Tire Pressure - Thanks, Paul Glaves!

[Spidereyes]

Nearly 70 degrees and I was going over my R1150 Roadster today. I read Paul Glave's article in the latest Owner's News yesterday and decided to check the tire pressure. I didn't really have to since I just checked them back a Christmas. Or was it Thanksgiving? It was an important holiday; possibly Halloween?

No matter. I put the gauge to the tires and was shocked (Shocked, I say!) to find both tires dangerously low. Front at 20 psi and rear at 31. There's no excuse for this as I'm a twelve month rider, although maybe only once every week in the winter. I'm ashamed that I was such a numb butt that I didn't notice the squirminess.

Seriously, heed Paul's advice and check those tires. Especially this time of year.

[Isamemon]

I agree 10000%

[Mr. Frank]

It is possible that people who ride almost daily begin to treat their bike like a car and ignore it. If my bike sits for a couple of weeks I'll check the oil and the tires before I go for a ride. I also put it on a Battery Tender when it's going to sit for awhile.

[mcollect]

Being an old Triumph rider, I do a preflight check before each ride! Tire pressure, oil level, brake fluid and now clutch fluid. It only takes a few minutes and then I have no worries.

[jimabmw]

You should check your car tires monthly, especially in the winter.

[Mr. Frank]

I've been trying to get my adult daughters to check their tires and oil for about ten years. Their husbands are not so inclined either. They don't seem to understand that with an SUV it is a matter of safety.

[rinty]

With airheads, I think periodic checking is even more crucial, since the natural rubber tubes (which all of us use, right?) seem to slowly bleed air over time.

My experience with tubeless tires on oilers is that they hold pressure much longer.

The other critical point is to have a really good, high quality, pressure guage. The one I have, a dial / hose type, was about 50 bucks. And you can calibrate your cheaper guages to it.

Rinty

[ConcowRider]

Yup, agree 100%. Just yesterday (Sunday) noon I did the 2008 riding season preflight on my GSA and the wife's GS. This consisted of removing all the dust covers, disconnecting the battery maintainer, installing the seats, checking all fluid levels and last but not least checking tire pressure. Surprize! Both front and rear tires on both machines were low. Dangerously low?? I don't know, but we did not ride on them in that condition. Both front tires seemed to be at ~ 25 psi and rears were both at ~31 psi. Must be at least 6 months since I last checked them so that's actually pretty good. ;)

Since we just experienced two (2) flat tires on our cars in less than 5 days last week,:cry I have been a little more "focused" on tires.

Cheers
Dave, Dot & Freckles Doggie

[ltownsend]

I put air pressure sensors in each tire, now I know what they are doing every time I start the bike whether I feel like bending over or and fighting a valve stem in 25 degrees or not. I put a lot more air in than I used to. Best $200 I ever spent (Is that road surface or a low tire???)

Ltownsend

[mandypants]

Howdy folks!

The first person to PM me with their member number and address will get a tire repair and CO2 inflation kit from Genuine Innovations.

The catch (there's always a catch!): We need the kit reviewed for the ON. If you're interested in writing and giving us a serious review about how well this kit works, PM me!

I'll respond when I've got a volunteer!:deal

Thanks for reading!:wave

[PETDOC]

I put air pressure sensors in each tire, now I know what they are doing every time I start the bike whether I feel like bending over or and fighting a valve stem in 25 degrees or not. I put a lot more air in than I used to. Best $200 I ever spent (Is that road surface or a low tire???)

Ltownsend

I second that sentiment. I bought a SmarTire tire pressure moniter and now with the touch of a button see the tire pressures and temperatures any time and I know I will get a warning light if the temperature adjusted pressures change by more than 5 psi or the tire temperatures exceed 179 F. Last time I looked the SmarTire kit retailed for about $160. Kisan makes a right angle valve stem kit which, if cost is not a consideration (~$300), looks really nice.

[mandypants]

And we have a winner! Thanks for playing!:bolt

[79237]

The other critical point is to have a really good, high quality, pressure guage. The one I have, a dial / hose type, was about 50 bucks. And you can calibrate your cheaper guages to it.

Rinty[/QUOTE]

Last track day, I took ALL my tire guages, including a whole handful of the $5 stick types dug out of tool boxes, glove compartments and tank bags...and two high-buck, "high quality" units. I tested them all against the Michelin tire technician's guage, which he in turn calibrates against the factory testing equipment. The result? Testing a tire with 30 pounds of pressure, there was a range of ELEVEN POUNDS difference among all the guages...and the difference between the two high buck "quality" units was EIGHT POUNDS! One was five pounds high and the other three pounds low. The only accurate guage was the K-Mart cheapie that's been in my wife's Suburban since 1995 (perhaps lack of use insures long-term accuracy?) Anyhow, use that info any way you like to determine how you're going to keep your tires at the right pressure, but DO NOT assume that the price of the guage equates to accuracy.

