Re: Running in

["barry.croft" <barry.croft@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

James

Running-in my RS was a pain at first, in several ways. There's the pain of
trying to stick to ridiculously low rpm when you can feel the bike nagging
to go faster. The pain in your gear-change foot as you fight the stiff
gearbox. The pains in your butt and your stomach as you realise you've been
riding for 4 days solid without stopping to eat! The fear and doubt at the
back of your mind as you try to deal with all this pain. Relax - it's ALL
worth it!

For what it's worth I didn't worry strictly about rpm limits, as long as I
only flicked past the limit during changes etc. This engine takes a lot of
running-in but don't be tempted to do lots of motorway miles to make it pass
quickly. Find lots of little country lanes or city back-streets to explore,
and use the gearbox a lot. Gets you used to the feel and balance of the
bike. The brakes can be snatchy too until they've bedded-in. Even the
suspension is kinda stiff. It gave me a sore foot at first, the box was so
stiff, but don't worry - now (6,300 miles) it is absolutely gorgeous,
allowing buttery clutchless up-changes. I couldn't find neutral at
standstill until 3,000 miles!

The engine itself is now lovely and loose at the revs I use (up to about
8000 rpm usually), better again since the 6,000 mile oil change, but still
feels tight near the red line (I have now hit the limiter precisely twice).
Like my old Guzzi, I think it'll take 10,000 miles to fully bed in. The
worst bit of running-in for me was the 100-300 mile bit, because the 5000
rpm limit is just tantalisingly short of the real torque, which is at it's
best about 6000. Then, with thoughts of an engine full of crappy oil
seething with metal bits in mind, I stuck pretty strictly to 6000 until the
first oil change. After which you can pretty much relax - you probably won't
use much more than 6000 anyway until you get used to the effortless speed
this equates to (105 mph in top)! Persevere. This is all GOOD - this is a
real bike, not a toy.

Barry
2000 RS (yellow)


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