bit . Really don't know how anyone deals with traffic and some folks behavior in large metro ares , although we have our share of jackassery in my little burg of 32,000 . Geez , dealing with OKC or Tulsa traffic a few times a year makes me dislike most drivers for a few days 

  Dusty

[lucian]

It sounds as if your cali is performing as intended. When pushed hard you will definitely get the resulting hot smells. The clutch odor has been mentioned in a few reviews i have read . The exit in my neighbor hood is a stop on a steep incline and if I slip the clutch too much, which you almost have to do, you will get that lovely smell of an expensive clutch smoking. I usually try to see whats coming and keep her rolling to avoid the situation altogether. As for the telling off of cagers, if they drive like idiots , eventually the will gets whats coming from somewhere. My Dad always used to tell me not to feel like you need to be the one to deal out justice, that it  always finds its way to those who deserve it. Thanks for the cali report.  Dave

[toaster404]

Stopping someone to have a chat with them.about their driving skills is a recipief or disaster. Why some people think they need to engage people they do not know, have no idea what they are capable of and see only their own point of view is beyond me.

If you didn't get hit that falls into move on because you weren't damaged. If I got upset every time some sled nearly hit me I would need to stop riding and get into driver counseling. Sooner or ater the people that stop other drivers to chastise them run into the wrong person.

Riding a motorcycle has risk. You can put all the lights on you want, think your bike is big and special, someone is going to come close to hitting you.

Stopping someone or engaging them is far riskier than riding a motorcycle.

This guy is on my road, that I ride all the time, in my county, where I am an officer of the court and try to be a steward of justice etc.    He's one of my neighbors.  He's got farm equipment.  I think I recognize where he lives and I have an idea I remember his name. He knows better.  He probably knows me, I'm not all that low profile.  He's a danger to others, especially the thousands of visitors who don't know the road that well, and the city people generally have no idea how to deal with old farmers.  I know where his farm is, and I was pissed, and he won't be that stupid again.  They ALL say they looked, and I point out that if they had looked, they'd have seen me or whatever.  They look sheepish.  It's like the idiots who cross the yellow line - they didn't see it blah blah.  Of course they did.  They're just lazy.

I'd rather call him down on it than read about him pulling into some poor V7 rider from coastal Georgia visiting the Dragon on a holiday.  I've seen too many of those.  The visitors I don't bother with, but if some local is doing moron I'll call it in or give a lecture.  The willingness to let dangerous incompetence go is a serious flaw in character.  This is my turf, and I will do what I can to keep it safe for you fellers from out of town.  I liked it better when i could just stop for a coke at the Crossroads of Time and hardly see a soul all summer, but if you fellers are going to come, I want you to have a good time, not die.

I might also be an inappropriate person to mess with.  Never know.

[toaster404]

Sure, until you run into the wrong person who doesn't recognize your police powers.

I read what the OP wrote and he stopped someone. Pulling someone over to do what, tell them they almost hit you? Maybe in some small town or where people might put up with that. I ride but if someone on a motorcycle tries to pull me over it isn't going to go nicely for them.

I see your point, its one thing to stop at the sign or light and let them know to watch for bikes or point to 6iur eyes and theirs to let them know to be more aware. Stop someone? Unless your bike has red and blue lights and you wear a uniform no one has any business stopping anyone else unless maybe you are trying to tell them about fire or flat tire. There are people out there who become afraid when someone tries to stop them, being the hall monitor on a moto Guzzi and seeing them in reverse coming at you will ruin your day.

HE PULLED OVER.  I didn't stop him.  I suspect he recognized me and expected a justified dressing down.  Probably city people commenting on this thread. I don't know much about city people, but they don't really fit in well here.

No wonder there's so many of them - people don't hold them to account.  Just like people run away from accidents.  Only 2 people stopped the other day out of many cars for a serious rear end wreck.  Couldn't believe it!  I had to direct traffic and handle the injured gal (wouldn't stay in her car) by myself.  The motor patrol officer was very surprised, says witnesses never stick around.  I figure we all have a duty to make things better.  I make a good witness, so if I see something, I stop.  And so on. 

