• There has been a recent cluster of spammers accessing BARFer accounts and posting spam. To safeguard your account, please consider changing your password. It would be even better to take the additional step of enabling 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) on your BARF account. Read more here.

Poll: Your tire pressure preference

Your tire pressure delta from the recommendation

  • -4

    Votes: 3 9.1%

  • -3

    Votes: 1 3.0%

  • -2

    Votes: 7 21.2%

  • -1

    Votes: 2 6.1%

  • 0

    Votes: 12 36.4%

  • +1

    Votes: 2 6.1%

  • +2

    Votes: 2 6.1%

  • +3

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • +4

    Votes: 1 3.0%

  • Other

    Votes: 3 9.1%
  • Total voters
    33
pannayar

pannayar

e^ipi+1=0
Joined
Jun 11, 2004
Location
The Pale Blue Dot
Moto(s)
SV650s ('02)
Curious to see the preferences for tire pressure. Say the manual recommends 33F/36R, a choice of -2 means 31/34. I wish I could separate front and rear in the poll, but that seems too many combinations...
 
Last edited:
I'm running Q2's on the Gixxer right now. Depending on temperatures, I run usually 33/front and 32/rear, although if it's really hot, I might bump those up a pound, and if it's really cold, I'll drop the rear a pound.
The only time I ever run mid-30's is if I'm just slabbing it somewhere.
Lower tire pressures will heat the tires and give more "stick".
Generally, recommended tire pressure is NOT good for riding the twisties (usually too high).

One of the most important things about tire pressure is actually CHECKING IT. It is amazing how many people don't. I rarely ride during the week, but I check my tire pressure before every ride. So even if I rode on Saturday, I still check on Sunday. You never know if you picked something up and have a slow leak.
 
pannayar said:
Curious to see the preferences for tire pressure. Say the manual recommends 33F/36R, a choice of -2 means 31/34. I wish I could separate front and rear in the poll, but that seems too many combinations...
Click to expand...

Need separate delta for front and rear. More for rear in my case.
 
Primarily depends on the weight of the bike in question.

The tire pressure information stamped on the tire sidewall is the maximum pressure. I recommend you only use the maximum pressure if you ride a very heavy touring motorcycle or carry a passenger.

In general terms lightweight 300 pound bikes typically use tire pressures in the 25-30psi range. Middle weight 400 pound standard/sport bikes typically use tire pressures in the 32-36psi range. Large heavy weight +600 pound touring bikes typically use tire pressures in the 38-42psi range.
 
Gixxergirl1000 said:
I'm running Q2's on the Gixxer right now. Depending on temperatures, I run usually 33/front and 32/rear, although if it's really hot, I might bump those up a pound, and if it's really cold, I'll drop the rear a pound.
The only time I ever run mid-30's is if I'm just slabbing it somewhere.
Lower tire pressures will heat the tires and give more "stick".
Generally, recommended tire pressure is NOT good for riding the twisties (usually too high).

One of the most important things about tire pressure is actually CHECKING IT. It is amazing how many people don't. I rarely ride during the week, but I check my tire pressure before every ride. So even if I rode on Saturday, I still check on Sunday. You never know if you picked something up and have a slow leak.
Click to expand...

^^^ this ^^^

I tend to run old school think, 32/34 or thereabouts, due to the heft of the rider. :teeth
 
BMW says 36F 42R, but the R1200R weighs 497# wet which is middle weight.

I'm running 36F and 38R with intent to bump the rear to 42 IF I load up the bags and have a passenger.

So far so good, tires feel great.
 
Not sure what my manual recommends as I go by feel. Running 32/34, which is probably -2.
 
It really depends on the type of riding you do. If you're playing boy racer on the weekends in the twisties, it makes sense to drop the pressures a bit. At the track it's a completely different story. But for general riding, where you don't get your tires very hot, the recommended pressures are good - they're recommended for a reason. And I'm not talking about the pressures stamped on the side of the tire, but the recommended pressures in the bike manual or on the tire manufacturer's website. So my ST4 I have at 36/42, and my DRZ at 26/32.

The thing to keep in mind is that people use bikes in all kinds of different ways - track days, twisties, commuting, touring, etc. And for each of those purposes, the "proper" thing to do is different (as with tire pressures). So the person who only rides twisties says, "you need to do X", and the person who only commutes says, "you're crazy, you need to do Y". Both of them are actually right, but each person assumes that everyone uses a motorcycle just the way he does, so both of them assume that the other guy is wrong - and that's how you get 10+ page discussions on BARF (and leave newbies scratching their heads)...
 
Book says 36 front, 42 rear. I run 34/40. Seems to work nice on the heavier bike and the tires tend to last longer. I might go down 2 pounds more if I know I'm gonna be in the twisties for an extended period.
 
ilikefood said:
It really depends on the type of riding you do. If you're playing boy racer on the weekends in the twisties, it makes sense to drop the pressures a bit. At the track it's a completely different story. But for general riding, where you don't get your tires very hot, the recommended pressures are good - they're recommended for a reason. And I'm not talking about the pressures stamped on the side of the tire, but the recommended pressures in the bike manual or on the tire manufacturer's website. So my ST4 I have at 36/42, and my DRZ at 26/32.

The thing to keep in mind is that people use bikes in all kinds of different ways - track days, twisties, commuting, touring, etc. And for each of those purposes, the "proper" thing to do is different (as with tire pressures). So the person who only rides twisties says, "you need to do X", and the person who only commutes says, "you're crazy, you need to do Y". Both of them are actually right, but each person assumes that everyone uses a motorcycle just the way he does, so both of them assume that the other guy is wrong - and that's how you get 10+ page discussions on BARF (and leave newbies scratching their heads)...
Click to expand...

+1
Agree !

Running recommended tire pressure works best for commuting, slabbing, carrying weight... otherwise - adjust to suit. I'm so lazy that the only time I bother to run lower pressures is at the track
 
louemc said:
On your Honda Dual sport? Any clue about 22 psi, for what?

Any incentive to mention that? What you're talking about?
Click to expand...
If you check on the left of my post under "Motorcycles:" it shows Honda XR650L. Yes, it's a dual sport. And the owner's manual doesn't list different pressures for different activities.

I have no idea what your last two questions mean. I just thought it was interesting that this particular bike listed something way lower than what I like to use, at least for street riding.
 
Gixxergirl1000 said:
I'm running Q2's on the Gixxer right now. Depending on temperatures, I run usually 33/front and 32/rear, although if it's really hot, I might bump those up a pound, and if it's really cold, I'll drop the rear a pound.
The only time I ever run mid-30's is if I'm just slabbing it somewhere.
Lower tire pressures will heat the tires and give more "stick".
Generally, recommended tire pressure is NOT good for riding the twisties (usually too high).

One of the most important things about tire pressure is actually CHECKING IT. It is amazing how many people don't. I rarely ride during the week, but I check my tire pressure before every ride. So even if I rode on Saturday, I still check on Sunday. You never know if you picked something up and have a slow leak.
Click to expand...

You run your rear lower than your front? On the street? Amidoinitwrong? :confused
 
What I'd like to know is, why don't moto tires hold their pressure as well as car tires do?

When I top them up, I'll put in an extra 1-2 pounds just so I don't have to do it again so soon. :laughing
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top