SuperGmoney

Over the past 2 weekends I have taken my 1199 base out for 5 rides averaging about 30 miles each ride and have now reached 429 miles on the bike. Each of those times the bike smoked at the end of the warm-up period when I revved the engine. I didn't have smoke roughly prior to 300 miles. I always start-up the bike in the garage and let it warm-up while I put on my gloves and helmet, then roll it out of the garage and let it sit for approximately 30-60 seconds longer. At this point in this procedure I usually don't see visible blue smoke until just before taking off I would rev it once to check the throttle response. That is the time I have the blue smoke. Yesterday I had a lot of smoke that floated across my yard. After a couple of revs the blue smoke disappears and I hit the road. For experiment sake: Tonight I let the engine sit idle until the temperature hit 150 degrees then I revved it and once again I saw smoke. This time a small amount. It smoked for only one rev but cleared on subsequent.

This is my dealers break-in instructions that I follow:

- First 150-200 miles - try to keep the rpm's below 6,000, vary the speed and the load on the motor - fairly gentle
- Next 500 miles - try to keep the rpm's below 8,000, vary the speed and the load on the motor - ride it harder

Am I stuck with smoke for good? Will this go away if I let the engine warm-up to 150 degrees each time?

ttkarp

Mine is at 1500 miles and does the exact same thing....every time.

tstephenson

I broke my bike in as follows and have no smoke at all

first 10 miles 6000 rpm max and cool down
next 10 rev to 7000 rpm and cool down
next 10 8000 rpm and cool down
next 10 9000 rpm and cool down
next 10 10,000 rpm and cool down

Change the oil

from there the next 50 miles i spent up and down the rpm range and let the bike cool down. After 100 miles no smoke at all and the bike runs fantastic. No starting or stalling issues at all.

If you break the bike in to soft the pistons will glaze and you are screwed. It is also very important to turn off the EBC and let the engine breaking slow you down. Engine breaking is just as important as acceleration. Anyway you can search the web and find hundreds of articles regarding break in by the manual or other ways. All I can say is that everyone on this forum who was aggressive did not have smoke and the others still have smoke issues.

SuperGmoney

So, is it too late for my pistons now that I have 429 miles?

SuperGmoney

tstephenson,
You have 100 miles on your bike? Well, I did not have smoke the first 300 miles.

kensteele

I'm curious about your startup/warmup. After starting my bike, I riding off in under 30 seconds. Sometimes I get a rolling start and then fire up the engine in first gear. For the first few minutes, I'm easy on the engine and the tires for about 5 miles. I haven't ever seen "smoke" from my bike.

To be honest, the bike is too loud for me to idle for too long in my area and I'd rather not alert the neighbors to my comings and goings...everyday.

SuperGmoney

Ken,
How many miles on your bike now?

jyli19

dude, that seriously sucks? You might have to look into the Jap version.

jewcati

I do the same as ken....no smoke for me in a bit over 500 miles

fireman1251

The "warming up" business is useless.

Me I start the engine once I'm sitting on the bike then ride away without looking behind.....never seen any smoke

BTW rode it like I stole it from day 1 and motor's fine,forks not so much....

SOULRIDER

I see your in Mass?

Have the temps started to cool down?

When I took my bike up to the mountains it smoked a ton. The temperature difference was about 30 degrees.

Once back to Florida I had no smoke once again. Just a thought...

SuperGmoney

This past weekend was cooler than previous weekends. I can't fathom how the outside temps would affect this situation.

Denver Rick

Similarly my dealer told me to ride it like I stole it to break in. The glazed pistons make it very difficult to break in. There has alwyas been this debate as far as I can tell. But they had some good evidence on this bike as all the bikes they took right to the track stopped smoking very quickly, the bikes that were broken in slowly kept smoking. I have ridden hard when I can, to redline on occasion, have about 250 miles on it now, and smoking issue is almost completley gone and running great. Though I didn't consider the engine braking, thanks for the advice on the EBC. Also should note, and it just makes sense, that any break in should avoid sustained periods at the same rpm and should be moving up and down through the range. At least that's what I'm told.

