i just picked up a brand new 06 foreman last week. my first ride with it was at windrock on friday and i love it. ive got several questions to ask so guess ill start with the basics....when should i do my first oil change? i heard 20hrs, but that seems like a long time to me. also, the valves have started to make a little noise...should i have them adjusted also? anything else i should do for proper break in? it currently has 6hrs on it...


thanks, Blane

 

The maintanence schedule is in your owners manual. Honda recommends the break-in service to be performed at 20 hours or 100 miles, whichever comes first. At the shop, we change oil/filter, adjust valves, check/adjust steering alignment, adjust brakes and throttle cable, clean air filter, check diff oil level, adjust clutch, tire psi, and a good once over on everything else. Not everything I listed is recommended at break-in according to the maintanence schedule, but It's just not right to give a customer his machine back w/ a dirty air filter (also, if we don't clean it, it will never get cleaned. It's amazing how many customers neglect their air filters).

 

we just bought the same bike...how have you been riding it so far?? The sales guy when i bought it said drive it like you stole it...I have 180 k's on it now like 6.5 hours...and i never really thought about breaking it in until now. I think i will change the oil now though.

 

that figures, ive only read the first half of the owners manual. maybe its in the 2nd half?? what about the plug? ..should it be changed, or at least checked? also, will the honda synthetic oil (HP4?)be better to run??

 

i havent been riding it like i stole it, but i havent babied it either. should i be riding it hard??

 

180 miles in 6.5 hours?! mines got 40 miles in 6 hrs!

 

I wouldnt worry about the plug too much for now. The manual says to go easy for the first 20 hours. Every post in here says to drive it hard to break in. That makes sense the way the rings wear when the engine is new with the crosshatching (honing) in the new engine and everything. So who knows...

 

Dude, klicks not miles... thats 80 miles ...my camp is 30 k's one way. good road, but faster on the quad than the suv!!

 

If you already have 6+ hrs. on it, it's already to late, but: http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

Again, already to late, but I change my oil (Honda GN4 or better yet Maxima Premium) and filter at 1 hr. Hondas and Suzukis come pretty clean from the factory (Yamahas come very dirty), and this gets any metal shavings out right away. Then I change it again at 5 and 10 hrs. I consider it broken in by 10 hrs., and switch to Maxima Extra ester synthetic oil. http://www.maximausa.com/technical/l...beNews2002.pdf

Again, already to late, but change your differential oils right away as well, to get the shavings out.

Adjust the valves at 20 hrs.

Remember, manufacturers have a vested interest in presenting their vehicles as being "low maintenance", so the maintenance intervals in your owners manual are for "ideal" conditions, like no dust, etc. (a situation that doesn't exist in the real world!).

 

I was worried that i was too hard on it. The first ride i took it on was ***** to the wall! WOT down the camp road to the next town to p/u a case of beer on the long w-end! But i guess i should change the engine oil now with 6 hours on it. Actually when i picked it up new it had 1.5 hours on it allready so...