Break in?

[INTP_imp]

Is there published break-in recommendations for the CB11? I just came back from a 100 mile afternoon and was curious what everyone else was experiencing.

I have 150 miles on mine, and it seems to chatter more after it is ridden briskly. I think it is tuned a little too lean. Does anyone know if I can put a power commander on the bike?

 

[thumper_imp]

No crazy break-in. The manual says avoid full-throttle starts, and ride conservatively for the first 300 miles.

Yeah, mine chatters a little too after a brisk run.

 

[the Ferret]

If by chatter you mean ignition knock, or a slight valve clattering under acceleration, I hear that as well if I lean to left or right while accelerating out of a turn, but not if I am sitting directly over the tank. It's very faint. I wondered if a higher octane of gas would cure it, but Im not sure exactly what it is, but then again, not really worried about it.

 

[flynrider]

Hey! Glad to hear that I'm not the only one hearing that. At first I thought it was valves chattering, but it only does it under brisk accelleration. Then I thought it was knocking (i.e. detonation). That would be unlikely since it seemed to happen even when the engine was cold. I bumped the octane up on the next two tanks and there was zero difference. I doubt that the sound is knocking.

Since I only hear it when I give it a lot of throttle, I'm starting to think that it might be related to the EFI system. Maybe the fuel pump ramping up? I noticed that you can make a similar sound (one click at a time) when the engine is idling. Throttle up and back and you'll hear the same click sound on the way up and one on the way down.

I'm going to keep looking, but for now I'm thinking that its normal.

 

[the Ferret]

I also wondered if it might be magnified due to lightweight break in oil and wondered if it would be less noticeable after the first service, but I'm not quite to 600 miles yet.

 

[Obliviontoad]

Got back from a 120 trip today. Was taking it easy the whole way, but a short highway hop went really well. I've yet to hear the sounds you are describing, and I'm on tank 2 of 89 octane with 10% ethanol.

Next time, I'm headed up north to get me some gasoline from the station that sells ethanol free. See how that goes.

Edited for failure to proofread.

 

[flynrider]

I did the first oil change last weekend. No difference. Try blipping the throttle slowly at idle and see if that doesn't sound like the same sort of click.

Edit : Obliviontoad - You can hear the sound best if you give it a lot a gas coming onto second. Any faster and it's covered by wind noise. It's kind of a rythmic ticking sound.

 

[the Ferret]

Got back from a 120 trip today. Was taking it easy the whole way, but a short highway hop went really well. I've yet to hear the sounds you are describing, and I'm on tank 2 of 89 octane with 10% ethanol.

Next time, I'm headed up north to get me some gasoline from the station that sells ethanol free. See how that goes.

Edited for failure to proofread.

19% ethanol? Holy crap I thought the limit was 10% and they were talking about upping it to 15% :huh:

Like I said, while riding I cant hear it unless I'm leaned over to left or right,accelerating as it pulls me thru a turn. I imagined it was either "pinging" aka ignition knock, or hearing the cam lobes coming around and smacking the top of the shim. I on't think its any kind of issue with the bikes, just a characteristic.

 

[Gypped_imp]

Got back from a 120 trip today. Was taking it easy the whole way, but a short highway hop went really well. I've yet to hear the sounds you are describing, and I'm on tank 2 of 89 octane with 10% ethanol.

Next time, I'm headed up north to get me some gasoline from the station that sells ethanol free. See how that goes.

Edited for failure to proofread.

19% ethanol? Holy crap I thought the limit was 10% and they were talking about upping it to 15% :huh:

Like I said, while riding I cant hear it unless I'm leaned over to left or right,accelerating as it pulls me thru a turn. I imagined it was either "pinging" aka ignition knock, or hearing the cam lobes coming around and smacking the top of the shim. I on't think its any kind of issue with the bikes, just a characteristic.

