Hi guys,

My name is Sean, I am one of the newest Bajaj Avenger owners in JHB.

A bit of a bumpy start... All sorted now.

So how long does it take before I can put this bike to the freeway?
Admittedly I do have an '81 Kawasaki Z400J and a '91 ZZR600... So, I
was used to a bit more guts.

What did you gys do for running-in. Go by the manual 1000km nothing
over 65km in top gear and then a little more than that for rest up to
the first 2000/2500km service.
Or... Grab a handful after the 300km service?

Regards,
Sean

I kept to 65 km/h for the first 500 kms and then to 80 km/h for the
second 500 km, but after that I increased the speed.  If I get a brand
new bike again, I might consider the Motorman method:

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

Samuel

Thanks for the feedback.
Did you do the 300km service at 500km?

She seems to be loosening up. I am rolling over 180km now.
Acceleration is begining to pick-up.

I have read that article. I cannot say that his logic works (for me)
in several of the contexts he mentions.

I have an understanding of Thermodynamics and all those good things.
I passed Aeronautical Technologies in 1986 while doing T1 Engineering
at Pretoria Technikon - Says he giving away his age...
The subject did cover internal combustion engines, turbo- and super-
chargers, airflow, lubricants, fuels and other cool stuff...

"No matter how well an engine is assembled, it's final power output is
all up to you"
Add my experience of upgrading my VW Polo to a 2.0l with a 272 degree
cam and after market engine management, etc. I had 76w/kg on the tar
(not at the flywheel).
That above quote is the belief of the author. The better an engine
breaths, the better the performance. He does get into small inlet
valve later in the article... Also not too logical, anyway. I think
the valve timing did more than the valve sizes...
So, valve sizes and valve open durations and open/close timing and
combinations of same and then inlet and exhaust geometry... Blah,
blah, blah...
If an engine is 'lazy', it was lazy from the beginning...

Maybe if the author was a Lecturer of Automotive engineering or
Thermodynamics at XXXX State Univarsity, I might not question so
quickly.

At the end of the day I cannot get my R18k from him if the Avenger's
engine is the one that his method doesn't work on...

(I get the feeling an answer article is necessary to answer that one.
His logic around the pressure on the rings from combustion is more
than a little off... Before one of us has to go to Honeydew in the
first month of ownership - hat in hand - and ask the price of a new
engine.)

Thanks again Samuel.

Hi Sean

An Irishman on an Indian Bike...? Don't worry I,m from UK originally

Welcome to the Riders

I have done 3000km on mine, Very happy so far. I wouldn't like to try our
freeways on and Avenger. Tops up hill 110km/hr besides all the potholes and
construction.

Running in I did 1st 15km/h, 2nd 30km/h, 3rd 40km/h, 4th 60km/h, and the
rest is up to you.

I do find that after 95km/h I cant see what's behind me, all the mirror
vibrations, so I tend to take it easy( 61 years old in March)

I am really having fun going to work on non wet days. Even though I have got
soaked a few times in the last week or so.

Give us a shout to discuss anything.

Best regards

Bill Bower
Atlasville
Boksburg 1459 0829406619 Mob

No, I had it done at 700 km, simply because I couldn't get an
appointment at the dealer earlier and I was already using it every day
to travel about 120 kms (Jhb to Pta and back).  The commuting journey
took about 2 hours, though, at 65-75 km/h.  Early on I avoided the
highways and took the backroads, where people don't expect you to ride
140 km/h.

Early on I used to change gears the way I do it in a car -- get into
higher gears as early as possible.  But that means that you get to 5th
gear at 50 km/h (which is fine for a car).  When 100 km/h began to be my
usual speed, I changed my gear changing habit to one that stayed in a
gear for as long as possible.  So these days I accelerate from a robot
as fast as I can (which isn't very fast, with a 200 cc bike).  When I
pull away from zero, I change gears at 20 km/h, 40 km/h, 60 km/h and 80
km/h.  How do you do it?

True.

Samuel

Usually one of my mirrors don't vibrate, and the other one does.  Weird.

Samuel

Hey Bill
At 95 I tend to look forward much more than back. ;-)

The Western bypass seems okay at peak hour, most of the time doing
less than 70... Short strips where I make for the left lane.

I found this article from a engine builder in the UK. He appears to be
a long-in-the-tooth Automotive engineer.
Here is his opinions on running-in: http://www.pumaracing.co.uk/runin.htm
(I am not into starting a debate over running-in. You gonna do with
your motor what you want anyway. Just offering an alternative article
to the American one).

A lot of plain text and not a word of marketing spin... Worth the
read.

He has some other cool performance articles (with the maths and
science to back his statements...)
AND a really good page on "fuel saving devices"...

So. Now at 1400km.
We seem to be cooking now. The bike creeps quite easily over 80km/h.
Engine responsiveness has changed and is still.

After the first service (about 280km) I stopped babying the machine
and kept the above article in mind as a guideline and still do.
She had a 1000km check-up/oil change/service as well. Since then, I
only push the machine when I have to. I think I have had to take her
to 95 once
 to keep the speed difference on the freeway down. Most of the time I
can get by with 70-80.
Still trying to avoid constant engine speeds. So as soon as it is
clear behind me I drop down 10-15km/h
and then take her up to 70-80.

My fuel bill so far... A laughable R280 (up the last fill-up -
yesterday).
I can just fill the smart with that and less than half the kilos.
First true fill up - 2.66 l/100km and Second fill-up 2.7 l/100km.

I wasn't sure about the single pot 200cc but that's what I could
afford new...
I am enjoying this ride.