I've got a new 2009 ninja 250R, and have put ~175 miles on it. I was riding lightly and keeping to the 4000RPM limit for the first 100 miles, but after talking with some folks I've changed to fast acceleration to maximize compression but still keep it under 5000RPM when doing so. I have the option to commute to work on it, which is about 3 miles so it wouldnt be a long ride at all, and I'm curious if that's a good idea during the break-in period.

Should I stick to longer rides, or will short rides work as long as I properly warm up the engine beforehand and allow it to cool between rides? I can probably do a lot more miles on it for the break-in if I use it for daily commuting and going to friends' houses, etc.

Thanks!

i've always been told there were two schools of thought:

1. ride hard.. they were made to be revved to the red, so do so. this will seat all the internal pieces of the machine better.

2. break in the engine with sustained low RPM riding limiting your RPM and over-shifting



i personally waited until 500 miles on 6,000 rpm before i started beating on the engine.. any other input?

short, long, miles are miles, just stick to what the manual says for the RPM limits per mileage, and make sure you warm it up properly