tire pressure

[samuelh]

How often do people check and add air pressure? I just measured the back wheel, and it was 26psi. I think I probably filled it to 30 or thereabouts a month ago. I didn't check the front, but I assume it was a bit low as well. It's probably been a month, and I just rode to maine.

I find it really annoying to do this, particularly the back wheel. My back wheel is super greasy from chain lube fling, and you've got to get the air filler in between the chain and the spokes so that it mates with the air valve on the bike. It's annoying and dirty enough that I put it off for months at a time, which seems dangerous.

Then again, it takes about 10 minutes, which is better than death. :doh

Thoughts?

[Jogitu]

I check before every ride. If on a trip that means every day. On a 16 day trip to Nova Scotia the pressure was off several times. Temps and altitude made a difference. I am replacing tires way too often as it is without ruining them quicker with low pressure.

[abncavscout]

My Metzler's said 42 was max PSI, and my Michelin's say 41 PSI. However, who rides on "maximum" psi? What psi does everyone else ride on for normal mostly paved road trips? I have been running on 35 psi. Too little? / Too much? What's your $0.02 worth?

[rik]

How often do people check and add air pressure? I just measured the back wheel, and it was 26psi. I think I probably filled it to 30 or thereabouts a month ago. I didn't check the front, but I assume it was a bit low as well. It's probably been a month, and I just rode to maine.

I find it really annoying to do this, particularly the back wheel. My back wheel is super greasy from chain lube fling, and you've got to get the air filler in between the chain and the spokes so that it mates with the air valve on the bike. It's annoying and dirty enough that I put it off for months at a time, which seems dangerous.

Then again, it takes about 10 minutes, which is better than death. :doh

Thoughts?

BMW psi spec is 30 psi rear and 33 psi front. I run mine alot lower for off pavement. You should check before every ride. If the back wheel is super greasy, don't use so much chain lube. If you are worried about getting your hands dirty, wear disposable latex gloves. If it's just annoying to check the pressure, sell the bike.

[Pauls1150]

Oh No, Not Another Tire Thread!!! :banghead

I'm on a different bike, but the following still holds...

BMW does not design or build tires. Their statements are for one particular tire, ridden by some "average" rider - is there even such a thing? - on an "average" day, at "average" speeds.

Tire companies design, build, test, modify, and sell tires. They've been doing it a long time, at a reasonable profit, and have remained successful at it. I would trust what it says on the sidewall of the tire as the Maximum pressure, when dead cold, and if/when used under Maximum loading (how much weight is on that end of the bike and what speed will it be used at).

My basic rule of thumb is to read what the sidewall says, subtract 10 to 15 per cent, and use that as my STARTING point for playing with pressure. Lower pressure might give you a little more traction (especially off-road), but it will also allow the tire to distort more and heat up more. Either condition will shorten the tire's useful life, and may actually cause a tire failure.

If I'm on a road trip, with full bags and gear, yes I take it up to almost max. I've had zero issues doing this on various bikes for many years.

Some tires seem more porous than others (do you have a teeny little sliver in there?); I check pressure once or twice a week.

YMMV...

[BetterLateThanNever]

Not an expert nor the most experienced rider, but I agree with what Pauls1150 said above!

[gblawler]

How often do people check and add air pressure

I check mine just before every road trip or every time I fill up with gas, which ever comes first.

I keep a log of my tiire pressure, and my front tire goes down about 5 pounds per month and rear tire about 7 pounds. These are Metzler Tourance tires with about 2,500 miles on them. My trips are normally only 2 to 3 days, so I don't check tire pressure on a trip. If I were to take a long trip, I would probably check it once a day.

I used to use the recommended tire pressure from the owners manual (30 rear, 28 front). The BMW dealer who did my 12K service recommended about 5 pounds more than the manual indicates. Now I run 35 pounds rear and front.

I carry a Slime electric pump I bought at Walmart. Roughly the same size as the Cycle Pump you see in the magazine ads, but $10 instead of over $100. I have the 24" BMW adapter that converts the accessory socket to a cigarette lighter. The Slime pump has a built-in pressure meter and an LED light the Cycle Pump does not have.

My F650GS has tube tires, so the plug kits that a lot of people carry won't work for me. Since I can't picture trying to replace a tube on the side of the road, I recently bought a motorcycle container of Slime (16 oz). I have heard a lot of ideas about Slime both pro and con. The pro is that everyone seems to agree that it works, the con is that tubeless wheels can get gummed up after using it. I figured that since I have tubes, the Slime will be contained in the tube, which will be discarded when I have someone replace the $15 tube.

