Gas Station Tyre Pressure Gauges

[Paul in NZ]

Appologies to the AIGOR site where I nick some of the text from

[FzerozeroT]

Paul, you sound like you are on the right track, but that will vary across tyres as you also say, and yes, i do have super sticky race tyres, (I should go and find out who has my sliders) so as I have a carcass which is softer when the tyres warm up will the rubber stretch more easily and make the pressure the same?

I could go and buy a pressure gauge but by the same token they need to be calibrated accurately every 12 months if you want true accuracy.Then i would put aforementioned tyre presure gauge, as well as some chain lube, visor cleaner, raincoat, foot pump, tyre levers, patches, spare chain links into my pockets, no, wait, i have leathers without pockets, i'll put them into my belt bag with camera and wallet, nope sorry, i have to wear a backpack, nope, don't like the feel and speed hump won't allow it. you get the idea.

I want to be able to ride to a gas station fill up and check tyre pressures and go. BP tristram street seems ok,

TS - i know what you mean, 32 in the front and the front wheel slides under braking, 28 and it doesn't stand up again out of a lean.

If anyone can find out more of pauls idea i would love to hear it, even if anyone knows of an optimum tyre temperature chart for different tyres?

[Racey Rider]

TS - i know what you mean, 32 in the front and the front wheel slides under braking, 28 and it doesn't stand up again out of a lean.

Have been told, the top racers (ie. well known names who ride the big bikes.), all had a go at SS 150 racing when it first started. And they reckon the go was 26psi in both front and back hoops.

I have (In the limited track days I've had), been trying a range of pressures. Have been as low as 24psi in the front, to try and get the tyre to heat up to a sticky level. Maybe I'm not pushing it as hard as some in the corners, but I never noticed the 150 not ready to stand up.

Dave ( ) once said the tyre should increase by 6psi from cold to hot. If it doesn't, ether ride harder, or lower the pressure.

[FROSTY:Me]

I think tyre pressure is one of the great black arts of motorcycling.
a different tyre on the same bike same rider seems to need different pressure.
same tyre same bike different rider-again different pressure.
For bucket racing we ran rediculously low pressures in winter to get the tyres to work--like 20psi
It sounds like Paul is onto something here with his 10% idea except maybee it would vary according to the load on the bike etc.

[Two Smoker]

Have been told, the top racers (ie. well known names who ride the big bikes.), all had a go at SS 150 racing when it first started. And they reckon the go was 26psi in both front and back hoops.

I have (In the limited track days I've had), been trying a range of pressures. Have been as low as 24psi in the front, to try and get the tyre to heat up to a sticky level. Maybe I'm not pushing it as hard as some in the corners, but I never noticed the 150 not ready to stand up.

Yep good old Nicko still has his beast of an RG150 lol, i have played a bit and i like 28 psi, any lower and my tyre wear would be insane dont mind having 30psi in the rear though.....

[Paul in NZ]

I think it would also vary according to the size of the tyre.

A big tyre would have a LOT of surface area to shed heat? Dunno??

I know what works on the Guzzi and what to add when Vicki piles on the back with a little day pack (it would outfit the Foreign Legion for 6 months in the Artic)

The point is, not just blindly adding air but trying to achieve a result based on the important item. Getting your tyre to the correct temperature so it works without getting it too hot and wrecking it.

Remember an early post from me where I went for a ride with 3 fat tyred members of this list and they were slithering about on lichen covered roads when the skinny tyred LM2 tracked true and straight?

I dunno... We will all be checking our tyres every 5 minutes now!

Paul N

Sun well over the yardarm lads...

[Paul in NZ]

Paul, you sound like you are on the right track, but that will vary across tyres as you also say, and yes, i do have super sticky race tyres, (I should go and find out who has my sliders) so as I have a carcass which is softer when the tyres warm up will the rubber stretch more easily and make the pressure the same?

If anyone can find out more of pauls idea i would love to hear it, even if anyone knows of an optimum tyre temperature chart for different tyres?

Check the manufacturers web sites. They are usually really VERY good and I would have no problem asking them.