19% ethanol? Holy crap I thought the limit was 10% and they were talking about upping it to 15% :huh:

Like I said, while riding I cant hear it unless I'm leaned over to left or right,accelerating as it pulls me thru a turn. I imagined it was either "pinging" aka ignition knock, or hearing the cam lobes coming around and smacking the top of the shim. I on't think its any kind of issue with the bikes, just a characteristic.
The limit is 10%, the concern about the 15% is that it will wreck smaller engines that aren't designed to deal with it. The AMA has been pushing for, among other things, separate pumps so that there's not any leftover 15% in the line when you go to put gas in your motorcycle.

 

[Obliviontoad]

Ugh. Typo. So sorry. Was supposed to be 10%. And here I thought I was doing so well in my old age.

 

[Randy B]

If you look at the owners manual it lists nothing more that 10% to be used.

 

[PowderToastMan_imp]

On the topic of break-in, how important do you guys think it is to be exploring the whole rev range? I find myself between 3 and 4k RPM most of the time, and I kind of have a hard time seeing how I should ever venture beyond that unless I were to try getting up to speed in a lower gear.

Some people advocate really varying the revs and getting up to some margin below redline, to make sure the piston rings get properly seated, and not keeping the tacho in one place for too long.. but how long is too long?
My typical daily ride is about 5 or 10 miles down the road, and I vary speed a little bit but not that much. Going out to a back road (which I haven't had much time to do yet) I guess makes it a little easier to vary speeds, but I don't see myself getting into very high revs out there either.

 

[the Ferret]

On the topic of break-in, how important do you guys think it is to be exploring the whole rev range? I find myself between 3 and 4k RPM most of the time, and I kind of have a hard time seeing how I should ever venture beyond that unless I were to try getting up to speed in a lower gear.

Some people advocate really varying the revs and getting up to some margin below redline, to make sure the piston rings get properly seated, and not keeping the tacho in one place for too long.. but how long is too long?
My typical daily ride is about 5 or 10 miles down the road, and I vary speed a little bit but not that much. Going out to a back road (which I haven't had much time to do yet) I guess makes it a little easier to vary speeds, but I don't see myself getting into very high revs out there either.

I doubt my bike will ever see more than 6000 Rpms, just the way I ride.I kept it under 4000 until the 1st service, and Ive been to 5000 since. But I dont do what I consider flogging just for the sake of flogging.

BTW oil change did not change the light clattering in the engine. Just a characteristic of the motor I guess. At any rate we have a years warranty to find out if its a characteristic or a defect. I plan on plenty of stress testing this summer.

 

[PowderToastMan_imp]

Yeah, pushing 6k I bet you're gonna be above 90 mph, I don't see any good reason to go that fast on a public road, though I know lots of people do it.. especially on super sports which probably do that in 3rd gear or so, haha.

 

[6.5kev_imp]

I'm still waiting for my bike to come in but I'd bet the noise you guys are describing is the fuel injectors. My wing makes the same noise and can be heard at low speeds. My Chevy Cruze Eco does it too at an idle. I'm sure it's normal.

 

[flynrider]

After 1k miles of hard listening, I'm also convinced that it's the fuel injection system.

Last week I took a short ride on a new CB1000R and it made exactly the same sound when I goosed it.

I think it's easier to hear on the CB1100 because it's so darned quiet!

 

[the Ferret]

Cool.... I've quit listening for it lol

 

[INTP_imp]

Yeah, pushing 6k I bet you're gonna be above 90 mph, I don't see any good reason to go that fast on a public road, though I know lots of people do it.. especially on super sports which probably do that in 3rd gear or so, haha.

I had a zx12 that could do 90 in first. The one thing that bike was really good at was leaving me on the side of the road. Sold it and got the CB11, and I have zero regrets.

 

[PowderToastMan_imp]

I've been noticing that clicking noise too, but since I saw that most others are hearing it, I guess it's not much of a thing.

 

[SUPERCRUZ_imp]

I am running 91 octane in my bike. I have not heard any clatter or unusual noise after running it hard.