Tire Pressure Advice

[Ocean1]

my Pilot Road 2 has 42psi stamped on the side of it so that is what I run.

Now that I needed to know. You figure that'd change for lighter or heavier bikes?

[merv]

my so called 'chook chaser'is a road bike and was always designed to be a road bike

Yeah and it would have road bike rubber on it too, but it is not a typical road bike.

The point we are all making here I guess is horses for courses - for typical road bike on the road he is best to go with typical pressures that would have been listed in his manual if he had one or on a sticker on the bike if it has one.

OK if you believe this manual http://www.commline.com/FZR/400/MANUAL/FZR400MANUAL.PDF then 28 front 36 rear it should be (that's certainly lower than I'm used to) and I presume it is similar for this 400 no matter whether this is the exact model or not.

[idleidolidyll]

Yeah and it would have road bike rubber on it too, but it is not a typical road bike.

The point we are all making here I guess is horses for courses - for typical road bike on the road he is best to go with typical pressures that would have been listed in his manual if he had one or on a sticker on the bike if it has one.

Yes and no Merv.

Yes if you don't know how to read the tyre and ride feel but no if you can understand how to tell if the tyre is doing the best job.

If you're not sure; read the manual and start from there.

[rufusdion]

i ride my bike hard in the corners and coming out of them.my SV1000 with pilot sports on i run 36 in the front and 40 in the rear. any lower than that my tyres would last about 1000km.

[The Stranger:Me]

This is from the Continental Web site, emphasis is mine.

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Advice on tyre pressure
Motorcycle manufacturers always go into the subject of air pressure in great detail in their vehicle manuals. It is possible to find instruction on air pressure for every driving situation. In addition it is usually possible to find a sticker on the vehicle with the necessary information written on it.

The manufacturers make a distinction between load (riding solo or with a pillion passenger, with or without luggage) and speed (on secondary roads or motor-ways).

Naturally in such a short fitment guide it is not possible to give the necessary tyre pressure details for every motorbike and because of this we refer you to the recommendations of the motorcycle manufacturers.

From years of experience we are aware that motorcyclists sometimes ride on tyres for which the air pressure is not suited to the driving conditions. We do however advise that you always ride at the highest pressure level given in the manual.

Some amount of comfort will be lost, but that loss will be outweighed by improved safety. In addition the rolling resistance will be lower which will help to save fuel.

Incorrect inflation pressure reduces the service life and may have a negative influence on the riding characteristics of the motorcycle.

Under-inflated tyres flex excessively, easily overheat and can suffer damage. Over-inflation can cause uneven wear. Improper inflation, either too high or too low, can adversely affect overall handling and ride quality.

Tyre pressure will be measured when the tyres are cold. During riding the tyre becomes warm and the tyre pressure is there-fore higher (up to 0,5 bar). This excess pressure should not be let off as it will automatically be balanced out as the tyre cools down again.

If you possess no tyre pressure recommendations for your motorcycle follow air pressure recommendations shown in the Continental fitment guide.

As a rule the tyre pressure for motorway riding should be 0.2 bar higher. The same also applies to a bike with a fully laden rear axle.

[cowboyz]

Now that I needed to know. You figure that'd change for lighter or heavier bikes?

I wouldnt think it would change a whole lot. Maybe a couple of psi for the load.

just thinking about it logically if you lower the pressure then the tyre will have more sideways movement causing more wear.

At the end of the day there are people who are paid shitloads more than me to know their stuff and they make the tyres and test the tyres and then put their thoughts on the side of the tyre. They are probably right.

[idleidolidyll]

i ride my bike hard in the corners and coming out of them.my SV1000 with pilot sports on i run 36 in the front and 40 in the rear. any lower than that my tyres would last about 1000km.

really?

my KTM 950 is supposed to be torquey and I get about 4000km outta road tyres

i guess 'hard in the corners and coming out of them' is a subjective thing.

mind you, most of the good racers i've asked have suggested low numbers

more power to you and keep the black bits facing to hell

[idleidolidyll]

I wouldnt think it would change a whole lot. Maybe a couple of psi for the load.

just thinking about it logically if you lower the pressure then the tyre will have more sideways movement causing more wear.

At the end of the day there are people who are paid shitloads more than me to know their stuff and they make the tyres and test the tyres and then put their thoughts on the side of the tyre. They are probably right.

it's kinda like this:

low pressures will make the tread squirm more which makes them heat up more and makes them stickier. Low pressures also give a larger contact patch on the road.

of course too low and you're riding on squirmy flat tyres so you have to find a happy medium that suits your ability and bike.

i ride with the lowest pressures that still have positive control on the road. i'm not really concerned with tyre wear

[idleidolidyll]

stranger: "We do however advise that you always ride at the highest pressure level given in the manual.

Some amount of comfort will be lost, but that loss will be outweighed by improved safety."

amazing! i'd never recommend always riding at the highest pressure in the manual and i disagree that this is at all the safest pressure (particularly on cold wet days).

in my opinion the safest pressure is the one that gives the most grip without losing stability. i usually find this to be quite a bit lower than the highest pressure in the manual but i change my tyre pressures for every ride depending on the weather and road conditions as well as on what kind of riding i'm gonna do......................and yes, i worked in a bike shop (twice) and raced bikes too.

[merv]

If you're not sure; read the manual and start from there.

Yep and I've given this link found on the Lotsa Manuals thread http://www.commline.com/FZR/400/MANUAL/FZR400MANUAL.PDF

Start with recommended numbers and try it, then go up or down from there.

[idleidolidyll]

Yep and I've given this link found on the Lotsa Manuals thread http://www.commline.com/FZR/400/MANUAL/FZR400MANUAL.PDF

Start with recommended numbers and try it, then go up or down from there.

indeed.

my last fat yamaha manual suggested 34/36 one up and 36/38 2 up.

my ktm suggests relatively low pressures but i can't remember exactly what; i think it was 30/32

yammy was a 235kg behemoth and the ktm is supposed to be 192kg (now about 12kg lighter)

same size tyres too

[merv]

'tards are a bit different though - longer travel suspension, different geometry, different riding style, looking to drift them a bit and not mind if they get loose.

[idleidolidyll]

'tards are a bit different though - longer travel suspension, different geometry, different riding style, looking to drift them a bit and not mind if they get loose.

yep, i'd never have run the yammyharhar that low; it would have squirmed the tyres right off the rims

[The Stranger:Me]

stranger: "We do however advise that you always ride at the highest pressure level given in the manual.

Some amount of comfort will be lost, but that loss will be outweighed by improved safety."

amazing! i'd never recommend always riding at the highest pressure in the manual and i disagree that this is at all the safest pressure (particularly on cold wet days).

in my opinion the safest pressure is the one that gives the most grip without losing stability. i usually find this to be quite a bit lower than the highest pressure in the manual but i change my tyre pressures for every ride depending on the weather and road conditions as well as on what kind of riding i'm gonna do......................and yes, i worked in a bike shop (twice) and raced bikes too.

I hear ya, main reason I posted it was I felt it was at odds with common wisdom. However they do make damn good tyres and should know a little bit about the subject at hand.

[idleidolidyll]

they also say don't ride on the road with slicks but i've proven to myself that that is nonsense.

i've never liked michelins; i could never feel them like other tyres