ATV Engine Break-In
© Matt Finley, Licensed to About.com
With summer in full swing now may be the time you're thinking it's time to buy a new ATV which means you'll want to think about how you're going to break in that new motor.
There are two basic schools of thought on this. One is the conservative method which involves very light use of the engine. The other is the break it in like you want to ride it method.
I've tried both methods and have gotten the best results by using the latter method...
After an hour or so of riding the ATV then cooling it off change the oil. On a new engine, the first hour of operation will remove all burrs and they will be mixed with the oil and trapped in the filter.
Continue riding with varied acceleration for several hours, and change the oil at least once more. You almost can t change the oil too much.
Here's the low-down on how I break in an engine.