What is "COLD" tire pressure?

[Rudyjo]

There are a couple of new treads here about tires so I thought I would ask something that I should have asked long ago.
It is recommended that you check your tire pressure when they are cold.
What is considered cold ?
Is it considered cold on a 80 degree day if the bike has been in the garage all
day and has not been ridden ?
On a day where the temperature has not gone over 40 degrees in the previous 24 hours considered too cold to check tires ?

[PGlaves]

A given amount of air in a tire will produce a different pressure reading at different temperatures. So a "recommended" pressure has two values: a pressure reading in pounds per square inch (p.s.i.) or in Bar, or some other standard; and, a temperature.

BMW specifies recommended "cold" pressures at 20 degrees Celsius, which translates to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. BMW actually specifies pressures in Bar (1Bar = 14.56 p.s.i.) such as 2 Bar, or 2.1 Bar, or 2.2 Bar etc. Those specifications in Bar are converted to p.s.i. in U.S. publications.

BMW specifies pressures to the nearest .1 Bar = 1.46 p.s.i so are actually less fussy that many riders tend to be.

So the short answer is that to be precise, "cold pressure" ought to be at 68 degrees. When checking add a pound if it is a bit warmer and subtract a pound if it is a bit colder. You will likely wind up within 1/10th Bar.

[Rudyjo]

Thanks Paul

[39520]

I agree with Paul about 68 degrees, and you can do temp corrections for cold days.

While the BMW tire pressures for your bike are a good place to start for sure, I would not take them as gospel. However, they certainly are what you want to use until you get qualified alternative information.

I had a funny tire wear on an RT - I spoke to the tire factory rep at a rally and he said that his engineers recommended +4 lbs over BMW recommendations for my particular tires. Tire wear problem cleared up on the ride home and I never saw it again.

OTOH, I showed up for a track day on an F800ST. The service manager from my local BMW dealer, who is also a track instructor, told me to take about 8 lbs off the book values. What a difference it made. it's possible to do because the sidewalls on recent tires are very strong. On the street I went back to book for tread life and fuel economy.

For guys on airheads, tire technology has changed a lot, a whole lot, over the years. The pressures BMW recommended for tires made 25 years ago may, or may not, be correct for tires today.

I know this muddies up the water. It's a good idea to talk to tire reps. It's a good idea to talk to high mileage riders, or track riders, whomever more resembles your style of riding.

Ub
05 K75s
86 R65, bought new.

[EMSimon]

BMW uses the typical condition for "cold" in Germany which is commonly called "Raumtemperatur" (room temperature) and is 20?? Celsius.
As far as the pressure is concerned, I would stick with the tire manufacturer's recommendation rather than BMW. It may be more relevant to the specific tire you have. I had exactly the same experience concerning an unusual wear pattern on a rear tire (Metzeler) and the tire rep explained to me why and told me to increase the tire pressure.
As far as the track is concerned, the instructors like you to run on a slightly lower pressure because it increases the contact patch and helps warming up the tire faster and keeps it there.

[lkchris]

For guys on airheads, tire technology has changed a lot, a whole lot, over the years. The pressures BMW recommended for tires made 25 years ago may, or may not, be correct for tires today.

This gets repeated often and I pretty certain it's incorrect.

Only bias ply tires are available for Airheads, i.e. no new radial tech

Airheads still wear the same size tires they always did, so no 55-ratio tires, for example.

You will NEVER find a tire manufacturer website that provides conflicting pressure information from that originally given by BMW.

BMW has NEVER issued "update" bulletins or pressure stickers.

Nobody ever describes the "new technology" and what specifically about it means pressure changes are necessary. This time once again.

[WalterK75]

I've always assumed that "cold" meant the temperature of the tires before I start riding for the day. That is, ambient temperature. I set the pressure as recommended or maybe one half to one psi more.

[dwyandell]

It's good to be clear about what 'cold' tire pressure means, but in my observation, a REALLY RELIABLE way to get the wrong pressure in your tires is to use an inaccurate tire gauge. I don't care how much the thing cost--gauges can be all over the place and even 'good ones' can be WAY off. Beware.

