Motorcycle Tire Pressure and Why It’s Important! | MC GARAGE
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- čas přidán 6. 10. 2016
- Back to basics! Checking tire pressures is the most fundamental of maintenance items, yet most riders fail to do it as often as they should. (Hint: You should be doing it at least every other week!) In this video from the MC Garage, Senior Road Test Editor Ari Henning explains the importance of properly inflated tires as well as where to look to find the recommended pressures for your bike.
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We know, tire pressure is hardly an exciting subject, but it is really important. After all, your tires are the only thing connecting your motorcycle to the road, and tire pressure affects a lot of stuff like traction, handling, stability, ride comfort, and tread wear.
Checking tire pressures is the most fundamental of maintenance items, yet most riders fail to do it as often as they should. As a rule you want to check your tires at least every other week. Make sure you're using a decent tire gauge (see Tools 101: Tire Gauges), and check the tires when they're cold. That doesn't mean waiting until winter, it just means doing it before you ride since the tire will heat up as it rolls down the road.
Left alone, your tires are going to deflate. Tubeless tires bleed down more slowly than tube-type tires, but in any case the fact that air molecules find their way out of tires all on their own means that under-inflated tires are pretty common.
If your tire pressures are too low, then you end up with a soft tire and a big old contact patch. That leads to sloppy, heavy handling, premature wear, excess friction and tire temperature, and poor fuel economy.
On the other hand if your tire pressures are too high, you’ll have a really small contact patch and a very hard tire. That means less traction and a rough ride.
So how do you know what the correct pressure is? Some people go by the pressure listed on the sidewall of the tire. That’s the wrong place to look. That figure is the maximum allowable pressure for the tire, and the recommended pressure is sure to be well below that.
The right place to look is in your owner’s manual, or right on your motorcycle. There’s likely a sticker on you bike’s swingarm or on the frame that lists the pressure for your particular bike.
And since tire pressure is so critical, you’ll want to use a quality tool to check it. Those cheap pencil gauges are convenient but they’re notoriously inaccurate and are good for a ballpark reading at best, so you should invest in a decent gauge.
So in review: Check your tire pressures at least every other week; use a quality tire gauge; and take the measurement when the tires are cold.
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Oddly enough checked the pressure on my Daytona 675R today, holy shit....21 psi front 29 rear, manual calls for 34 front 36 rear. That seems dangerously low, I'm disappointed in myself for not checking sooner! Good video!
Oh man I miss this guy, Hope he is doing well..
Excellent reminder, Ari. Thanks. From Murphy's Laws of War: The important things are always simple; the simple things are always hard; the easy way is always mined.
sensible stuff. i didn't bother checking mine for a month or so, but when i did and inflated properly, the difference in feel & handling really surprised me, so lesson learned !!
Hello, love this series. A few video suggestions. One on winterizing your bike or on combatting rust would be extremely helpful. Keep up the good work.
i am alwayse surprised at how many people think the recommended tire pressure is on the tire itself.
because with bicycles it is like that ;)
For mine it is
My tire PSI matches the swing arm recommendation
On many tires, it is!
But most bikes have their own PSI numbers printer either on the drive chain cover or the tank.
Same here my swingarm psi is equal the to the tire psi
MC Garage is great. Thanks for continuing to make these videos shorts.
I would like to see more motorycle review/adventure videos with yourself and Zac though. Thats great stuff! They don't need to be with brand new bike either. You guys could do some old bike compairos possibly for the used market buyer.
Cheers
Dan, Up in Canada. Still waiting for Spring weather and this damn salt to clear off the roads.
Thanks for the clarification! Happy Holidays! ❤🎉😊
I was finally found unswer..your so smart and intelligent. I will recommend you to all my American & Polish friends..thanks. Peter
Tires are one the top3 most interesting topics regarding motorcycles. A SportTires group review video would be an amazing adition from you guys! Thank You.
Ari Hennings you're doing a great job. I like M.G a lot, love from India
It also matters how hard you ride, I started riding with tyres around 38psi but now I ride around 28-30 psi because the harder you ride the warmer the tyres get and of course the more they expand. If you commute and don't ride hard go by the label, but if you ride harder reduce tyre gradually and keep an eye on your tyre ware
Worthwhile post. Thank you.
Be careful when you go to the track. I crashed the first time I went. The rear tire went up 6 PSI just from the heat generated and the the day heating up. You can either check the pressures through out the day or set and forget. I normally just set and forget now.
26 front/24 rear
In places like Georgia where our seasons changes rapidly but don't always stick 80 on day, 50 the next, 80 the day after that, I check my pressure more often because the temperature loves to mess with it. (On my mountain bike and my cage, unfortunately don't have a motorcycle yet)
hi Ari, i just recently change from Tube to tubeless, do i still need to follow what my manufacturer recommend on tube type for pressure?
I support the comments in this video, I had too much pressure in my back tire when it was balanced, and it diminished traction, increasing stopping distance.
Can you address wheel alignment? What are the best practices of aligning the wheel, how much slop is reasonable, how to check if the wheel needs aligned and so on. Thanks Ari. Great videos. I find them very helpful.
Hey Ari!
I've got myself some new tyres (from a different brand) and none of the manuals or websites list the optimum tyre pressure for the tyre that I have.
The new tyre has a smaller aspect ratio than the old one. Should I stick to the old tyre pressure?
Thank you for the simple but useful explanation
Thanks for the info man. I knew 42 psi on the tire was not correct.. didn't know the info was on the frame.
That intro made me smile!
Hey Ari, do you allways go by the recommendation? i heard a lot of people are puting about 3-5 less psi on each tire, mostly on spory riding or hot summer days. what is your opinion? thanks
Hi,
Can you do a video on spoked/ laced wheel maintenance what to look for, adjust, protect (wash & coat) etc?
thx,
Your videos are immensely helpful !
Making us all better riders
@Motorcyclist Magazine, Your advice on Tyre Sealant.
Are they safe to use?
Does it effect the tyre's longevity?
Do they have any adverse effect?
Will it work efficiently on tropical conditions?
Any advice would be well appreciated...
I think you should explain "sloppy Handling" when many people states that (low pressure = more traction).
Hi Ari,
At track days the tire guy recommends pressures. But, should I be adjusting according to tire wear? Say if I have a slick that has seen a few track days. Should I lower pressure to increase heat? Is there a general rule of thumb? Thanks for the vids.
Ari, i am sure a lot of us share the pain of not being able to reach the valve because of the large brake discs. Is using 90° adapters a good way to help do this? Also, as far as pressure, the manufacturer has them sorted out for the stock tire but would it change depending on the tires we actually use?
I upsized my rear tyre from a 160 to a 180 (only reason I did it is coz I wanted the Michelin PR4s and they were only available in 180s in my country). That being said, the recommended pressure in the manual is 36 for the rear while the max allowed on the tyre is 42. What pressure would you recommend? When I tried to keep it around 34-36 I noticed the contact patch being quite wide. I now keep the pressure at 40. Would love to hear your thoughts on this
Very helpful - Thank you!
Hi, nice video. I have a question. What do you think about nitrogen for motorcycle tyres? Thx.
ALWAYS GREAT CONTENT!!!!!!!!!🤘😎💪🙏
Keep up the good job guy!
I have a KTM 390, which says 26 and 28.5 psi on the swingarm. I fill them to 26 and 29. The problem is, every two weeks, the tyre deflates enough to cause heavy steering. Is this normal? If not, what would be your guess on what's wrong? And advice to fix?
P.S. My use is approximately 30km (18.5mi) a day. Thanks.
I'm exited to install a Tire Pressure & Temperature Monitoring System. One that will work with Ride-On tire sealant.
Really Helpful, thanks.
Who died? I did. Tire Pressure!
HI ,
question, if I use Tpms (tire pressure monitor system ) should i rebalance my tire again? due to the valve sensor cap weight (8 grams heavier )
tks
love your channel👍
I get better traction on sunny, 80 or 90 degree days with 40 psi than I do on overcast, 28 degree days with 28 psi, and I'm talking about a swift street pace (45 degree lean angle, no hanging off, no dragging knee). I may eventually try 20 or 25 psi in Winter. (We used to race at 30 psi in Summer.) And don't dare do a swift pace on a 50 degree day with 40 psi, that's crash material (video on the way). I'm slipping a little bit as low as 32 psi that day. The sun and wind make a huge difference on pavement temps, such as a little slide vs an actual crash. Be mindful of air temp, wind and sun. (I've never ridden on valcanically heated roads, so feel free to chime in if you have.)
What if you opted to put a bigger tire what would be the recommend tire pressure?
Would you go still for the owners manual recommendation?
New rider here. Thx for posting.
Thank you so much i've learned a lot special in motor new biker here keep it up ang good work
Thank you!
I still have a question. For example, my bike has the following recommended Tyre pressures: 2.0 Bar Front, 2.5 Bar rear. But those are pressures for the recommended tyres: Dunlops and Pirelli. I have a set of Bridgestone BT45's and I found them to be too soft using those pressures. So I phoned Bridgestone, and their representative said that the recommended Tyre pressures for my bike + my tyres were: 2.5 bar front and 2.8 rear! Since their Tyres have less "lateral wall support". So should I still go with the bike values?
Every question i had answered in one short vid....👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Thanks for vid. Really wish to see Fuel Pump System (How to clean and How they work), THANKS
sir may i know the name of the tool you used for check the tire air pressure ? so i can buy it thanks!
Good Advice,Ari
Short, sweet, and straight to the point. Thank you.
Tire pressure is vital, but varies based in bike, riding style and of course load. A little experimentation for your current tire model and your bike is essential for keeping rubber to the road/gravel and longevity.
I read in one of the website can't remember which one. It says to pump your tire pressure around +1 +2 psi more than your manual recommended pressure. Will it have any side or bad effect to the bike?
Thank you.
What if I changed tires? Should I follow the stock tire pressure recommendation?
wow thanks for this.... I always rely on vulcanizing shop without measuring my tires.
