Well I really don't have a recommendation. I don't think you can go wrong with the mfg.'s recommendation though.
My whole point in posting in these kinds of threads is that I just do not think it is really all that critical. Manufacturers cannot give a general statement like 'take it easy on the bike for the first few tankfuls of fuel' because everyone would interpret that differently. So they give very simple instructions that are easy to follow but on the conservative side.
I break my engines in by not using high power outputs until some time accumulates. It is far harder on an engine to run at 3/4 open throttle at 3K RPM and slowly increase speed in 6th gear than it is for the engine to turn 8K RPM very briefly in first or second gear. So I really do not pay attention to the tachometer, just the load on the engine. I also do not hold the throttle very far open at low speed because it tends to heat the internals to pretty high temperatures; I would not climb a long grade with a lot of weight on the bike and the engine doing 3K RPM even though that is within the break- in spec's. It is less stressful on the engine to let it turn at a higher speed but using less throttle, say, 5K RPM; the piston crowns will not get as hot that way.
So I try to keep the load on the engine (throttle opening, especially at low engine speeds) down until the engine has several (say, 6 or
cold- hot- cold cycles on it. After that it is about as indestructible as it is ever going to be IMO.
For what it is worth, BMW 1000RR's originally came from the factory without any kind of RPM limit on them and the engine redlines at 14,200 RPM (!). After a while, BMW retrofitted the bikes already sold, and all of the new bikes before sale, with a RPM limit of 8K RPM until the first service, which is supposed to be at 600 miles. I have no information from BMW, and have not heard of any engines actually being destroyed but the casual work I heard is that the max. engine speeds could be hard on the valve train until it was broken in. BMW uses an unusual spherical 'thing' (technical term) which is 1/2 way in-between a Messerschmitt bearing and a normal cam follow shim to set the valve's lash; it looks to be an excellent design but the spherical portion of the rocker portion will have to polish a bit before it should be exposed to those extreme speeds IMO. Just my opinion and I have no knowledge that that is what was failing on the engines, if anything at all. But it is interesting that BMW will let a brand new engine, especially one that powerful and light, to turn that fast from brand new.
Brian
Ditto, dude except for the crazy part.
Brian, what is your recommended break in procedure?