I have never had I tire problem on a motorcycle, and I hear they are rare, but for about $7 I feel better having the Slime in my side case, just in case.

[PGlaves]

On a trip I check every couple of days with a gauge and kick the tires every morning. At home, the tires get kicked every ride and get checked every few days, or before anything but a short trip. My 1150 and Voni's F800 have TPM systems so get checked every time we start to roll after key is off and back on, and will alarm if air loss happens during the ride.

I fully understand that the kick test is not precise, but if a tire is going down you can usually detect it and check further.

I always try to check cold pressure when it is as close to 70 degrees F as possible because that is about the temperature that matches the BMW recommendations. If the tire is hotter or colder what the gauge says will be different. You can chase your tail checking and adjusting day after day if it is cold, hot, warm, hot, cold, etc because you can easily be seeing a 2 psi difference just from the ambient temperature.

[bikerfish1100]

BMW psi spec is 30 psi rear and 33 psi front.

that sounds backwards to me- front is generally lower than rear. you sure about those numbers?

[rik]

that sounds backwards to me- front is generally lower than rear. you sure about those numbers?

My goof, sorry. I guess I should proof read.

[BACKROAD.ADV]

How often do people check and add air pressure? I just measured the back wheel, and it was 26psi. I think I probably filled it to 30 or thereabouts a month ago. I didn't check the front, but I assume it was a bit low as well. It's probably been a month, and I just rode to maine.

I find it really annoying to do this, particularly the back wheel. My back wheel is super greasy from chain lube fling, and you've got to get the air filler in between the chain and the spokes so that it mates with the air valve on the bike. It's annoying and dirty enough that I put it off for months at a time, which seems dangerous.

Then again, it takes about 10 minutes, which is better than death. :doh

Thoughts?

I check the pressure before each ride and visually check the tires and other stuff (a walk around inspection) anytime I stop.

I never exceed pressure shown on the sidewalls of the tire.

Off pavement, (forest service roads, rough single track, etc- depending on conditions), I might drop the pressure all the way to 12psi. On my dirt bikes I go sometimes as low as 8 psi.

I would love to buy a TPI system but so far I'm just too cheap to buy one--Yet!

Backroad ADV

PS-There are some valve caps available at Auto stores-I do not know their pressure ratings…. but if they make one close to the tire pressure you ride at, the tire's pressure, or is at the minimum lowest acceptable pressure for your type of riding --then if the cap shows green the pressure is good--assuming the cap is working properly. The green disappears when the pressure drops…..just a thought!

[gblawler]

PS-There are some valve caps available at Auto stores-I do not know their pressure ratings…. but if they make one close to the tire pressure you ride at, the tire's pressure, or is at the minimum lowest acceptable pressure for your type of riding --then if the cap shows green the pressure is good--assuming the cap is working properly. The green disappears when the pressure drops…..just a thought!

I have been tempted to buy those pressure indicator valve caps. Has anyone actually used them? I heard somewhere that they leak a bit which would cause the pressure to go down even faster. Mine goes down 5-7 pounds per month as it is. It would be great to be able to see at a glance when it is time to top them off.

[Bobmws]

I have been tempted to buy those pressure indicator valve caps. Has anyone actually used them? I heard somewhere that they leak a bit which would cause the pressure to go down even faster. Mine goes down 5-7 pounds per month as it is. It would be great to be able to see at a glance when it is time to top them off.

Yes, they have the potential to leak. A co-worker put them on his car and came out to find 2 totally flat tires.
How much effort does it take to bend over and check the pressure with a gauge when you life is literally on the line?
For me this goes with ATGATT, assess and accept the risk at your own comfort level.

[gblawler]

My back wheel is super greasy from chain lube fling, and you've got to get the air filler in between the chain and the spokes so that it mates with the air valve on the bike. It's annoying and dirty enough that I put it off for months at a time, which seems dangerous.

I started using disposable rubber gloves to do my chain lube and top off the tires at the same time. Normally do this before a trip or every time I fill up when at home. I ran out of rubber gloves last time I needed to do this dirty job, so I just put a plastic shopping bag over my hand. Worked better than a rubber glove because the bag covers a good part of your sleeve, and the shopping bags are free. I carry a few in my side case now. Also handy to keep in your side case when you want to stow something that might leak a bit.