[GregFeeler]

Nearly 70 degrees and I was going over my R1150 Roadster today. I read Paul Glave's article in the latest Owner's News yesterday and decided to check the tire pressure. I didn't really have to since I just checked them back a Christmas. Or was it Thanksgiving? It was an important holiday; possibly Halloween?

No matter. I put the gauge to the tires and was shocked (Shocked, I say!) to find both tires dangerously low. Front at 20 psi and rear at 31. There's no excuse for this as I'm a twelve month rider, although maybe only once every week in the winter. I'm ashamed that I was such a numb butt that I didn't notice the squirminess.

Seriously, heed Paul's advice and check those tires. Especially this time of year.

Lot's of good advice here. I have several bikes and the best thing I did was to hang a clipboard in the garage with a log of when I've checked each bike's pressure. Checking every ride is overkill in my book, but every week or two not. I found that all the radial tires hold pressure very well, but the tubed tires not so well.

[Mr. Frank]

I believe that Motorcycle Consumer News found that pencil gauges are pretty accurate. The Syracuse brand is supposed to be pretty good. What I do is buy about four and pitch the outlier if there is one. I have lots of different kinds of gauges, and I check them against each other occasionally. They are almost always within a pound of each other.

[Spidereyes]

Thanks for the replies, everyone! On a slightly different tack, does anyone know why motorcycle tires lose pressure? I check the tires on my Miata and my wife's Volvo regularly and the pressures never change much - maybe a couple of pounds over six months or so, but the Beemer's tires seem to lose a couple of pounds per month.

[Mr. Frank]

Just a guess, but the amount of contact between the bead and the wheel on a bike and a car are comparable, but the volume of air is greatly different. A little air out of the bike tire will drop the pressure more. You can see this when checking air pressure too many times.

[Spidereyes]

Hmmm...I think you've nailed it. Good point, Sir.

[BMorleyW]

I have a new set of Metzler Z60s on my R1150 RT and am running 32 in the front and 36 in the back. I've heard posters running 40 and 45 and at least 35 and
40. Now I'm kind of worried about having my pressure so low that it'll cost me mileage on the tires. On the same token, I don't want to be over-inflated in the rain? What is the right tire pressure? BMorleyW

[GregFeeler]

I have a new set of Metzler Z60s on my R1150 RT and am running 32 in the front and 36 in the back. I've heard posters running 40 and 45 and at least 35 and
40. Now I'm kind of worried about having my pressure so low that it'll cost me mileage on the tires. On the same token, I don't want to be over-inflated in the rain? What is the right tire pressure? BMorleyW

Where did you get the specifications of 32 and 36lbs? Not owning an R1150 myself, I can't check the book, but that seem pretty low.

[Mr. Frank]

I run 38/42 on my RT. I think that most people believe that, within reason, a hard tire is less likely to hydroplane than a soft tire. With only 32 lbs in the front you are risking wheel damage if you hit a pot hole. I'd go at least to 36/40.

[justabmw]

I attended a tire clinic at the local BMW dealership and on the topic of tire pressure, it went something like: check pressure tires cold, check pressure after a ride (tires warmed up), pressure should be 15% greater. If higher than this, the tire is doing too much work and overheating so add air, if lower than this the tire is not working enough so remove air. It sounds counterintuitive. Has anyone else heard anything like this?

[Mr. Frank]

Yes. The figure I've always heard is 10%. Some people say 3 lbs which is a bit less than 10% most of the time. In most cases 15% would be too much of a swing, especially on the rear tire.

[mcollect]

I'd go with the 10% difference as Frank suggests, this is how I've been doing it for years and it has worked. Great control and good wear.

[chrismiii]

don't forget -BMW or what ever brand bike always has recommended tire pressures in thier books - guess what they don't MAKE TIRES - so always read the tire pressure max on the tires themselves and use that or just a few pounds less for SAFE operation. The owners manuals are very general on tires!
I have placed my pressures right on the rim for quick reference on my cars and bikes - just a suggestion :banghead

[BubbaZanetti]

i received my ON today, Paul's column is generally the first i read.

i was shocked last week when i yanked my bike out of the shed at my dads after putting it in there about a week after thanksgiving. the tires were at the exact same pressure as when i put them away. very cool, no idea why, something about an elevated wood floor? these tires lost a few PSI every month while riding them IIRC.:dunno

[BeemerMike]

don't forget -BMW or what ever brand bike always has recommended tire pressures in thier books - guess what they don't MAKE TIRES - so always read the tire pressure max on the tires themselves and use that or just a few pounds less for SAFE operation. The owners manuals are very general on tires!
I have placed my pressures right on the rim for quick reference on my cars and bikes - just a suggestion :banghead

Yeah, I don't suppose that BMW actually tests their motorcycles and the recommended tires (sizes) at various loading conditions to determine their various pressure recommendations contained in the owners manual. So, yeah, just go with the MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED PRESSURE for your tires that the tire manufacturer says the tire can safely hold, and do this all the time for all conditions (loading, temperature, etc.) and you'll be fine. :scratch