Cheers

[Kickaha]

Remember an early post from me where I went for a ride with 3 fat tyred members of this list and they were slithering about on lichen covered roads when the skinny tyred LM2 tracked true and straight?

Same reason a narrow tyre can be better in the rain or on a shingle road,more ground pressure per cm,cuts through rather than skating about on top..

[Motu]

I always run low pressures,everyone freaks out at my 25psi rear 20psi front,but it suits my bikes,like that's 34 yrs of bikes,and my tyres.Like Paul says,it allows the older cross sections to deform on the road surface and for a knob the side knobs actualy fold over.Anything over 28 and it feels like I'm riding on oil.On the dirt track pressure directly affects traction - low pressures give traction....want less hook up out of the turn,increase the pressure.I'm gunna talk to the OWL tomorrow - he can write a book on the difference 1/2 psi makes on a dirt track.

[Posh Tourer :P]

I think tyre pressure is one of the great black arts of motorcycling.
a different tyre on the same bike same rider seems to need different pressure.
same tyre same bike different rider-again different pressure.
For bucket racing we ran rediculously low pressures in winter to get the tyres to work--like 20psi
It sounds like Paul is onto something here with his 10% idea except maybee it would vary according to the load on the bike etc.

I think you've hit a reason why pressures vary and there is no one perfect pressure even for each tyre. Rider weight could be very important, and thus you just have to experiment and find out what works for you.

As for garages, f00t, settle on a garage, borrow a gauge and find out how out it is and use that one all the time. Alternatively, you could just add a gauge to your toolkit under the seat... or make it the beginning of a toolkit...

[What?]

I could go and buy a pressure gauge but by the same token they need to be calibrated accurately every 12 months if you want true accuracy.

I want to be able to ride to a gas station fill up and check tyre pressures and go. BP tristram street seems ok,

Recalibration every year seems a bit OTT. A good quality guage, in normal use, should hold it's calibration for much longer.
If you ride before checking your tyre pressure, you may as well have an inaccurate gauge. How you ride, road and weather conditions will all influence your pressures when you get to the servo. For my two pennies, buy a good gauge (accugauge at ~$45 is good and generally very accurate out of the box) and go to the Whorehouse & pick up one of those $20 12volt compressors. They aren't particularly fast, but do work. My first one survived something like 15 years of frequent use, so $20 isn't a bad investment...

[RiderInBlack]

I haven't trusted petrol station pressure gauges ever since putting in what the garage gauge said was 42PSI and checking it with mine and finding it said 50PSI

Your better carrying your own gauge. Then even if it is not accurate at least it is consistant (like it will be the same when you are in Whangarei as when you are in Bluff ).

[wkid_one]

I have said this before - ideally you want to know you optimum HOT TYRE pressure.

Measuring your cold pressure is great - however so many variables affect what the working tyre temp will be when they get up to heat - road surface, road temp, ambient temp, riding type, riding style.

You could ride on 3 diff days - each with the same cold tyre pressure and end up with 3 completely different HOT tyre temps.

Pro-Teams have absolutely no interest in what their cold pressures are - only in what their hot/working pressures are - as at the end of the day, cold pressures mean fuck all as a tyre is never cold when it is working.

Next time you go for a ride and the bike feels good - take a pressure reading - then you will know what is the best working temp for the tyres.

Do you change your tyre pressures winter to summer? Why not - I can guarantee without changing - you are riding with significantly less pressure working working in your tyres in winter - no argument - yet you may have the same cold pressures.

Re the gauge calibration - just take it in to a bike shop and compare to their units which are usually calibrated - you will then know how much you will need to adjust your reading on your gauge when filling up.

[Kickaha]

I have said this before - ideally you want to know you optimum HOT TYRE pressure.

Well if you want to be really picky I would say ideally you want to know your optimum HOT TYRE temperature,don't bother with a pressure guage rush out and spend several hundred dollars on a pyro

[FzerozeroT]

i got a gauge today, stuffed if i was running 26/30 and after wearing out half my sliders and pressures were 27/30!? tyres were still coldish, so i must be slow :P and it was feeling wallowy, i'll stick with 30/32, may not be 'optimum' temp but it's predictable and feels good and thats what counts