Break In Period Maintenance

[hihosilver28]

Hello and thanks in advance for your advice...

I keep reading/hearing that there is a 200 mile break in period. Do I need to take my Ryker in just for inspection sometime after that point? I know that the oil change, air filters, etc... get looked at and changed after the first year or 6,000 miles - whatever comes first. I hope to watch enough videos to feel comfortable getting the kit and doing it myself, but bottom line - do I need to take it in now with only 200 miles on it? Thanks again.

I'm loving these warmer days in MD!

[RykerRick]

No, at 200 miles it doesn't require going in to the dealer to have them check it out unless you want them to. Its just the break in mileage. Once mine hit the 200 mile mark I did check the fluids and gave it the once over for any loose fasteners, body panels, leaks in & around the drain plug, the final drive and the output shaft seal areas. I still do all that pretty regularly though as I've always done it on my chain, belt, & shaft drive two wheel bikes that I've owned in the past and current.

[hihosilver28]

Thanks. I just spoke with my local dealership and they said 600 miles they would do the walk around and change the oil. Cost was $230. I know many people do the oil themselves. I may let them do the first round and then take it on myself moving forward.

[pioneer11]

There is a lot of confusion over this topic. The owners manual is not very clear on it.

[Peter Aawen]

Thanks. I just spoke with my local dealership and they said 600 miles they would do the walk around and change the oil. Cost was $230. I know many people do the oil themselves. I may let them do the first round and then take it on myself moving forward.

You do know that's ^^ only meant to happen at the scheduled milage/interval, don't you? And at least when I bought my Spyder, I got that 'first service & oil change' free - well, it was part of the purchase deal anyway, and BRP touted it as being 'free' & covered by them.... which means it was as free as anything you might buy from a motor vehicle dealer!

The 600 mile first service thing was only for the V-Twins, and the 1330's have never required an earlier service than the 3000 mile first service since they first hit the streets back in 2014.... I'm not sure what the scheduled first service milage is for the Rykers, but I didn't think it was as little as 600 miles!

Sure, do it then IF YOU feel the need, but be very aware that by doing so, you may well be compromising the proper bedding-in of the rings, seals, and bearings etc, even if it might be making you feel all warm & comfortable about doing an early 'first oil change' - only it won't be the first oil change either, because that already happened back at the engine manufacturing plant!

So by doing it this early, you are really at best just giving the dealer a bit more profit and making yourself feel warm & comfortable (the latter being fair enough, IF you are that worried about the engine not being up to par... ); more likely you're just wasting money by doing it early; and at worst, you're possibly compromising the future potential longevity, strength, & performance, et al of your engine! So why risk it? There's a service & maintenance schedule for some very good reasons, and deviating from that manufacturers recommended schedule just cos the dealer wants to make a bit more profit might not be a benefit to YOU at all!

But, as always, it is your machine!

[hihosilver28]

Thanks for your advice. I totally agree that 600 miles sounds early and is lining their pockets. I just wanted to compare what was said to me to what others have been doing. I do not see any issues with my trike and really wasn't planning on taking it in until the one year mark - I doubt I'll hit 6,000 this year. But again, thanks for explaining it to me. I really do appreciate that.

[CloverHillCrawler]

My dealership keeps saying and insisting it is 600 miles even though the manual clearly states 3000.

They would of had me at 600 if they got my seats and footpegs in on time for my wife 2 weeks after the sale of the bike to me in Feb. like they stated they would.

I told them I would bring it in when the stuff I paid for arrives for them to install it. It is now going on June and I still don't have my seats but I am hitting 2800 miles so I called and made the appointment for the 3000 mile break in service and hopefully they will have my stuff in by then.

I'm thinking of starting a pool at work as to when I will get my ***** from BRP including a block for not getting it at all. Been promised 3 different dates so far and each one is a miss.

[canamryder]

My dealership keeps saying and insisting it is 600 miles even though the manual clearly states 3000.

They would of had me at 600 if they got my seats and footpegs in on time for my wife 2 weeks after the sale of the bike to me in Feb. like they stated they would.

I told them I would bring it in when the stuff I paid for arrives for them to install it. It is now going on June and I still don't have my seats but I am hitting 2800 miles so I called and made the appointment for the 3000 mile break in service and hopefully they will have my stuff in by then.

I'm thinking of starting a pool at work as to when I will get my ***** from BRP including a block for not getting it at all. Been promised 3 different dates so far and each one is a miss.

I did my own "service check" at 3100 miles. Then I put the Ryker in to hibernation at 3400 miles. An amount of very fine metal grit was on magnetic drain plug. I also checked other fluid levels, and air filters. At 6000 miles I had the service dept. check steering linkage, hook up to bus for any updates and spot check other items. I feel comfortable with what was checked. No problems except a crooked handlebar at an earlier time which I fixed myself. I'm very happy with how my Ryker is running. Build date is 10/18.