Sounds like a bad recommendation to me. ;)

[mcollect]

don't forget -BMW or what ever brand bike always has recommended tire pressures in thier books - guess what they don't MAKE TIRES - so always read the tire pressure max on the tires themselves and use that or just a few pounds less for SAFE operation. The owners manuals are very general on tires!
I have placed my pressures right on the rim for quick reference on my cars and bikes - just a suggestion :banghead


That is the scariest statement I've heard on this forum. Max is the absolute maximum allow for safety. Add to that the weight of our heavy bikes the average weight of us as riders, plus the extra gear we all carry, and you will be over the max!
Use the BMW recommended pressure and check after riding. If it went up 10% you are fine. More then 10% add more air at the beginning.
This method works as safely as can be done, as it takes many factors into effect.

[rmarkr]

There are trick little valve cap indicator/sensors, either mechanical, or electronic, that display the pressure and/or temperature of the tire They look like a useful safety feature.

12652

[BeemerMike]

There are trick little valve cap indicator/sensors, either mechanical, or electronic, that display the pressure and/or temperature of the tire They look like a useful safety feature.

I've seen these, and although they may be useful for a car, since on a motorcycle you have different pressures front and rear (or course, one of my cars does too), AND you tend to (or should) vary the tires pressures depending on load, it seems you would need a BUNCH of these! I think I'll just buy several digital tire gauges. ;)

[10564]

I have e beemers,the K1200LT I Set at 42/48, the K1200RS at 38/46, the R1200GS at 38/46. I get fantastic wear and handling with no cupping or uneven wear.
I agree to go with the max recommended and go from there. :thumb

[BubbaZanetti]

That is the scariest statement I've heard on this forum. Max is the absolute maximum allow for safety. Add to that the weight of our heavy bikes the average weight of us as riders, plus the extra gear we all carry, and you will be over the max!
Use the BMW recommended pressure and check after riding. If it went up 10% you are fine. More then 10% add more air at the beginning.
This method works as safely as can be done, as it takes many factors into effect.

IMHO:

BMW's recommendations are too low. They are there for safety reasons. Most riders do not push their bikes enough to require their tire pressures to be that low. Adding just five to seven lbs to the BMW recommendations with provide plenty of traction, wet and dry and allow longer life for your tires. I run 37F 42R, always have and generally see 10K out of a set of Pilot Roads, even with spirited riding.

But, don't pump them up to the max recommended sidewall pressure either.

[kgadley01]

on my H-D Electra glide classic I've always run 40F and 40 R with great results. I now run the same pressure on my R1100RT. over the years I've seen many riders needing a new rear tire at 8-9K I get 14,000K on the rear of the Harley. on the RT we'll see. my motto...don't buy cheap tires and check them often.:thumb

[GregFeeler]

I've seen these, and although they may be useful for a car, since on a motorcycle you have different pressures front and rear (or course, one of my cars does too), AND you tend to (or should) vary the tires pressures depending on load, it seems you would need a BUNCH of these! I think I'll just buy several digital tire gauges. ;)

I saw as guy crash as a result of using those stupid indicators. They apparently just flat indicate wrong or can become stuck. He washed out on a corner and when we checked his tire pressure he had 16lbs in the front and 20 in the back - but the indicators were in the green. Even a few pounds of pressure difference in bike tires can make a difference. If you aren't up to checking your tire pressure, then put the keys on the counter until you are.

[GregFeeler]

IMHO:

BMW's recommendations are too low. They are there for safety reasons. Most riders do not push their bikes enough to require their tire pressures to be that low. Adding just five to seven lbs to the BMW recommendations with provide plenty of traction, wet and dry and allow longer life for your tires. I run 37F 42R, always have and generally see 10K out of a set of Pilot Roads, even with spirited riding.

But, don't pump them up to the max recommended sidewall pressure either.


Bubba, what do you mean "for safety reasons"??

[BubbaZanetti]

Bubba, what do you mean "for safety reasons"??

i'm not sure it's the same on all oilheads, but the sticker on my bike, IIRC, recommends 32 psi, front and rear. these are pressures which keeps the manufacturer safe, because while they're not low enough to cause handling issues or abnormal tire wear, they are also not high enough to result in the tire sliding out in say a high lean angle situation on a cold road (something i've only experienced with my 42psi rear once, YMMV). 32 psi leaves a decent sized contact patch while allowing the tire to get warm enough to keep the bike out of danger. conversely, a set of tires, inflated to 32 psi wears quicker than those inflated to higher pressure. i prefer to give up a bit of cold weather performance for extra life.

scientifically correct? i'm not sure, but it makes sense to me, at any rate, hahaha.

[BMorleyW]

I did come up with the 32F and 36R from my R1150RT owner's manual. But I was at the dealer that sold me the Metzlers today and asked one of the service guys. He recommended 36-38F and 38-40R. I'm going to go with 38 front and 40-42 rear and see what happens. :thumb