[Z400]

Do I really need to wait 20hrs before really opening up my Z...after the break in period? I have about 10hrs on it already, and im going to an MX track next week so I will have to open it up...

 

[Z400 rider]

i would do 4 full tanks of gas. that is what i did on my 300 and it worked great.

dave

 

[Zero Z400]

The manual says 10 hours 1/2 throttle so go rip it up!!!


Later

 

[dabombdale]

ya, i would say about 10-12 hours.

 

[Z400]

WOOHOO...its only 10hrs...i thought it was 20hrs...LOL...

 

[Zero Z400]

Yeah i had the hardest time not giving it full throttle. But i'm glad i did it.


Later

 

[Z400]

Now i can practice my wheelies...lol...before i only did small wheelies...im going to have so much fun now that the 10hrs are over...i guess ill change my oil tommarow because of it....

: 8)

 

[LOBE_Z]

Hey Z400 ..

Where in MA are you??
I am in Coventry, RI.

Where are you riding???

Thanx,
LOBE
~~~~~

 

[dabombdale]

glad to hear that your 10 hours are up

 

[JRide]

Yeah I think the 10 hours should be fine. I don't think I could wait much longer then that anyway....LOL I only have about 4 on mine right now and I'm dying to see what this top end is like. Some kids came up to me and hinting to race when one of them finally asked me to run against him, he had a Warrior but I had to tell him I only had about an hour on the quad at the time. :roll:

 

[Barely Legal]

A guy I ride with sometimes has 35 hours on his Z now. Todau he said it just keeps getting faster and running better. A little bit of breakin metal still comes out each 10 hour oil change so things are still loosening up at 30 hours.

 

[99TL1000R]

I have just over 4 hours on mine now (crap weather and busy at work) but anyway, I go balls-to-the-wall on it everytime I take it out. Half the people I talk to say follow the break-in, the other half says ride it the way you want it to run. Everything I've ever bought new I have followed the break-in procedure outlined in the owners manual, so far I've been happy with doing so. However, a couple of my buddies bought brand new quads last year when I bought my 400EX used.

My one buddy bought a brand new 2002 400EX, he broke it in slow like Honda said he should and then put on a K&N, a White Bros slip-on and jetted it. The same thing my used 400EX came with. I don't know how mine was broke in since I didn't do it, but it absolutely smokes the 02 with the same stuff on it. It's faster everywhere, low, mid, and top.

Another couple of my buddies bought new Raptors within a couple weeks of each other. The one guy took it easy on it during the break-in and my other friend beat the w00ter out of it from day one. Guess what? Both are still bone stock and the one that has been beat on is significantly faster everywhere. Both quads run great and have both been ridden about the same # of hours.

I'm not saying that the quads that were beat-on will last as long as the babied ones, but they are faster. So I guess it depends on what you want to do with them, if you're into racin, beat on em, if you like crusin and want to keep it for a long time without doing any engine work, then take it slow.

After seeing these results I wasn't about to baby my new Z, and if it blows up, it's a good excuse to get the Big pappa kit and I will know better next time. But so far it hauls ass! I've really only ridden it twice, and the second time I rode it, she was definitely faster. I'm sure it will absolutely scream when I get 10 hours on it!

I will be sure to post something if this break-in process doesn't end up working for me in the longer run. I will also post some results if I get a chance to race another Z that was broke in differently. Have a good one!

99TL1000R

 

[Z400]

Ive been riding it gently but every now and then i ride it hard...lol...

 

[sheeRz]

the break in period is basically a common sense thing for morons, if you do several heat cylces under load and no load like throttle then coast its good on the piston, especially forged pistons such as the z400's. Mainly the most important thing is to make that first oil change!!!! and dont really over rev it the first few hours.

 

[Sloberdog]

I'm with 99TL1000R on this one. I have heard that the best way to break in a motor is the following: Run it how you ride for 15 minutes and then let it cool down to touch, keep repeating this and increasing the run times before stopping and letting it cool. The theory is that the internal parts expand and contract breaking in the motor that has been run at all rpm’s. My buddy’s race built ATC 250r motor came with nearly the same exact break-in instructions from the builder. So this is how I will be breaking in my O houred Z400.

I will let you all know what happens. :wink: