Kawasaki Ninja Owners Manual: Break-in

The first 1 600 km (1 000 mi) that the motorcycle is ridden is designated as the break-in period. If the motorcycle is not used carefully during this period, you may very well end up with a “broken down” instead of a “broken in” motorcycle after a few thousand kilometers.

The following rules should be observed during the break-in period.

• The table shows maximum recommended engine speed during the break-in period.

NOTE

When operating on public roadways, keep maximum speed under traffic low limits.

• Do not start moving or race the engine immediately after starting it, even if the engine is already warm. Run the engine for two or three minutes at idle speed to give the oil a chance to work up into all the engine parts.
• Do not race the engine while the transmission is in neutral.

In addition to the above, at 1 000 km (600 mi) it is extremely important that the owner has the initial maintenance service performed by a competent mechanic following the procedures in the Service Manual.