Tire Pressure

[Xyzzy_imp]

Okay thanks everyone.
Are most of you running one up 36/42?

I have owned 15 Hondas and the majority of them recommend 36F/42R, which seems odd to me because the bikes I have owned have weighed as much as 900# and as little as 440#. Plus, I always ride solo, so I think I would need less pressure, especially in the rear. I think that 36F/42R recommendation might be for the best fuel economy and tire life but I don't think it is the best for performance. (That said, some of my heavier bikes killed tires *very* quickly even at 36F/42R!)

I am not a scientist but I imagine that proper tire inflation would result in the tire being flexible enough to heat up the carcass to the proper temperature thus yielding maximum traction, along with enough air to protect the wheels from pot holes and to keep the bead in place.

I have been playing around with an IR camera. After a little trial and error, I have the tire pressures set so that both the front and the back are equal in temperature. At the pressure I have now (36F/38R) I have no issues with pot holes and the bead has not gone AWOL yet. The ambient temperature when I took these pictures was 65°F and the tires were measured after a 30 minute ride on the back roads near my home. I'd feel better if the tires were 15°F warmer but I guess that where they are now provides room for higher ambient temperatures, which can top 100°F easily, not counting the road surface temperature which I have measured at 160°F at times. On my other bikes I have measured tire temperatures over 140°F. Those tires did not last long. I suspect the sweet spot is maybe 125°F +- 10°F?

Fun trivia: Tires that must not be handled *at all* when temperatures are < 5°C.

 

[metallyguitarded_imp]

You sure you're not a scientist?

 

[Xyzzy_imp]

You sure you're not a scientist?

Someday when I grow up I would like to be one!

 

[Motogeezer1949_imp]

I'm out riding right now.....

 

[the Ferret]

I'm out riding right now.....

:rofl:

I was, just got in... but after dinner I will be out again

 

[Motogeezer1949_imp]

Just arrived home. I'll be out riding again to go to dinner tonight. Thai. Then I'll be riding home, via quite a long, scenic, circuitous route.

 

[kmoney_imp]

Usually once a week. The bike is light enough that, unlike the car, there isn't really any visual indicator that the pressure is low. It's amazing the difference in turn in when having proper pressure.

 

[drodg33]

Wow great information

 

[ingobohn_imp]

In the beginning weekly or bi-weekly check, after I mounted the Dunlop Sport Demon (after factory Dunlop D205) I recognized that this is not necessary anymore. Therefore, I check it now max. monthly.

hi there- do you mind if I ask why you don't check pressure anymore (after mounting the speed demons)?
I'm fairly new to motorcycling and I'm just curious -
thanks very much.

hi there- do you mind if I ask why you don't check pressure anymore (after mounting the speed demons)?
I'm fairly new to motorcycling and I'm just curious -
thanks very much.
Sorry, maybe a bit misleading post ...
I meant: After mounting the Pirellis and checking it frequently I found out that the Pirellis do not lose pressure significantly, so after a while I decided to check the Pirellis less frequently.

 

[Lord Popgun]

My stock Dunlops lost a fair amount of pressure weekly when new, but after a while they quit that. Seated in I guess. Now, I check every week or two and they are down 1 or 2 lbs. And I then put them to 36/42.

 

[Guth_imp]

I usually ride my CB 4-5 days a week and typically check the air pressure in my tires at least once a week. If we are experiencing noticeable temperature swings from one day to the next I'll check the air pressure daily. Quite often no additional air is needed, but typically I'll find that each tire is down by about a pound.

If more substantial air loss is encountered, I've been able to tell when rolling the bike out of the garage as I discovered when tire(s) on my Hawk GT developed a slow leak and sat for enough time between rides.

Here's a related question: have you ever checked your tire pressure gauge against one or more other gauges to see if there were any notable differences in accuracy that might warrant a calibration check?

 

[drodg33]

Thanks for everyone's one input.

 

[jerrycon_imp]

I checked my pressure the other day, and when I put them up to 36/42, they seemed rock hard. My brother the mechanic is telling me that my 2 cheap gauges must be off. When inflated to 36/42, are the tires supposed to feel rock hard?

 

[ingobohn_imp]

I checked my pressure the other day, and when I put them up to 36/42, they seemed rock hard. My brother the mechanic is telling me that my 2 cheap gauges must be off. When inflated to 36/42, are the tires supposed to feel rock hard?

No 36/42 (or 2,5/2,9 bar f/r) is perfect - at least for my butt.

EDIT: I noticed that the pressure gauges at fuel station vary a lot. 0,2-0,3 bar (3-4 lbs) difference is usual. These air pumps seem not to be that well calibrated (at least here in Germany). Meanwhile I use a calibrated foot pump at home to control/adjust the tire pressure.

 

[drodg33]

Thanks for everyone's input. Before my ride Saturday I put the tires to 36 and 42 and wow it does sharpen up the handling.