So was out riding with the group today. One of the guys says what front tire pressure are you running, cause your front is leaving rubber marks. Told him 38 cold. Checked the hot temp 45 psi. He said try 32 psi hot. So i dropped the psi to 32 psi. Couldnt turn t he bike for shit. Felt weird. So at next stop busted out the electric pump and raised the temp to 37 psi hot. Perfect. Bike felt so planted and confidence inspiring. So glad I did that because I don't need to low side for to high of tire pressure.

So does anyone run 42/42 (cold) for non-track riding then?

I'm at 42/42 in general. I was hoping for this kind of info, anyone with more experience?

40/40 here and I do quite a bit of 2 up riding... I have wondered what's the best psi for riding through the twisties

I've been slowly schooling myself with suspension and tire reads. It's pretty complicated, an art in itself, an acquired skill. Same as reading a spark plug. Sort of walk up to Cblast's tire and that one that was gumballed to the max? Those days are over on the complicated side and as simple as it sounds.

One would notice an immediate tire pressure problem. So when you see the gp bikes come into the winner's circle, even the most soft of compounds do not look [gumball] shredded to shit as like C's was. = Tire Pressure Problem. He overcooked it.

The next one is a glazing and the tire looks sort of new with the compound remaining the same in surface, meaning, no gumballs at all, but has a shine to it. That again is tire pressure direction.

The handling part is next. In the racing circles, the conversation would go, 'not too many run that low a pressure or can handle the movement under them when it does wrinkle a move.' So imagine the tire sticking, the wrinkle in the carcass, the rubber band back to memory is how I imagine it.

Bottom line to the profile wear, air and wrinkle... We run under psi with tire warmers and that hot number. Check a plug, check a profile is the pit debrief.

The thought process so I do not hand out pit psi signals to the competition, but say in the winter and you want get little sport riding time in on the colder days... The lower the pressure, the more heat made. So the direction to C's tire profile was 'too low a pressure made too much heat' is my guess?

Hub your so right it is a science. The guys I ride with are AMA racers. They had me bust out a temp guage and started doing math with the that hot temp number. At that point they lost me. I had been running 42 psi and then switched to 38. Everyone kept telling me that's to high for canyon riding. Your contact patch is so much smaller at those high pressure. Well with some math and feel I'm very pleased niw. I know I won't get longer tire life but the tire is not shredding rubber anymore. Nice wear pattern now and feels so planted in turns. 42 psi is factory setting for 2up fully loaded bike. Not a good setting for solo ride thru the hills.

Yeah, I ran mine up to 45 on the last ride. I was not confident with that setting as far as pushing it. I was blowing turns. Lucky another car/bike was not coming. I stayed in lane, but in their apex. Not only that, my tire button/gauge/marker along the rain groove or somewhere in that groove, it's how you read that part of the wear. That tire was pretty much shot and there was my feedback right at that angle.

I pushed too hard on a worn set once, so just lets say it taught me a lesson and I rather be the slowest in the group than push it keeping up. With that wear pattern I see now? Been there, paid for the pain and the residuals keep coming. Once bitten, twice shy works for me.

raised the temp to 37 psi hot.

Something I've been wondering about, Would the pressure change for different make/type/compound tires?

I've been slowly schooling myself with suspension and tire reads. It's pretty complicated, an art in itself, an acquired skill. Same as reading a spark plug. Sort of walk up to Cblast's tire and that one that was gumballed to the max? Those days are over on the complicated side and as simple as it sounds.

One would notice an immediate tire pressure problem. So when you see the gp bikes come into the winner's circle, even the most soft of compounds do not look [gumball] shredded to shit as like C's was. = Tire Pressure Problem. He overcooked it.

The next one is a glazing and the tire looks sort of new with the compound remaining the same in surface, meaning, no gumballs at all, but has a shine to it. That again is tire pressure direction.

The handling part is next. In the racing circles, the conversation would go, 'not too many run that low a pressure or can handle the movement under them when it does wrinkle a move.' So imagine the tire sticking, the wrinkle in the carcass, the rubber band back to memory is how I imagine it.

Bottom line to the profile wear, air and wrinkle... We run under psi with tire warmers and that hot number. Check a plug, check a profile is the pit debrief.

The thought process so I do not hand out pit psi signals to the competition, but say in the winter and you want get little sport riding time in on the colder days... The lower the pressure, the more heat made. So the direction to C's tire profile was 'too low a pressure made too much heat' is my guess?

