engine break in

MatCauthon137 · #1 01-01-2010, 10:56 PM

ok, so i just finished my first build, and am really excited. it is just a little 48 cc on a single speed cruiser but I am like a kid in a candy store. My question is probably going to result in alot of "yep, you are psycho" responses. I am not really all that mechanically inclined, but i am learning as i go along. I finally got the thing together and am in the break in period. I know i am not supposed to go over a certain speed or ride for longer than a certain time during that period. (instructions said 15 mph and 30 minutes continual running). so if i go out and ride for 20-25 minutes a day, the bike runs great, no problems. however, yesterday i took her out for 25 minutes and then decided that was a day and parked her. i waited 30 minutes and went out again. after about 5 minutes the engine would no longer idle and i had no power at all. I decided to work on it again tomorrow cuz it was late, so this morning, i took her out again to see if i could find the problem, 25 minutes, she ran great, parked it and 2 hours later (thought that was sufficient cool down time) and she ran for 5 minutes and then the same problem. am i just not waiting long enough between rides? does it really have to be once a day?

MatCauthon137 · #2 01-02-2010, 05:01 PM

ok, never mind, i feel like a complete moron now, lol. i apparently didn't secure the wires very well to the bike frame and the wire for the kill switch melted to the exhaust pipe and began sending false signals to the engine, which is why i couldn't keep it running right. just ignore my last post.

bairdco · #3 01-02-2010, 06:58 PM

you can run it all day. i mean, you should be able to run it all day.

my first bike, i ran it 24:1 for break in, and rode it till the tank was dry. stopped a few times for smokes and to relax, but there's no reason you should only ride it for 30 minutes a day till it breaks in.

my current bike, i ran it with 60:1 Opti-2 oil (DO NOT do this with regular oil) the first day, and rode it 50 miles or so. full throttle for miles at a time.

Venice Motor Bikes · #4 01-02-2010, 10:33 PM

Yep, just like Baird said... 24:1 & ride the heck out of it!! I always completely warm it up before running it at WOT. (Don't be scared, you're not gonna hurt it!)

MatCauthon137 · #5 01-03-2010, 09:28 PM

thanks guys, i have been riding it all day now that you told me, and it is awesome, i love the looks i get, and have only got yelled at by some moron because he didn't think a bicycle should outdo him and his monster suv, lol, but it was so worth it, lol