I'm sure most of us have a dozen pressure gauges stashed in various tank bags, tool boxes, etc. Take a few minutes some afternoon to collect them all into a pile and compare how much variation there is among the gauges you own . . .if you do this, you probably wont ever worry about ambient temperature again.

If there's a really simple and short way to calibrate gauges, I dont know what it is. The slightly longer way is to compare a few of the better quality gauges you own on a large tire that won't lose much pressure with each measurement (a truck or large car tire) . .. if several better quality and newer gauges more or less agree, then that's likely about the right number. Compare each to that 'reference' reading, and mark each with a permanent marker as to how many pounds high or low it reads. Throw any away that dont give reproducible results. Some digital gauges, and the better mechanical dial gauges, can be calibrated (look for a small screw on the back) but most of them can't.

[Polarbear]

Tire sidewalls say cold max air pressure 41lbs at max weight, say 778lbs....e.g....I always run max air for fully ladden bike on trips where i am usually near gross weight on the bike. Maybe less air if the bike is not so, by only a few lbs. of air. You adjust as required. Elevation, maybe some change too, so do the math. ? Randy

[MANICMECHANIC]

Just to throw something else into the pot, and I wish I could remember where I saw it and when, but you shouldn't check or adjust your tire pressure unless it has been at least 3 hours since last on the street. That was from some Q&A column in a car mag on the same subject - tire inflation.

[BCKRider]

1. You do NEED an accurate tire guage and you also have to have ones which DON'T LOSE AIR when you are checking the pressure. Part of this the tool, part of it is technic. Practice where you have an air pump close by. I favor the cheap 5-50 pounds models. Since they are cheap, buy at least three. If two agree and one is a little lower or higher, tape that amount on the guage or chuck it.
2. I've read that a 10 degree F. change in air temperature will raise or lower tire pressure 1 pound. That is good if you are going from 70 F. to 100 F. Your tires should not over heat. Letting out air at that temp, even if your bike has been parked in the shade for hours, would probably be a bad idea. On the other hand, beware of really cold temps. I believe people who ride around the freezing mark DO drop their air pressure a couple pounds, but not four pounds.
3. I've also read that tires lose a pound a month. At least for radial tubeless tires, I'm pretty sure the figure is more like 1/4 pound per month.
4. What pressure you SHOULD run seems to be a highly debateable topic. I guess I would check the tire manufacturers recommendation first, followed by the BMW recomendation, followed by rider's recommendation, then personal experience.

[bobcowin]

Isn't the main point of cold tires, that they have not been ridden on for a while? In other words not warmed up?

[175781]

This. Cold means the tires haven't been heated by driving or exposure to a flamethrower. In the summer, I check and adjust pressure in cold (not driven that day) tires. When the temperature drops or rises significantly, be it bike or truck, I know my next check will show tires over or under pressure for that operating environment. My February tires would be grossly overpressured at 95 degrees. My July pressures would leave me running on sludge-rubber placed in a 20 degree environment. Not that 20 degrees celsius is bad.

I've always assumed that "cold" meant the temperature of the tires before I start riding for the day. That is, ambient temperature. I set the pressure as recommended or maybe one half to one psi more.

[Polarbear]

Mine is always in sight, mounted in a home made holder of heater hose and quick ties to my windscreen frame, GSA1200. I cut the heater hose to about same length as gauge and it works swell, not buried somewhere in a tankbag and always a visual reminder to check tires. I usually am doing so in the wee AM hours before rides, or before finding pavement again. We GSA folks let air out on dirt frequently..... Randy

[40427]

AARRGH !!

My head is going to explode !!

Tire pressure recommendations sound like oil threads to me.

What the heck are tire pressures supposed to be on an 85 a R80 with new technology tires ??

I figure it's got to be different than 27 years ago , but how do you figure it out and get it right for the best long wear ???