Break-in Oil?

With new piston rings and freshly honed cylinders, what oil should be used during the break-in process, and for how long?

🙄

I just use the oil that it will be run in daily (usually 10/40 semi)..
I also don't limit revs verses mileage.
Just ride the bike as normal without over revving or cruising at a constant rpm and use plenty of engine braking to push the rings into the bores.
 

zed1015 wrote:

I just use the oil that it will be run in daily (usually 10/40 semi)..
I also don't limit revs verses mileage.
Just ride the bike as normal without over revving or cruising at a constant rpm and use plenty of engine braking to push the rings into the bores.
 

Is Rotella T4 15W-40 ok for break-in?

I followed that procedure for my rebuild last Spring, but with Rotella T4...the same oil I used for many years before switching to T6 synthetic during the Summer.
 

Hey Dave,

Considering the extreme level of your detail mindedness, and considerable spending to make sure your bike is the "best it can be", I'd go big, and spend the bucks necessary to put the best oil available into your engine.

I'd go with something like this oil from Driven...  www.drivenracingoil.com/products/br40-co...-10w-40-break-in-oil

Load the rings a reasonable amount from the start, but don't thrash the engine.  Firm, but not hard.  Keep rpm down to 75% for a few hundred miles, then increase.

Longer term, use something like M1 10W-40 motorcycle oil.  This stuff is better than Brotella.  Don't take me wrong, I run Rotella, but my engine is not near the level yours is.  You spent big, so don't cheap out on the oil.  

 

My primary concern is having the rings bed-in properly, and that the metal shavings get carried away efficiently to the oil filter.

See:
Proper Motorcycle Engine Break-In After Rebuild | Wiseco share.google/ALFaU1eNkxIiqlvCU

Wiseco recommends applying assembly lube as follows:
6. Then before assembly, use plenty of assembly lube on the cylinder and the piston. Don’t forget to lube the piston pin and bearing along with the rings.


My assembly last Spring only had assy lube applied to the wrist pins, cam lobes and bearings....and engine oil was poured all over the lobes and buckets before the cam cover was installed.
 
 

I’m not an “engine master” but I’ve never heard of  assembly lube on the pistons and cylinder walls.  I’ve only wiped down the walls with clean, lint-free towels until they’re clean.  Then used appropriate motorcycle specific oil to lube the cylinder and piston/rings.

Just my 2¢.

Later, Doug

StreetfighterKz wrote:

I’m not an “engine master” but I’ve never heard of  assembly lube on the pistons and cylinder walls.  I’ve only wiped down the walls with clean, lint-free towels until they’re clean.  Then used appropriate motorcycle specific oil to lube the cylinder and piston/rings.

Just my 2¢.

Later, Doug

Agree.  No assembly lube on fresh honed cylinder bore or on rings.  Yes, on the piston pin.  

Agreeing with above 
Also 2 items
I apply automatic transmission fluid to the cylinder walls and rings  (Just coat them , don't go crazy )
I change the oil and filter after  the first 100 miles then motor is good to go  
As mentioned above  don't keep RPM  steady for long , keep revs moving up and down
Dave

Here's a blast from the past. MTC Engineering was one of the first companies to produce piston kits for the four cylinder bikes.
 
 

I use a wipe of the bore with an oily rag, oil on the pins and "graphogen" assembly lube on the skirts (below the rings)

All the years, i´ve used only 20W50 Motoroil by assembling Pistons, to cylinderwall, on rings carefully,, some ittle squirts between the gap of the rods to crankshaft, piston bolts, and while further assembling on all neccessary bearing and movement points, ( tappets in head, upper valve stems, cam bearings and oil channels)

With that, i`ve never had any problems while break in phase...or after this, ...only the normal wear in the following miles and years..

For stock 900 / 1000 air-cooled motors:
   Assembly lube & Ridin' technique during break-in are well covered above.

   Any quality 10w-40 non-"Energy Conserving" straight dino motor oil.  Change it & filter after ~500 mi. or less.

   We already know that oil flow volume is important in these motors.  Many off-brand aftermarket cartridge oil filters intended for use in air-cooled 900 / 1000 motors, don't have sufficient perforations (flow area) in their inner & outer metal sleeves to allow maximum oil flow volume.  The OEM Kawasaki oil filter is our gold standard to evaluate perforations / flow area.  If we come into possession of aftermarket filters in a parts lot that appear to have insufficient perforations in the sleeves, we just toss them & don't even offer them for sale at swap meets.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE