Break in period

You will find 2 basic schools of thought on break-in periods. One is that there is none, ride it like you stole it out the door (assuming that you trust the dealer to have added all the right amounts of necessary fluids). The other is take it slow for a while. Alot of people will tell you 20 hours, but 20 hours is the first service interval, not the break in period. The owners manual is very particular about two things. One, be good to your bike the first time you ride it. In your first ride, your not only seating the rings and "smoothing" the cylinder walls, but also unseating every loose metal bur and shaving left over from the initial engine build. The first 15 minutes of use is more critical than people think. This is because the engines are so well built now, to such close tolerances that you dont notice the bennifets of a break in period right away. You notice it when you have to adjust your valves for the first time, or feel the clutch slip for the first time, or burn a ring in 300 hours. Heres what I did. I ran the bike hard but not to redline the first time I took it out. After we were done I had about 3.5 hours on the bike. It dosent say to change the oil untill 20 hours, but Im glad I did. Youll be amazed at the crap a wet clutch and your tranny can spit out durring run in. I checked all the fluids, and had to add a little diferential oil and a new oil filter. Sometimes the fluid levels change because oil has not had a chance to get on all the parts, in all the little traps and journals that it does when they first get it together. So now, ill probably ride at about 85% to 90% this weekend on our WV trip. When I get back, Ill check the fluids again to see if they have changed, and even check the oil filter again to see whats in there. Ill make adjustments accordingly, and take it form there.