Absolutely on the gumballing bullshit. That's severely overheating a tire, and it may look cool in a photo but someone overheating a tire that far has no clue wtf they are doing.

So heat is X or tire pressure. The next learning curve was to see a clean tire (gumballess) at the whole tire area, but then gumball, maybe an inch or inch.5 say up from the edge of the tire? There was slight gumballing. It now became a Y factor, 'raise the back, put weight up front it is pushing.'

I mean it sounds so simple, right? First trackday step is get a notebook. Look how you may have to jack up the rear end, lower the front; 'there goes my sag numbers.' So first set of notes are my sag settings. I hop from track to track, my tire wear may occur with sag present or not. Should I run the last strange track setting that made the bike push?

BOSS should know this setting stuff cold (pun)

and it may look cool in a photo but someone overheating a tire that far has no clue wtf they are doing.

Come on, Vic, C is on a learning curve. You are right though, it did look cool at one time. I'm recently learning about this curve myself and passing it along. Just used C's example as; I don't see that kind of surface on sport, slicks, etc., and I'm talking used tires and with decent riders on them. Plus, they get a few trackday visits without going thru tires every round.

Have not yet checked the cold psi since the ride. I did change the back also to 37 psi hot. Tomorrow I will check cold psi.

what is an accurate gauge that's not ultra expensive?

what is an accurate gauge that's not ultra expensive?

If you're considering maintaining a 1psi tolerance consider running nitrogen as well. That way you minimize the tail chasing at various temperatures.

42/42 cold , 25% of my riding is 2 up and all seems good to me.

32 hot is about 27 cold. Way too low.
I ususlly run 37 F 39R cold. Seems to work good.

Mad

Check pressures cold and after a good ride and look for a 5 lb increase front and rear.
This is Michelin's recommendation for street tires.
I run 42 front and rear, whether solo or packing double.

32 hot is about 27 cold. Way too low.
I ususlly run 37 F 39R cold. Seems to work good

Thats what pressures that i usually run also.
but you also have to take into consederation the temp conditions and road temps for the day too.. Say a 55 degree day yo may need to raise air pressure as tires will not heat up as fast. now say a 90-100 degree day may need to lower air pressure a few lbs as tires will heat up faster and pressure will go up more.

Checked cold pressure 34psi cold front and rear.
Yes 32 hot is way to low. This guy thinks we all ride like we're on the track. I may experiment with a few additional psi's on the street.

This guy thinks we all ride like we're on the track.

1. Pressure is going to make my front act like a dart with hockey skates on and step out in the rear. Wrinkle your ride your way is mine is razor sharp, pucker the orifice up and go for a drift&aim.
2. Heat is I'm JoeA squid right out of bed so I need to add some science into the rubber is warm it up first. How fast do I want to heat my tire [pressure]?
3. Wear is I have to keep an eye on my wear markers at certain angles of the dangles or my leg, arm, both will be dangling in the hospital bed; I pushed past the marker and who designed the tire to say change right ears that it fell on deafears.

Signed,

NOLTT

Hagrid; I can't imagine any nitro sources here in the sticks. Maybe the local quarry. Just looking for consistent + - 2 or 3. My current $25 gauge throws + - 10 in 5 checks on the same tire. My $15 is + - 7 in 5 checks. Who knows what the pressure really is.

So Cal Q-3's
34 rear cold
36 front cold
Maybe knock down a pound or two on really hot days.
Try IT!

No tire change places around you?

The chains like Goodyear and NTB have it.

The 42/42 recommended in the owner's manual is for load carrying capacity. We have a load capacity of 400 lbs, I weigh around 200 lbs dressed to ride, so I can go lower than 42/42. I usually run 38 rear and 36 front.

The Dunlop website has a good article on this topic, explaining the relationship of tire pressure and load carrying capacity and performance. Basically, they say higher pressure is needed for load capacity, lower pressure for better cornering. So you need to find the sweet spot between these two opposing needs. And then there is temperature.

Besides having your tires possibly overheat from going too soft, it feels to me like the handling starts to become less responsive when the front tire starts to get on the low side. When I picked mine up from the dealership the steering felt slow, and I found the front to be 35 psi. Taking that up to spec made the bike much more lively I thought. I also increased the front preload a bit but I think the tire pressure had something to do with it as well. Never gone below 38 in front since then so I don't have any repeat experiences to compare.

* Last updated by: tooncinator on 7/23/2015 @ 12:57 PM *