So I got a 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan S ABS a few weeks ago. Absolutely love the bike, just hit 400 miles on the Odometer.
Just today I cracked open the manual and read the part about how you're only supposed to rev up to 4k RPM for the first 250 Miles.
Ive been commuting a lot on the highway and maintaining a steady 5k RPM, sometimes 6k to avoid being run over.

I haven't noticed anything busting or leaking fluids, but is there anything I should keep a look out for, or do, since I didn't do the break in period by the book?

 

The tolerances are close on a brand new engine so it will get hotter than normal. Was your commuting done in cold weather? If so that helps a lot. I have a new 300 with 80 miles on it and even riding it easy the engine still gets quite hot. As long as there is oil and coolant in the engine I don't believe you hurt anything.

There is a prevailing notion that breaking in an engine hard is the best way, but I don't subscribe to it.

 

Your fine, just do an oil change with a synthetic oil soon.

 

Don't worry about it. The best break in is working the engine rpm up and down. Under load the rings are pushed out and scrubbing, causing more heat as they seat in, under deceleration the pressure drops and they don't scrub as hard and run cooling down a bit. The perfect break in is to avoid lugging the engine or red lining it. The ideal break in is riding around back roads where you will be working the rpm up and down.

This was what I learned before I was in bike sales when Kawasaki said to keep the Kawasaki 400 two stroke triple I bought, under 4000 rpm the first 400 miles and under 6000 to 800 miles. My friend, the Kawasaki trained mechanic and service manager and a knowledgeable individual far before joining the new Kaw dealer (and is now a multi brand dealer now) told me it was ridiculous on the two strokes, they would load the cylinders up with oil deposits, the two stroke didn't even come on the power until around 6000. Talk about lugging the bike around. He said they spent too much time replacing fouled plugs and that the cylinders and rings were essentially seated in by 100 miles to the point where the bike can be ridden normal. He just said what I just pointed out - work the range, don't lug and don't rev the guts out of the bike. Same thing we said selling Hondas when I worked at the dealership. The Honda service rep for our area verified that was the way to do it and no idea why they still say the 400 mile 4000 rpm crap on every bike.

Go ride the bike as you normally would, provided you're not nuts, I mean who's gonna ride a Vulcan like a ZX? Have fun don't worry, you're very likely good to go.

 

Good stuff, nicely explained klx678,
lugging your engine is bad
Keep an eye on your engine temps as you load and unload your piston rings while riding. I normally do that for a hundred miles street, 10 or so laps on the ZX's, change oil and filtration, then will start bringing up the revs to continue breaking in the rings while monitoring engine temps (another 10 laps or 100 miles). Change oil and filtration, then things are game on for my riding. I have shortened my track lap break in numbers in the past before going to WFO with no noticeable issues on any of my rides to 10 laps minimal ie 20 mile'ish break ins.
Load cycles, temp monitoring and clean fluids.
Enjoy your new ride

 

We, at the Honda dealership, thought it made sense and we verified it with our Honda Service rep, whose opinion was pretty well qualified in our sight.

 

Thanks for your confirmation.
Breaking in an engine is like hiccups in that everyone has a "cure".

I live in a hilly area so it was easy to break my DRZ400SM in using the method you recommend. In 11 years and 35,000 miles I never touched the engine. And when I sold it, it ran just as good as the day I bought it.




I keep gas mileage records to use them as indicators of engine efficiency and they were unchanged for all the time I rode it.