tire pressure talk

[Kham]

i'v been using 36/42 factory setting. yesterday i tried 32/32 like Mark said. it ride a little different, not sure weather it was more stable or not. well when i got on highway it felt like i was riding with a flat tire.

any thoughts? anyone use or don't use factory setting?

[skiierx]

I have never used the factory tire recommendations! In the spring I use 35/34 and summer 33/31, track 32/30.

Jamie

[Stoneman]

For one-up riding, I usually go a coupla pounds lighter than the suggested pressures. Two-up, I go with what 'they' suggest. For trackdays, I go with what the racer guys tell me...

[RandyO]

Suzuki recomends 33/33 -33-36 for the SV, avon recomends 36/42 I run 38/42 get 12k out of a set, no problems with sticking

[Kham]

hmm.. im gonna up the rear and try 32/38.

[Half Squid]

Seeing Yesturday was still somewhat cool temps and I had Race tires (208GP) on I ran 38/35, Once the tires were warm they handled excellent!

Ussually when the temps get higher the air in the tire will expand more, so I run lower pressures.

On a street use tire like the Pilot Powers or Pilot Sports I will run 36/34 or 35/33 in the warmer temps and 38/35 this time of year.

Track Pressures the higher the temp the lower in pressure I'll go. I am pretty sure I was running 33/31 or 33/30 on the summer track days?

The only time I ran factory recommended pressures was when I was new to riding and did not know any better!

The only way you will know what pressures to run is to try different levels and see how it responds to your style riding. To this day will still try different pressures. thats what I did yesturday, I just guessed and got lucky by having very good results!

btw, I listed the pressures rear/front. Rear being the higher #

[legalspeed]

In your situation; 1000cc, novus-intermediate, wearing Street DOT's doing street riding in cold;

Start with 4lbs under manuf. rec. and see how it works.

Most important is to keep them constant, check before every ride. If not you can cup the tires.

[Nikon]

I'm fat so I run mine a little higher to get some extra life outta the tires. I run front and rear at 38. I don't ride as hard as a lot ofthe people here so my useage is pretty different but I found it cut my flat spot wear down a bit by upping the pressure. Softer should make it stick more (I do run em a little lower when it's cold or it's like ice). I am also currently running super corsas so they are sticky as hell when at temp.

[Kham]

yea yea i know new to intermediat, but who rides like track pro on the street? im curious.

[benVFR]

My recommended pressures are 36/42. Lately I've been doing 34/38 instead.

Highway trips I run the recommended pressure. IME if I start lowering the tires too much they will not heat up enough and they feel totally mushy/flat. (Like you said Kham)

My current tires (BT-020) are kicking major ass... 7600 miles including the trackday last august and they look like they've got another 1500-2000 miles left at least! I've never really been unhappy with their grip level except a teeny bit at the track (especially in the rain), but it seemed like I could have corrected the dry slippage issue at the track with a technique change. I never managed to get that down by the end of the day though.

[OreoGaborio]

just to make this clear to everyone... the higher number is for the front. I just noticed that some guys are putting their numbers in "Front/Rear" order & others are putting em "Rear/Font"

w/ that said, i think i was running 32f/31r at VIR... i'm no pro, but that felt fine for me. suppose i coulda changed it to see how it felt, but my trip got cut short before i thought of that

probably gonna up it to 38f/35r for the street.

[RandyO]

the info I got from AVon is that for every 2lb you drop your pressure, you will lose 10% of your tire life

[RandyO]

Originally posted by OreoGaborio
just to make this clear to everyone... the higher number is for the front. I just noticed that some guys are putting their numbers in "Front/Rear" order & others are putting em "Rear/Font"

w/ that said, i think i was running 32f/31r at VIR... i'm no pro, but that felt fine for me. suppose i coulda changed it to see how it felt, but my trip got cut short before i thought of that

probably gonna up it to 38f/35r for the street.

not the recomendation I get for the SV, the higher pressure is recomended in the rear, both by Suzuki and Avon

[SWEET_Z]

I'm pretty sure the manual says 36f/42r for the 00-02 zx-6r.

[OreoGaborio]

.... really?.... I coulda SWORN the guys at VIR were talkin bout this & saying higher in front, which would make sense to me, since the contact patch in the front is smaller than the rear....

it's like how a road bike (bicycle) w/ those tiny fuckin tires run like 110psi, where a car tire runs like 30 psi... much heavier object, but much larger contact patch area.

[legalspeed]

Originally posted by Kham
yea yea i know new to intermediat, but who rides like track pro on the street? im curious.

Tire preassure:

Type of bike?
250cc or 1000cc

Type of tire;
Race, Street, if Race which ones? Which manufacturer?

Surface condition:
Cold? Hot? Smooth? Rough? Talk to me!!!!

Rider skills:
Novus, intermediate, expert?

Riding environment:
Street? Track Days? Race?


I know what you want though K';
In general:

As you become more experienced,
you will be pushing through corners faster and harder, this will put new demands on your tires. If you are
a novus and are going to ride the long-straight highway at or below 100, then go with more preassure.
Cornering hard and carrying more speed, you will want softer tires for the grip and will gladly trade off the "feels
like a flat on the highway" for the added grip (avoiding the hospital) while cornering.

As you increase performance this way, you will lose longevity.

Some people run race take-off tires on the street. Different compounds require different recommendations. Even different manufacturers have different recommendations, most within the ball park on any given day.

In your situation; 1000cc, novus-intermediate, wearing Street DOT's doing street riding;
Start with 4lbs under manuf. rec. and see how it works for ya.

[Kham]

who is selling the race take off? i may need a set before the season end.

[legalspeed]

Originally posted by Kham
who is selling the race take off? i may need a set before the season end.

Almost every racer at Loudon. I need my first set.

[Kham]

I think a lot of people are the same in general.

Type of bike?
250cc or 1000cc

Type of tire;
Street

Surface condition:
spring, summer, fall.

Rider skills:
to intermediate

Riding environment:
Street


i think 4lbs less sounds good. thanks.

[Awesome]

32/34

[RandyO]

Originally posted by OreoGaborio
.... really?.... I coulda SWORN the guys at VIR were talkin bout this & saying higher in front, which would make sense to me, since the contact patch in the front is smaller than the rear....

it's like how a road bike (bicycle) w/ those tiny fuckin tires run like 110psi, where a car tire runs like 30 psi... much heavier object, but much larger contact patch area.

track riding is different than street riding, I too have hear recomandation for higher pressures up front.... I think mostly cause the rear gets hotter and has a bigger increase

[OreoGaborio]

Originally posted by RandyO
track riding is different than street riding, I too have hear recomandation for higher pressures up front.... I think mostly cause the rear gets hotter and has a bigger increase

yeah, that could be a possiblilty... i'll track down my owners manual & give it a gander to make sure. Either way, i'm gonna be changing em up from track pressure back to street pressure

[benVFR]

Every bike I've ever seen recommends higher pressure for the rear tire for the street...

The track is totally different & everyone runs the same pressure front/back or a lower pressure in the back.

[skiierx]

Originally posted by Kham
who is selling the race take off? i may need a set before the season end.

Kham,

Try sticking to street tires instead of take offs. Street tires heat up faster then take offs.

Jamie

[Kham]

Originally posted by skiierx
Kham,

Try sticking to street tires instead of take offs. Street tires heat up faster then take offs.

Jamie

really? well i wouldn't want to sacrifice that for cheap tires.