[Nic in Western NYS]

Glad things went well with the guy in the pickup, toast.  To me drivers like that are just road hazards. I don't talk to them like I don't talk to  dead skunks or hay bales.

I thought the red-suspender-approved break-in procedure was to ride it like you stole it.  Wiser heads here will provide more guidance.

[pyoungbl]

"Breaking in" the motorcycle....happe ns in the first few hundred miles, if you are talking about seating the rings.  Other stuff, like the various gears, will mate more slowly.  I cannot see how the latter would be influenced by anything less than extreme abuse.  Thus, full throttle acceleration through gears 2-5 with a coast down and repeat will seat the rings.  Riding normally does the rest.  I'd recommend an early oil fluid change but OP is probably well beyond that now.  Getting rid of any manufacturing swarf just cannot hurt.

Peter Y.

[toaster404]

"Breaking in" the motorcycle....happe ns in the first few hundred miles, if you are talking about seating the rings.  Other stuff, like the various gears, will mate more slowly.  I cannot see how the latter would be influenced by anything less than extreme abuse.  Thus, full throttle acceleration through gears 2-5 with a coast down and repeat will seat the rings.  Riding normally does the rest.  I'd recommend an early oil fluid change but OP is probably well beyond that now.  Getting rid of any manufacturing swarf just cannot hurt.

Peter Y.

Rings tend to work in for longer on some machines - my grandfather was an expert on rings, having worked in the industry.  I got all kinds of lectures on the subject and on break in, which I really would like to remember.  He started on bikes in the 1920s, went through a racing car period, then shifted to optimizing Merlin engines for a while.  Back to general mechanical shop work for a couple of decades, auto, marine (triple expansion steam), big diesel (locomotive etc.), and then custom automotive work.  He insisted that break in was mostly very quick, but that modern materials were going to both make traditional break in a thing of the past AND make real final break-in a long term proposition.  I suspect that's the case.  Every time I get to run the bike hard (carefully) it runs better and stays running a bit better.  I also notice the pump wants more air now, and is tugging at that constricted air box pretty hard.  The exhaust is also fighting what the pump wants.  Clearly a good deal more in there.  Maybe I'll do something about it.

Mating parts do take a while, I suppose.  Mainly rings and valves are what I fix my focus on.  Whatever high temperature and high load I put on the rings really helped - smooth smooth smooth on the Interstate yesterday.  More obvious that the constrictions have to go.  Of course, that's easy, it's getting the fuel metering system corrected that I am not comfy with on an electronic system.

I anticipate based on reading about and experiencing this engine that full smooth break-in may take a while.  It shouldn't, but that's just how some things seem to be. 

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/interactive/2011/nov/22/us-road-accident-casualties  Find US 129, Calderwood Highway, S of Maryville, TN.  This feller tried to hit me near the intersection with Murphy, headed south, and pulled onto Hutton Ridge so I could yell at him.  Pretty roads.  No motorcycle deaths shown on that stretch, and I would prefer to keep it that way.  Further south before reaching dead man's corner (nobody crashes badly there - it's obviously dangerous) the 2007 death I think was the out of towner passing stupidly, hit someone.  Could be that was after 2009 and further up near the intersection with 336.  Given the amount of bike and car traffic, if even 1% of the folks on 129 were as blind as this dude the road would be dense with death.  Follow US 129 south until it turns away from the lake - check out the motorcycle fatalities along there!  That road is no more difficult or inherently dangerous than a WalMart parking lot.  Gotta drive and ride for the conditions, not over one's head.  Now some of those issues are probably a result of jerks crossing the line.  Like this dude trying to hit me by crossing a double yellow. 

I prefer to reduce the number of fatalities, and am willing to discuss safe practices with locals who misbehave.  Out of towners and city people are hopeless, but at least the locals are not a lost cause!  An advantage sometimes is that if Jr. Billy Bob is hot rodding his dad's pickup around and acting stupid, I can figure out how to call dad most of the time and give him an update.  Really calms the youngsters down.

Have fun!!