Buying a new enduro bike. We all dream of it! Most of us have to save up for it. When you finally get to pick up your new motorbike, you’re bursting with excitement. Full throttle! Or is it? Breaking in a new enduro bike… how do you actually do that? We’ll tell you what to look out for.
Buying a new enduro motorbike says it all: everything is new. From your shiny plastic and lights to your untouched handlebars, saddle and sleek wheels. But everything is new on the inside too. Right down to the last gear and bearing inside your engine. It all needs to bed in properly. And so you have to break in a new enduro bike. Just like you run in any other new motorbike before you really put it through its paces.
First, you pick up that insanely sexy new enduro bike at the dealership. That’s where the fun begins! Before you start riding, you’ll probably stare at it for a while. You’ll drool a little and maybe even take a photo to keep for later. ‘See, I told you so, I bought it brand new.’
Then the real fun begins. You prepare it for the breaking-in process. First, let the engine go through a few “heat cycles”, especially if it is a 4-stroke. This is also advisable with a 2-stroke, although a 2-stroke is “run in” and ready for use sooner than a 4-stroke. The piston rings need to “settle in”, as it were, when an engine is still new.
A heat cycle is the complete warming up of the engine of the motorbike, followed by complete cooling down. The complete warming up and cooling down together constitute one heat cycle. Do this without twisting the throttle. Start the engine, let it idle for about 10 minutes and then turn it off. Let it cool down completely. Then repeat this process. Let the engine go through a total of 3 to 4 heat cycles. You can place an external fan in front of the bike if it does get a little warm. At normal British temperatures, this should not be necessary.
This process gives the cylinder and piston the space and time to expand and then shrink again slightly. After all, it is still metal that has to work together.
After running the engine through 3 to 4 heat cycles, you can start riding. A new 4-stroke enduro bike performs best when ridden gently for the first hour. This can be done off-road. You do not need to break in a new enduro or motocross bike on the road. That would actually be a waste of your new knobby tyres.
Run your 4-stroke bike through different revs and throttle positions, but do not go full throttle yet. Avoid riding at the same revs for long periods of time. Change gears regularly and let the engine go through all gears. Ride for an hour and then replace the oil and oil filter.
As we mentioned, all the parts in a new engine need to work together for a while. Even though there is oil in your engine for lubrication, some friction can still occur. This can cause small metal particles to form, which will circulate in your oil. To prevent this from causing damage to your engine later on, replace your oil and oil filter after that first ride.
A 4-stroke engine is more complex than a 2-stroke, which means that this type of engine often needs a longer period of gentle riding. Think of 10-20 hours of gentle riding and avoiding heavy work.
A new 2-stroke enduro also likes to go through 3-4 heat cycles. But after that, a 2-stroke really needs to be ridden to break it in and allow the engine components to work together. A 2-stroke is a simpler type of engine, which means that this engine is often broken in sooner. So: just ride it. Just don’t go full throttle yet. It’s basically the same story as with a 4-stroke, but a 2-stroke can often handle more quite quickly. After emptying the first tank, your 2-stroke is practically good to go.
Do keep in mind that you should avoid heavy work during your first ride with your 2-stroke. With a 2-stroke, it is also wise to replace your oil and filter after the first ride. Make sure you use the right oil, which is lightly mixed with petrol.
We already mentioned it briefly: avoid heavy work when breaking in your new enduro bike. Whether it’s a 4-stroke or a 2-stroke. But what constitutes “heavy work”?
Heavy work includes deep and heavy sand, long periods of work (a long, day-long ride), riding steep hills, etc. And for all those adventurers who like to seek out excitement: be kind to your new enduro bike for a while. Leave those steep hills alone for now.
Although we just said that you should be a little gentler with your new enduro than you might normally be with it, you don’t have to treat your motorbike like a baby.
An engine needs to be put to work to some extent in order to be properly run in. And not just your engine, by the way. The same applies to bearings, suspension, etc. Everything needs some stress to settle properly. So don’t be too cautious. A machine like this can take a beating.
If you lose control of your enthusiasm for a moment and rev it up, a new enduro bike won’t break down immediately. Just avoid keeping the throttle wide open for long periods of time, riding at high speeds right away, and avoid heavy work such as deep sand and steep hills. Then you’ll be fine.
One final tip for breaking in a new enduro bike: check the fluids regularly. A new engine may use a little more fluid in the first few miles than a bike that has already been thoroughly broken in. So check your oil and coolant levels regularly during the break-in process. Of course, you should also check these regularly later on. But keep this in mind a little more during the running-in period.