SuperGmoney

I just spoke with the mechanic at my Ducati dealer. He said letting the engine warm-up to 150 Degrees was better for it and I should be riding it in the 6,000 to 10,000 RPM range. He also said purposely using engine braking was not good and ineffective for breaking-in the engine. "Brakes are meant for braking." He emphasized we should avoid starting the bike to show our friends and not actually ride it. He reiterated the bikes ridden the hardest smoke the least. Bottom-line, we need to ride it to the point we stain our underwear ever time. But, I have to ask myself is zero smoke worth the chance of wreckless speed causing an accident or ticket?

jarelj

I haven't seen any still smoking after 1500 miles, but lots of them have smoked the first 600 miles. Ducati put out a service bulletin on this right after the bike was released, indicating that the nikasil-lined cylinders could result in smoking, particularly during start-up, and that it was nothing to worry about and would go away after the engine was broken in. They just recommended checking the oil level during the intial break-in to make sure it wasn't consuming so much oil that the level dropped to the point that more oil needed to be added. We have not added oil to any of them at this point. Mine smoked the first couple of track days, and then it wised up and kicked the habit.

zvez

This is one way of breaking in the bike, however, I've owned 6 or 7 ducs as well as a dozen other bikes, I've broken them in per manufacturers guidelines and have never had a single issue with burning oil, glazed pistons or whatever. And I actually ride my bikes and put miles an miles on them in all conditions (streetfighter will turn 20k in the next month or so.

I've heard/seen every variation on the break in from "ride it like you stole it", broken in on dyno to strict adherence to the guidelines. What it boils down to is do it the way you feel comfortable on breaking in and don't worry about how everyone else does it.

Only one website I've found where a reasonably scientific approach to hard break in vs. manuf. guidelines. THe vast bulk of the info is anecdotal. I know I know, but all the race teams do it X-Y-Z way.

just my 2 cents.

This subject is just like oil threads, everyone has a different idea of what's best.

Broke my bike in more/less sticking to manuf. guidelines, no smoke, no stalling, no hard starts since day one. So not EVERYONE on this forum who didn't agressively break their bike in has smoke issues, in fact you'll find most don't regardless of how they broke the bike in.

BigBoost

I did not follow the below break in, but I was by no-means gentle & will continue to push the bike hard.

I have set the EBC at 1 and run Race Hi setting. I've been up and down the rev setting only going up to 6,000RPM for the first 100 miles then up to 7,000 to 8,000 from 100 to 350 miles.

I've ONLY varied the throttle and haven't been on the freeway or stayed at constant speed or RPM for more than 1 minute or so for the entire 350 miles.

It only smokes at start-up and I can smell it, as well. After the bike heats up, I am good to go. Plus, it only smokes if I really rev-it during the initial start-up after being cold. If I just start the bike and don't rev it, no smoke. Zero.

Here's the big thing that worries me. I've had to add oil after every 100 miles of hard abuse. Again, I haven't been kind and have engine-braked as much as possible during the up and down rev cycle to break in.

This damn thing definitely burns oil and while, I didn't follow the below break-in, I am definitely hard on the bike, but the oil thing worries me.

That is what is smoking during the initial start.....

I haven't had to add an entire quart yet, but by the time I hit 600 miles, given how much I've had to add so far, I will.

Every 100 miles, I am down to the lower oil lever indicator.


I spoke with my dealership's head mechanic and this engine is so new for them too, they don't know what to quite yet to expect, but they haven't seen any major issues, but obviously it's too soon to tell.

Gunny Fitz

Ughhhhhhh !!!

BigBoost

Exactly.... Only time will tell.

Gamekeeper

Get on it and ride it. It will stop sometime.

Mine stopped making blue clouds a bit after the first service at 620 miles. It's done 1000 miles and only smokes if you fire it up, switch it off when cold and then fire up again.

I suspect a bit of oil gets past the rings unless she is properly hot.

I dont worry any more.