I just purchased my 2009 ninja 500r about 3 weeks ago and they said to not get over 4,000 rpms for the first 600 miles will it hurt to get it up to 5 or 6,000

 

Well you could go over 4k but in a no engine load situation for a short time like going down a slope. This was an old fashioned engine run in technique for cars. Come to a down hill and let the revs build for a short time and then let it settle back to 4k.

gammac

 

Congrats on the 500. It is a fun little machine for sure.

Once the engine is warm, load and unload the engine while riding to seat the rings and valves (maybe 20 or so miles), then just run it hard. Change the oil early after break in. Enjoy the new ride

 

Welcome to the forums. One word MOTOTUNE! But you have to do it with a brand new engine or it wont work, but you are ok with the traditional break-in method.

 

so cant really ride on the highways or interstates till then huh, well guess i have to take it easy for 497 miles then

 

It's more about the throttle and progressive loading of the motor than absolute rev limits, and it's just as important not to let the revs drop too low, especially in the higher gears.

My own technique with a new bike is to stick to the book for the first 100 miles - in your case 4K, but if you're cruising at that and it goes up another 500 rpm or so that's fine. I then add 1K rpm for every 100 miles, so that by 500 miles I'm hitting 9K rpm for very short periods.

On higher revving bikes I add more revs each hundred miles, still aiming for short bursts of peak power revs by 500 miles.

Don't cruise for too long at constant revs. Vary your speed and use the gearbox a lot. Bedding the rings is less important than getting the main and big end bearings nicely self polished so the oil can do its job of preventing any physical contact between the bearing surfaces. Contrary to what some people believe, the rings will polish the cylinder bore (this is what's really meant by bedding in) very nicely without needing too many revs, but there is a fairly short window of time for this to happen before the bore work hardens, which limits further polishing, so the motor does need to be given some work to do.

I've used this method on more new bikes than I can remember and I'm using it now on a new Street Triple R. The 4K limit is listed for all new Kawasakis, by the way. It can't be right for all of them.

The Mototune break in is OK as far as it goes, but engines broken in hard use more oil, eventually deliver less power (although don't expect full power from your properly broken in motor until about 8,000 - 10,000 miles, but the difference is tiny anyway) and have shorter lives. I expect 100,000 miles minimum from a properly broken in motor with no oil consumption between services. Too much load too soon causes micro tears in the mating surfaces - especially the cylinder walls - where a more progressive loading takes down the worst of the irregularities before the later, heavier, loading, takes down the rest.

Rob

 

Well you can go for above 4000 rpms but according to company manuals if you will ride your bike within 4000 rpms than you can get better average for your bikes. Because at starting, your bike engine is new.
So just avoid to ride your bike above 4000 rpms.

 

They say that for the klx too, but the ignition advance doesnt even kick in till 5k so its literally impossible to ride and unsafe. and it knocks too so even worse.

 

i just got my 09 650r..i wouldnt go over the 4k people say oh tis ok, but u wear the engine to much your not guna b happy, id say about 300 miles u could start getting around 5k, u will smell some engine wear but thats normal, u just dont want a lot, the new engine smell i call it..i wouldnt start beating on it till about 500-600 tho, iv gone up to 8k in all my gears its fun and sick and i shift higher now but b carefull cuz it is true that the way u beat your engine, will determine the way it will run for you-just go with what u feel