Why Do You Break in a New Harley Davidson?

Breaking in a Harley's engine properly has long-term benefits.

Breaking in your new Harley Davidson motorcycle is an important step that ultimately affects your bike's performance in the long run. There are several ways to do it, depending on whom you ask.

1. Ring Seating

   • One of the biggest reasons for breaking in a new Harley engine is ring seating. The rings on the pistons need to achieve compatibility with the cylinder wall, and breaking in your engine will help do so.

   Horsepower

   • If the rings aren't properly set, your engine won't achieve its maximum horsepower, as blow by will regularly occur. Blow by is the escaping of gases into the engine's crankcase, which will in turn cause it to burn oil.

   Head Gaskets

   • The first start up of the engine is important for the care of the head gaskets. The motor needs to run for about a minute at 1,200 rpm with no extra stress applied at first.