breaking in my 1300

[THE FIREMAN]

Just curious about the way to proberly break a new 1300 in. Also wandering what the dealership does on the 600 mile check-up

[Retro Rich]

Hi and welcome to the x-family! There are lots of opinions out there on breaking a new bike in. My advice would be to follow Honda's recommendation on not "snapping" the throttle the first 600 miles, since everything internally on the engine is starting to break in. Try to take it easy on the brakes if you can, just to let the pads seat and rotors begin to wear properly. Also, I recommend that you keep a close eye on your oil level and check it frequently (I do every time before I take mine out as a precaution), as new engines sometimes will "use" a little oil. Other than that, you should be pretty good. I didn't follow any top speed recommendations during the break in and haven't had a problem yet.

At the 600-mile service, a dealer is supposed to at least:
1) change oil, filter, drain plug gasket
2) check/adjust valve clearance
3) check all fasteners for tightness/proper torque

There may be some other little things, but that is the minimum that should be done. Some of this is pretty easy for a shadetree/do-it-yourself-er, valve adjustment is probably the most involved/intricate. There are some detailed instructions out there on a lot of these things at www.vtxoa.com.

Good luck and safe riding.

[DAR]

I may be old school but I still never keep a new engine at the same speed for any length of time. As for what the stealer will say? Oil change, inspection of critical parts, and valve adjustment. Go for a ride and get that VTX grin. Then take it in tomarrow and let us know what he says.:icon_lol:

[Toadman]

I may be old school but I still never keep a new engine at the same speed for any length of time. Yep, no freeway-droning for a few hundred miles. A good time to cruise the city streets and show off to friends. :D

[OneDrinkOneDance]

Agree with DAR. Change engine speeds, even if you have to change gears. I do not mean to say run high rpm for any lenght of time, but do not cruise on the interstate at 60 for 600 miles. Change it up. Have fun. Let everything set in

[Shutterbug]

Change your oil and filter!!!! Don't wait for 600 miles. I usually change my first oil change at 100 miles to get all the metal shavings out of the engine. I also use K&N oil filters, costing $10-12 each, but worth it.

[HeadGuess]

Ride it like you stoe it! I have rode a Honda all my life (49) and have always rode them out of the shute the way I intend to ride. I have never had a problem. On the contrary anytime I have tried to baby them they give me problems.

[David]

Hey guys, this is good stuff to hear for people like me with a new VTX1300!!! I would like to knowalso when is the right time to switch to Synthetic oil? Mechanic at the dealer says 3,000 - 4,000 mile to ensure everything is broke in alright but that seems alot longer than I would like to wait. Any help on that too would be great!!!

[Shutterbug]

I switched at 2400 miles and felt an immediate change. Smoother shifting is the most prominent change.

[Shutterbug]

Fireman, I highly recommend buying a maintenance manual for your bike.Check Ebay as well. I bought one and I can't believe how easy it made working on the bike. Much better than the owner's manual. I'm sure ********* will agree with me on this.