[racer7]

First fix any valve accessibility issues by getting a valve stem that allows easier access. Many BMW models come out of the factory with cheap and poorly chosen valve stem choices- typically straight rubber stems too long to allow easy access by anything except a ball chuck on hose- some are actually impossible to use with certain types of gas station inflators. In the case of my RT I substituted an almost 90 degree metal stem that is much easier to use but doing this on some BMW bikes requires a little bit of Dremel work to remove a wheel seam that will prevent sealing of a metal stem. Not sure what you would need to do with yours but making access easy is step 1. (There are temporary use right angle devices if your bike uses tubes and a right angle is needed for better access)

Step 2- Get a decent compressor and combo inflator/gage and plug it in next to your bike.
I happen to use a race quality Longacre inflator/bleeder/gage ($70) on a Harbor Freight compressor ($70 approx) but it is possible to do both at Harbor Freight for $80 total with a different compressor (I also own a much larger compressor to drive my air tools in a separate work area).

Timing- experience shows me that when temps stay similar, checks at least every 2 weeks are OK for my tubeless RT tires. 1 week is close to ideal - all assuming you have no minor puncture or leak, of course. All tires lose air through the tire itself and through seals and small tires show pressure changes faster. When seasons are changing or temps are fluctuating, more frequent checks are needed- perhaps even every day if one were riding from desert to mountains, for example. Bike tires hold a very tiny volume of air compared to cars, SUVS, or trucks so it takes very little air loss to effect a significant pressure loss (I would define that as a 4 lb or more change at a reasonably similar temp- such a change would have me looking for a leak or a small puncture). Note also what Paul implied about the "target" pressure and note that it changes a bit if temps go up or down from about 70 so don't get hyper about 1-2 lb changes.

My "rough check" done at the start every ride is a handling check. I've got enough time on tracks to be sensitive to small handling changes caused by pressure variations so this works for me- but probably won't work for most riders. The gauge (either my inflator or the BMW calibrated one which is a very nicely made item) comes out at least every week or two even if handling was normal when the bike was last parked.

Soft tires wear oddly and quickly on pavement so are costing you money and their handling and safety may well be out of line also. 26 lbs is not "immediate death" category" but would have degraded handling to the point you should have noticed and made corrections. For riders insensitive to handling shifts- that pressure gauge needs to come out more frequently. ANY time a bike feels different its time to stop and make sure everything is OK or what is wrong.
Remember that many types of mechanical failures that are no issue in a cage can make a huge difference to your safety or convenience on a bike.

[Acejones]

I had the tire pressure indicator caps on a K75. They never leaked or caused any king of problem. when I sold the K I put them on my R1150R and they are still there working fine.

[gblawler]

I had the tire pressure indicator caps on a K75. They never leaked or caused any king of problem. when I sold the K I put them on my R1150R and they are still there working fine.

Do you remember the brand and where you bought them?

[bmwgsrider]

I know tire pressure threads are tiring but want ones viewpoint on what I was told in reference to tire pressure.

I have always ran maybe a couple pounds under what Max calls for on each type of tire I have had. I have had couple dealerships say that the manual for the particular bike is usually low and want to run more pressure than what the manual says. I have read on forums that lot of people do not go with what the manual recommends for the bike...

I was at my brothers the other day and he had his air compressor out... because he had it out I decided I would check my air pressure in my tires as I haven't checked them lately. My brother comes over to help check the tires and asked what pressure I put in my tires. I said I run either max or couple pounds under max and max is 42lbs of pressure. He got mad at me telling me that I need to go with what the manual calls for as the bike is made to run on certain type of air pressure and that is what I need to use no matter what type of tire I have. He said that if I called the manufacturer of the tire they would tell me to call BMW as I need to go with what BMW recommends for the bike and there is a reason for that as the bike was made to run with the exact pressure the manual calls for. He told me that he runs what the manual calls for on his bikes as well as his cars and never has put in a different air pressure. I have never ran recommended tire pressure on my bike for what the manual has stated let alone as I have been told by couple dealerships that tire pressure in manual is low and would recommend more air pressure in the tires. I also always thought that the better tire pressure you keep in the tires the longer tread life you will have. My brother was very adamant about what he said about tire pressure and that I need to run with the correct air pressure that the bike was made for and that is what the manual says...

I know a lot of people out there are not running with the recommended tire pressure but is what my brother telling me true?

Thanks in advance.

[Acejones]

Do you remember the brand and where you bought them?

