MarchyXX Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 Hi all firstly this place looks very impressive and i am sure ill find a lot of valuable info when i look closer. Secondly i will be picking up my new toy next week a brand new 05 model having never owned a Blackbird before and no new bikes just looking for any do's and dont's for the running in process and any other info that may be usefull. I guess there will be some mention of it in the manual but first hand experience is so much better. Will i need to check any things before i start riding ie bearings or bolts or anything really, like i said i am very new to new bikes and dont know stuff all about running a bike in. Cheers Marchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obby Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 Welcome. Do's and dont's :icon_think: . Stay away from 7.5k RPM and up. Dddddd.... annnnn....gerous! On the serious side... what country do you live in? We can't get the '05's here in the states. Very cool pick on that. Also, what other bikes have you ridden before? ....more to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warchild Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 Fairly ambitious to have the XX as your first new bike. But as long as you give the machine the respect it requires, you should be okay. Welcome, and enjoy your 'Bird! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obby Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 This is his first bike . Get gear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moriartii Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 I would follow the manual for the most part on the break in procedures however I would not be afraid of a few moderate revs. Basically break the bike in like you are gonna ride it. BUT avoid bogging the engine and prolonged over revving at the shift points. Others may disagree but I learned this technique allows for a full range of cylinder scoring durning the break in process. I have had zero issues with it. As others have stated, this is your first bike, GET GEAR, watch out for third gear -will put you up to 105 lickety split and approuching 7k the bike becomes a red headed slut!!!!!!!! She is a lady below 7K. Good luck and keep the rubber down Kinley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hey_allen Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 like i said i am very new to new bikes Seeing that makes me think that it's not riding that's new, just the new bike. There's hope that he (she?) will survive the new 'bird! Whatever the case may be, welcome to the forum, and I hope you enjoy your new toy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redxxrdr Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 A 05, you are so lucky. Follow the break-in rev limit. Change the oil. Keep the chain oiled, and check for proper tension. Wash and give it a GOOD coat of wax, many coats as possible. Some type of tank guard would be good, the paint does seem to be soft. Once broken in, take it easy above 7000 rpm. This bike will change personality on you in the power band. I went from many years on a 700cc cruiser to the BB with no problems. But just last weekend I power wheelied on a cool day in a gear that it shouldn't do. Note to self: I will not do that again. For any bike, any time, get good gear. If you can get track time do so. Even if you already ride 9/10 on your other bikes. Each bike is different, and I think training is the best money spent after gear. Finally watch out when lifting the bird onto the center stand. It is big, and rather heavy. Some of us have.... well shall we say.... let it get away from us. Nothing ruins a day more than a stupid drop off the stand. After that, just ride. The bird is fast and strong and will give you a lifetime of enjoyment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceman_40 Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 First if this is really your first bike be carefull. It may not be listed as the fastest bike in the world any more but it's still got more power than 99% of the riders could ever use on the street. Since you spend all that money on a nice new bike don't skimp on gear, make sure you get the best you can efford as it may save your life. Take it easy, keep the RPMs between 1500 and 7000 for the first few weeks. Try to stay above the 1500 so you don't lag the engine and below the 7K as you might end up on your back. The bike can and will stand up on end if you aren't careful. Enjoy the bike, take your time learning, keep it rubber side down and I hope to see lots more posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarchyXX Posted April 13, 2006 Author Share Posted April 13, 2006 I have ridden bikes before ive had various dirt bikes on the farm over the years owned a CBR900 1998 model for a while as well and loved it as well as spending a lot os time on an R6 that was not mine but i rode it more than my own lol. have been riding a Cagiva W16 for the last 12 - 18 months as it was great riding to work and i could hit the dirt on weekends but it was too much in the middle to be good at dirt or road so i am selling that for the new bird and may buy a cheap dirt bike one day soon. I live in australia just moved up to queensland from south aus and the climate is great for riding i cant wait to pick up my new toy. I will be getting more gear as time goes by and the minister of finance allows me to do so lol. thanks for all the replies Marchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 I have ridden bikes before ive had various dirt bikes on the farm over the years owned a CBR900 1998 model for a while as well and loved it as well as spending a lot os time on an R6 that was not mine but i rode it more than my own lol. have been riding a Cagiva W16 for the last 12 - 18 months as it was great riding to work and i could hit the dirt on weekends but it was too much in the middle to be good at dirt or road so i am selling that for the new bird and may buy a cheap dirt bike one day soon. I live in australia just moved up to queensland from south aus and the climate is great for riding i cant wait to pick up my new toy. I will be getting more gear as time goes by and the minister of finance allows me to do so lol. thanks for all the replies Marchy Thats good .. you made it sound like you were learning to ride on the XX ... bad bike for that, it has nasty bite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuey Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Take it easy, keep the RPMs between 1500 and 7000 for the first few weeks. Try to stay above the 1500 so you don't lag the engine and below the 7K as you might end up on your back. The bike can and will stand up on end if you aren't careful. Personally i think 1500 rpm is way to low, thats only just off idle, and unless your in first gear your gunna be labouring the engine which is exactly what you shouldnt be doing. The XX engine is so strong that if you keep it between 3000 and 7000 and use the gears and keep to small throttle openings you won't have any problems at all and will still have a massive speed range at your disposal. Top gear at around 5000 revs is still 90 mph, so there's no need to over rev the bike yet. Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlasticxxHead Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 Well, I'll say it now.." " THIs Thread WiLl Be WorthlesS If Pics Don't Show Up..." Welcome and enjoy... The bird is quite a blast... It was my first bike, I learned to respect it's power and she has treated me well.. Totally different beast than a cbr 900 Becareful.... And wear your gear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarchyXX Posted April 15, 2006 Author Share Posted April 15, 2006 I will put more pics up soon as i only got a photo the other day at the shop after my test ride i should pick the bike up tuesday or wednesday at this satge. Thank you all for your advice i am sure i will spend a lot more time on here as from what i have seen so far this place is a wealth of information. Cheers Marchy [attachmentid=590] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HamrTym Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 Welcome to the board of (in)sanity. Good group of people here. Nice bike too. I've always wanted that particular Blue.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rockmeupto125 Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 First---oil change within 500 miles. Second---don't baby it. Revs will NOT hurt it. Third---Don't over or under load the engine. Low RPM, slow speed, higher gear accelerations are hard on the engine. High rpm with near zero loads are hard on the engine (like winging the throttle in the parking lot). Vary your rpm a lot, and don't be afraid to use enough throttle to achieve brisk (that would be "hanging on for dear life"----one step short of "Holy Shit") acceleration on a regular basis. Fourth---don't worry about it. The switches probably need more breaking in than the engine does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XX4me Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 I have to second what Joe said don't lug the motor and DON'T WORRY ABOUT UPPER RPM. I'm not at home now or I'd post up some info about break-in periods and how babying it can actually decrease performance due to improper seating of the rings. You should ride it using all the RPM range from the start. Change oil at 25 miles to remove any loose metal and again at 300 miles then follow the 3000-5000 mile recommendations. Welcome to the forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarchyXX Posted April 17, 2006 Author Share Posted April 17, 2006 Well tomorrow may be the day i pick up the new toy just had 5 days off work and i pick up the bike the day before i start work again that would be right! and then i am moving house on my own thursday friday and the weekend so i still wont have time to ride the thing till the weekend after at the earliest! oh well shit happens i suppose at least i will have it better than waiting to pick it up!. Thanks for all the advice on running it in i wanted to use the last 4 days running it in but it was not the case oh well. I will put some better pics of the bike up when i get it and will see if the GF will model it for me hehehe Cheers Marchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoMoreToys Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 Well tomorrow may be the day i pick up the new toy just had 5 days off work and i pick up the bike the day before i start work again that would be right! and then i am moving house on my own thursday friday and the weekend so i still wont have time to ride the thing till the weekend after at the earliest! oh well shit happens i suppose at least i will have it better than waiting to pick it up!. Thanks for all the advice on running it in i wanted to use the last 4 days running it in but it was not the case oh well. I will put some better pics of the bike up when i get it and will see if the GF will model it for me hehehe Cheers Marchy Welcome to the world of XX. I have had mine since March 97. Went from a Gold Wing to the XX. Have enjoyed it ever since. Enjoy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clinton Horn Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 A lot of people who own these bikes drop them at low speed or manuvering around their garages etc. While this will not hurt you, a low speed tip over will break your heart (lots of plastic damage). The bike does not turn very much lock to lock. I imagine you have experienced this in other street bikes. I feel like it carries a lot of weight up high and it is very easy to tip once off balance. I am 260lbs and I have had to snatch it up off the floor once. It is a daunting task. I got very lucky with no damage. Think about where you park. Try to limit the amount of backing up (especially hills) and clutter around you. It will fall off either stand on a grade. The center stand manuver is cake if you get it down properly. I cannot add to the actual riding precautions that others here have advised. One thing, if you get boxed in on the highway, use the torque to escape to open ground. Downshifting is helpful but not necessary. I have never found anything that will keep up with it on a roll except another (large) bike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarchyXX Posted April 29, 2006 Author Share Posted April 29, 2006 Well i have had the bike for a week now and i love it its due for its first service now and i have 4 days off that would be right so i have to look at it till tuesday when the shop opens and i can get them to change my oil i tried all i could so that i could do it at home but no it has to be done at the shop. All that aside i love the new bike and the GF does as well she wants to go out riding more than i do so im not complaining at all. Thanks to you all for your advice and input about the running in do's and dont's and all the other bits and peices of useful info. I am still trying to find my camera and ill put up some pics for you all. Cheers Marchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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