[shakin_jake]

Thanks. I just spoke with my local dealership and they said 600 miles they would do the walk around and change the oil. Cost was $230. I know many people do the oil themselves. I may let them do the first round and then take it on myself moving forward.

~~~~guys!, read your Ryker owners manual. It clearly states:change engine oil and engine oil filter every 6K miles or every 12 months, whichever comes first

Look, if you want to piss your money away, instead of leaving your server 20% next time you eat out, leave him/her 40% but do not change your Ryker engine oil before the stated time/mileage

We have a member here by the name of Baja Ron. He sells an oil filter change kit for the Ryker. He’ll send you an factory oil filter and the correct gaskets. The oil change for the Ryker is easy peasy






If you don’t already have them, buy two sets of ramps like the ones you see under the wheels of my Rally. I heard someone say their dealer was going to charge them $230 to change the oil. You can certainly buy two sets of ramps for way less than that. Don’t want to be bothered going to an auto parts store to buy them? Buy from Amazon, they’ll deliver for the same cost and while you’re placing an Amazon order, buy the correct grade of oil from Amazon too

This oil change is ridiculously easy

Not that any of youse asked but, I don’t ride my rally very many miles in a year. I changed the engine oil & engine filter (I bought my filter kit from Baja Ron) the first and only time after 12 months went by. I had accumulated 4000 miles approximately in that time. FWIW I bought the oil I used from Home Depot



I got a case of 6 so I have enough oil for the next oil change as the Rally uses 3 quarts of oil when changing the oil filter too. BTW, the recommended oil is full synthetic. Replacing at every 6 K miles or every 12 months is overkill AFAIC but I wouldn’t change any more often than what the factory recommends

Really, this is such an easy job. Do it yourself, but wait until it needs to be done, not beforehand. If you feel impatient, buy the kit ahead of time from Baja Ron here on this forum then once you get the kit take a look at it. Everything, all the information you need to successfully change the motor oil is written in your owners manual. It’s a good resource, use it. Get it out and read it cover to cover

Doing the maintenance on these machines isn’t hard. If you can read and follow basic instructions you can do it. The owner manual is written in a cook book format in regards to doing simple tasks like changing fluids & filters. Notice the Kubota mower in my garage? It’s commercial grade, 72” mower deck. I change the engine oil and engine oil filter. I also swap out the blades and grease the blade spindles. I’m 64 years of age and suffer terribly from arthritis yet I still crawl around and underneath these machines to take care of them. The mower is used to take care of 15 acres of grass on our farm. I think another reason i do my own maintenance on the Ryker is the time it would take to drop the machine off, wait for it to be serviced, then have to go back and pick it up. It’s far easier to do the work myself then to arrange to have these two machines serviced elsewhere. Ive always used that reasoning for doing my own tire work as well. There was a time i rode more often than i do now but still, i can change a tire with hand tools faster than the time it takes to ride to the dealer

For some, there may be a hesitancy to attempt the unknown (basic maintenance including R&Ring tires from the wheels/rims) yet once you do it its knowledge gained & what with you tube, there isn’t a maintenance procedure on your Ryker you couldn’t do yourself

[ARtraveler]

Maybe it is time for BRP to check into this break-in maintenance question.

I am hearing of 200 mile, 300 mile, 600 mile suggestions by dealers.

Unless the manuals service requirements have changed, mine still says 3000 or so miles for the INITIAL break in service, THEN 9,500 mile intervals OR once a year whichever comes first. This is for the 1330/three cylinders that have been the current fleet since 2014.

I do not own a Ryker, or have a manual for that. Verification as to what the Ryker manual says about service would be appreciated.

Are these dealers that mercenary that they try to take advantage of new customers, or are they just plain STUPID and don't know much about servicing the machines they are selling? And in 99% of the cases, I am hearing the minimum $300 or so (the oil change service price), for the pre-3000 mile "dealer recommended" services.

I would say it's time to get some answers. Maybe go so far as to name these dealers. Once you know who the kooks are, act accordingly.

[Mikey]

This is always good for a bag of popcorn!!!!

[RykerRick]

From the service manual.

[ARtraveler]

Thanks RR.

Maybe its time to start having some fun with these clowns--err dealers. Get out the manual, take a ride to the dealer, and have them show you where it talks about the 200, 300, or 600 mile break-in checkups.

The only thing I know about in the 300 range is a statement that brakes and tires should be given the "easy" treatment until they get set in (about 300 miles).