No. The PO put them on the bike. However I have seen them at Pep Boys. I imagine all parts houses carry them.

[bikerfish1100]

I know tire pressure threads are tiring but want ones viewpoint on what I was told in reference to tire pressure.

I have always ran maybe a couple pounds under what Max calls for on each type of tire I have had. I have had couple dealerships say that the manual for the particular bike is usually low and want to run more pressure than what the manual says. I have read on forums that lot of people do not go with what the manual recommends for the bike...

I was at my brothers the other day and he had his air compressor out... because he had it out I decided I would check my air pressure in my tires as I haven't checked them lately. My brother comes over to help check the tires and asked what pressure I put in my tires. I said I run either max or couple pounds under max and max is 42lbs of pressure. He got mad at me telling me that I need to go with what the manual calls for as the bike is made to run on certain type of air pressure and that is what I need to use no matter what type of tire I have. He said that if I called the manufacturer of the tire they would tell me to call BMW as I need to go with what BMW recommends for the bike and there is a reason for that as the bike was made to run with the exact pressure the manual calls for. He told me that he runs what the manual calls for on his bikes as well as his cars and never has put in a different air pressure. I have never ran recommended tire pressure on my bike for what the manual has stated let alone as I have been told by couple dealerships that tire pressure in manual is low and would recommend more air pressure in the tires. I also always thought that the better tire pressure you keep in the tires the longer tread life you will have. My brother was very adamant about what he said about tire pressure and that I need to run with the correct air pressure that the bike was made for and that is what the manual says...

I know a lot of people out there are not running with the recommended tire pressure but is what my brother telling me true?

Thanks in advance.

your brother has it backwards (and i strongly resisted the urge to say "your brother is an idiot"- good for me!). you run what the tire manufacturer recommends, which is NOT the same as the max pressure listed on the sidewall (that is for 2up, fully loaded touring mode- NOT everyday single rider usage. thus, the word "max").
BMW (and every other manufacturer) gave a recommendation based on OEM spec'd tires. once those are off the bike, all bets are off as well.
best "rule of thumb" i have ever heard was "shoot for 10% increase from cold to hot". typically, that means between a 3 and 4 psi increase.

[rockynight]

Many thanks for all the great information fellow riders! :thumb

I try to check my tires every day that I ride.

Why you ask? I try to buy the best tire that fits my needs that I can afford. I also maintain my wife's 2004 BMW R1150R Rockster. We also do a lot of 2 up riding so in many ways her life as well as mine are my responsibility. Checking tire pressure to me is a small price to pay for peace of mind.

I would like to also add that I do not want to lose a fellow rider for any reason. So I hope we all do what we can to be a safe as possible. I really enjoy meeting new riders all the time so even the ones that I have not met yet I don't want to lose.

Rocky,

[pffog]

your brother has it backwards (and i strongly resisted the urge to say "your brother is an idiot"- good for me!). you run what the tire manufacturer recommends, which is NOT the same as the max pressure listed on the sidewall (that is for 2up, fully loaded touring mode- NOT everyday single rider usage. thus, the word "max").
BMW (and every other manufacturer) gave a recommendation based on OEM spec'd tires. once those are off the bike, all bets are off as well.
best "rule of thumb" i have ever heard was "shoot for 10% increase from cold to hot". typically, that means between a 3 and 4 psi increase.

I agree with most of what you said, except the Idiot part, to me his brothers insistence on running the bike mfg. recommendations is much closer to correct then those that say to run the max listed on the sidewall. When you look at the tire mfg recommendations, they are very close to the bike mfg recommendations.

Yes best is find the tire mfg recommendations for your bike if possible, they are usually close to the bike mfg recommendations, NOT the tire max pressures. Some tire companies are vague in recommendations, like Continental. http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/motorcycle/themes/faq/hidden/airpressure_en.html

Now the hard part for a lot of people, YOU must activate some brain matter. Two up with luggage, tent, spare tires and gas, yes the max pressure is probably a good idea. Doing a track day, well, LESS than either the bike or tire mfg is in order, generally 30/30 is the start point for track use. Heading cross country, via Arizona in July, higher pressures will keep the tire cooler and make it last longer. Heading to the Smokies solo plan on tearing up the corners in October, a little lower than recommended is probably in order so the tire warms up properly and has some grip. No the same tire on a 400 lbs sport bike does NOT need the same pressure as it does on that fully loaded touring bike, even if both are riding the same road and the same pace.

Come on people THINK!