Street Tire Pressures

[Doc]

There is some track tire pressure talk here. http://www.nestreetriders.com/forum/...the-track.html

I was wondering what people run on the street.

Do you go with the pressures listed on the side of the bike/what the bike manufacturer reccomends OR the max pressure listed on the sidewall OR the pressure the tire maker reccomends OR something in between?

The topic came up at Bike Night last night. I had run one of the guys bikes for a session and felt the tires were like bowling balls, we checked the pressures just off the track and they were in the High 40's iirc. We dropped em down to about 35 (Hot) and I figured they could stay there for the street. He told me he went back up to "Street Pressures" of like 36/42 (cold).

Too me that sounds awfully hard, then again the bike is used more as a tourer so getting max mileage might be his goal and the tires may not ever get as hot as they did on the track.

What do you guys/gals use?

Personally I go with what the tire manufacturer reccomends and what "feels right" but I may be running too low on the street.

[Stoneman]

I generally go with what the BIKE says, although IF there's any difference from what the tire says it's usually minimal. *MY* theory is that the pressure suggestion on the tire is a very general number that's meant for a very broad range of makes & models whereas the number on the bike is specific to that make/model...

Naturally, there's probably ten-hundred-and-eighty differing opinions on this and for street purposes probably doesn't matter a whole helluva lot...

And Oxx Doc sucks...

[Ken C]

I run the pressures that the owner's manual suggests.

[Slyder]

The manufacturer recommends 36f/42r. I always used what the manufacturer recommended for the bike, till I got the gixxer 1k. After the OEM tires were shot I tried Bridgestone BT-002's and dropped pressures to 32f/34r. With the exception of RT-17, I couldn't break the damn thing loose, it stuck that good. Unfortunately that set of tires only lasted about 2200 miles. BT-002's again, but this time 34/36 and it stuck nearly the same, but I got another thousand miles out of the tires...nice trade off for 2 pounds.

The set of BT-003's that are getting mounted later today will be 34/36.

And for peace of mind people, regardless of who swaps your tires and inflates them...CHECK your pressures yourself to be sure they are correct. I had a set of tires mounted / balanced at a shop once and they decided the rear tire needed to be inflated to well over 50 pounds.

[Doc]

I run the pressures that the owner's manual suggests.

Even with non OEM tires?

[Jim]

Even with non OEM tires?

I run whatever it says on the sticker on my swingarm. I'm using DOT take offs now at service manual PSI specs. I was using non OEM street tires in the past & was also using service manual PSI specs.

[xrocket21]

I go by the sticker on the swingarm

[markbvt]

Bike manufacturer's recommended pressures or a bit higher.

Running low pressures on street tires can actually be very dangerous. Many tires designed for more general-purpose use will heat up excessively at low pressures, possibly resulting in severe tire damage. For example, many street-oriented dual sport tires will delaminate if run excessively on pavement at low pressures (for this type of tire I always run the max recommended pressure listed on the sidewall, sometimes even higher).

It's really best to think of best track practices and best street practices as completely different things. Just because it works well on the track doesn't mean it's a good idea on the street. Besides which, tires last a LOT longer when you run higher pressures.

--mark

[ZX11D]

I run 40R and 38F . Manuel says 41F&R. Tires say 42max. I get about 2 seasons or 8000+ plus miles mostly slab commuting. I drop F&R pressures 4 lbs for spirited weekend riding.

[R1]

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40f 40r

I have no idea what the bike sticker says. I ripped them all off.

[LiterR1]

40R & 36F ,using the swing-arm sticker as a reference but adjust to riding conditions.

[RandyO]

I run my front tire @ 38

rear I'm still experimenting, I started @ 45, went up to 51 then down to 38, and down again to 32

bike is in shop for 60k service & new suspension, when I get it back (hopefully today) I plan on reducign the pressure yet again to 25 or so to see how it handles

rear tire is a General Altimax Artic 205/50-17

[scubasteveRR]

My bike says (36F/42R cold) I have been using lower pressures than that but as I was checking my shop repair manual I noticed the bikes maximum weight is 366 lb's.

So now I have a question.... If I weight less that half of what the total weight limit is, shouldn't that affect the tire pressures and how the bike rides. I usually use the higher recommended pressures (36f/42r cold) when I have a passenger and go lower when it's just me. (32f/36r cold)

It just feels so much more stable in corners with the lower pressure and I got @ 10,000 miles out of my last tires... PP 2ct's

Am I running my pressures too low?

[hondarider102]

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I run 30 rear 32 front

[Ken C]

Even with non OEM tires?

You betcha. Ask the aftermarket tire manufacturers about tire pressures and they will defer to the OEM recommendations (liability concerns and all). It reality, street riding has very few demands on tires in terms of traction. Sure, there are exceptions, but any decent street tire will perform well within the needs of street riding. The real demands placed on street tires is predictable handling, comfort, acceptable wear and durability.

Now, if I were to drag knee or pegs on the street, then I would be looking to adjust tire pressures, but I don't do that.

On the track, I notice a pound or two of difference. I will check my pressures a few times during the day, but ONLY when I am riding at 80%+ of my max. pace. Under that pace, the tires being as much as 3 or 4 pounds off (usually high) doesn't really phase me.

[Talus]

The manual for my triple says 38f/42r. The sticker on the chain guard says 34f/36r, so wtf.

I run around 34/35.

[wesvailco]

-2.0BAR Frnt.
-2.5BAR Rear.

[slammp]

I always run both tires around 36 cold/42 hot. Seems to work well whatever the brand for street - you get good grip and the tread lasts for a while. Less than that and you run through tires too often, higher and you bounce around like you have a rigid suspension.

[Falko]

35F/36R for single passenger. 42R for two up (which never occurs)

[Doc]

Looks like the Duc runs lower. 30/31 in the owners Manual.

[obsolete]

Somewhere around 35 or so.

[jtryz]

damn, i run low! low to mid 30's.