Tyre Pressures

[wkid_one]

Just a thought - I am keen to know who here checks there tyre pressures everytime before they ride?

 

[Slim]

If it's been more than a week since the last time I went for a ride - definitely.

[Coldkiwi]

I probably don't do it enough (normally only if going for a good w/e ride) but if it feels odd I'll do a check.

[MikeL]

Every time before a long ride. Which is at least once a week. Usually have to put a bit of air in every 2 - 3 weeks - pressure drops by a pound or two.

[Motu]

I'm going to Taranaki on friday,so I checked my pressures today,down to 10psi both ends,put them back up to 30.I use dirt tyres,running low pressures and pushing hard on the street doesn't worry me.Low pressure means traction,high pressure means slide.Just depends on where you're coming from.

[twistymover]

Check mine about once a week.They're usually down 2-3lbs. I know I haven't got a puncture. Does anyone know why bike tyres loose pressure faster than car tyres?

[Motu]

Most car tyres are tubeless,a tubeless bike tyre should hold pressure well.Tubed tyres are common on bikes and loose pressure - just like a balloon.

[bluninja]

Check mine before a long or 'hard' ride....or if the bikes been standing for a week. Also check them AFTER riding on the track, to see that my cold temp settings were right (OR NOT!!).

I don't check them mid-ride unless the bike feels off.....partly because it's hard to put the gauge on with the wheels turning

 

BTW what do people use to check pressure with? I use one of those pen shaped mechanical devices as it's fairly accurate and very robust.

TTFN

[MikeL]

I use a digital guage which is supposed to be very accurate. First one cost me $36. Lost it somehow (I think it fell out of my back pack - don't ask how). Replacement (identical unit) 3 weeks later cost $54. Much better than relying on the service station readings - do they ever bother calibrating them?? Years of driving a car made me a bit complacent about tyre pressures - a few pounds here or there doesn't seem to make much difference. But I can sure tell on the bike if it's even slightly underinflated.

[Kwaka-Kid]

Hmm, yeah i check mine often, every WOF, well i lie, usually ends up being every 2nd :P  Havent checkled the 750's scince that kaiawa ride.  Checked my 400's @ tracktime, And yeah, myold XR200 etc i ran 11psi in front and 14psi in rear, thats dirtbikes tho, but shit you dont need to check them so often do you? or cant you feel your bike?  Im not sure exactly how precise my feel for tyre pressureis, but i can certainly feel the difference of 4 pounds higher... so im guess 4 pounds lower too, and if thats easy to feel, then im bound to feel 2 pounds right? so i dont need to worry. when she starts getting sluggish in thefront, i know to pump it up a bit.  And if you are checking them so often (this is @ home with a good gauge) that rips as a rule of thumb 1 pound out of them everytime (okay maybe not quite so much, or in some cases more), so if you check them 3x a week you are going to need to keep pumping that tyre up right? I dunno, Set and forget i say! - its right up there with light checks, if you got twin rear brake/nightlights.  How often do i check them?  What? you mean they blow?! hehehe.  I only check them for WOF's.   but atm i was recommended bythe cycletreads guy to run 29 in front (Metzler MZ1, 120/60/17) and 31-2 in rear (Michy Macadam 16/60/17) (overtyred on rear, std with 150, but thenext model of zxr400 had a 160 and i beleive same size rim, 4.5inch, so yeah)   and ive left it at that scince, when he checked them there i had been running 34-36, It did feel slightly slowerin the leaning etc, but wasnt too bad a difference, didnt take long to get used to.

[twistymover]

My VFR feels best at the manufacturer's setting of 36psi in the front and 42psi in the back. That's why I check them once a week. I'm running on MEZ4s at present.

[wkid_one]

I check mine before each ride.....36 front, 38 rear........it isn't just a handling thing but a tyre wear thing.

[Kwaka-Kid]

life fucking sux

Do you know what it feels like to have 4 hours ago Given your bike to the grass @ 160kmph.

I do, somebody kill me please.  Why did i live?

[twistymover]

That won't feel good, I know that much. Are you alright? Any broken bones, what happened?

[Slim]

Originally posted by MikeL
Much better than relying on the service station readings - do they ever bother calibrating them??

Buggered if I know!!! I was most alarmed, when I finally brought a tyre pressure guage (analogue dial with short hose) to find that my local BPs tyre pressure read some 5psi low (ie - you overfilled your tyres if you used their guage) .... especially since there's a sign on their air sign saying that over filling tyres is dangerous.