I took a spill yesterday on my motorbike (not motorcycle) and was wondering if it was partly caused by lack of tire pressure. I was in a neighborhood with very small streets, so wasn't going too fast and came upon a very sharp turn. A car was coming from the opposite direction and since the road was very narrow, I quickly steered even sharper to the left to avoid hitting the car. The bike just slipped out from under me. There was some loose gravel on the road, so that couldn't have helped. I suppose I could have avoided this if I were going a bit slower when making the maneuver, but it also seemed like the bike should have been able to handle it. Any ideas on how much tire pressure could have influence this?
Thank you much👍
My motorcycle (duke 790) recommends 2,3 bar in the front and 2,6 bar in the back. Should I put those numbers in or less for more sporty street riding? I have now 2.0 in the front and 2.3 in the back.
I don't have a garage or an air compressor so I am filling my tires at the gas station. Any tips on how to get the right pressure when I have to ride a mile before I can fill up and my tires are probably a bit warm?
I love the video and the work you guys do but it would have been nice to see the difference between the pencil and electronic gauges so we know to what the margin of inaccuracy is.
Ari... track day tire pressure for track day riders ... is it same as normal factory recommendations or lower?
Hey Ari,i own an old motorcycle and do not have owners manual and dont even have the sticker on the swingarm.Recently i just got new tires so where should i find the right pressure for the new tires?
Hey man. I have a question about newly installed tires. How long could it take for the tires side wall to properly fixed to a mags's side wall(im not pretty sure if my terms is even correct). I just changed my tire days ago and the pressure is too hard.
What to do when the tire pressure in the manual is different from the one in the swingarm sticker? I own a KTM Duke 200 and the manual says 29/29 psi (Front/Rear solo rider) while the swingarm says 25/28.5 psi. Is this much of a difference or should I just choose the average between the two figures?
Hey can you tell me, should i fill normal air in my bike tire or Nitrogen.
What is good for bike tires.?
Hi what happens when we up size?I'm super confused on what the tyre pressure should be on my up sized tyres
Do you have any recommendation on pumping up tires at home? I don't trust the gauges at the local petrol stations. I have a high quality bicycle floor pump at home (Lezyne floor pump). I don't see why it wouldn't work other than maybe taking a while to pump the required volume of air.
I check my tire pressure before every ride. Probably overkill, but it gives me peace of mind, and I'd rather be in the habit than to be reminded by a sloppy handling bike while out on a ride.
The indication on the tyre isn't for the maximum allowed pressure, it's an indication for the maximum allowed weight at said pressure. Just wanted to make that clear.
I have few small hairline cracks developed inside the treads of my Tyre after riding on a flat Tyre for a fair amount of distance. The rims are fine though. The cracks are on the sides near the chicken strips. Should I change the Tyre?
Good information thanks
great topic and a nice video. my question is should i play with the tyre pressure when the bike is heavily loaded or riding with a passanger. my tyres seams to wear out faster when loaded...
Thank you so much for your reply. I will check out my manual. Hope i shall find some information.
Labelled tyre pressures are based on stock tyres, if I were to change my tyres to a different brand should I use the bike manufacturer as a guide? Or is their a calculation to enable correct pressure?
I want them to go over the different pressures. still kind of new to riding my Zx6r recommends I think 36 front 42 rear or something. When I took it to the shop they asked my if i planned on riding spirited to do 32 from 34-36 rear. Why is that if he said lower pressure would cause worse handling?
Ok, for example my manual says my front tire needs to be 32psi, but doesn't take in consideration the driver weight, I am not your average guy, I am bigger guy (power lifter) I weight little over 220lbs, so what tire pressure should I run ? Still 32psi as recommended or more like 34-36psi ?
awesome video.
Great video super info!! Can we run a few psi lower than the manual says? The recommended tire pressure just seems sort of hard. Thx!
Try softening the suspension before adjusting the tire pressure, as lower pressures lead to increased tire wear.
I agree that Track Pressures shouldn't be run on the Street because you will never get the amount of heat into the Tire that you would on the Track. I do not agree that you should run Manufacturers recommendations that are usually around 34front and 36rear. Again there are a lot of factors to take into account. What kind of Bike ( Sport or Cruiser ), Suspension setup, Tire make, Rider weight, Bike weight, and style of riding. For Example, I ride a 1990 Honda Hawk. Wet weight is 380lbs, Michelin Pilot Powers, Penske8983 on the back with Straight Rate Springs up front tuned to my weight of 140 lbs. I run 33psi front and 31psi rear on the Street. Heavier Riders with heavier Bikes would run higher Pressures but for me these pressure provide the best stability for all the factors I have listed above and the reason for running higher front then rear pressure is because the rear get more heat/friction being attached to the Throttle/Engine. Once the Tires have warmed up and Pressures increase ( Hot Pressure) this ratio will eqaulize. I would run the same front/rear ratio on the Track but it would be much lower numbers. Probably around 28-30front and 26-28 rear. Manufacturer ratio and recommendations don't take into account any of the factors I listed above and are designed to be a catch all Rule to cover their asses for liability reasons.
Ari please tell me correct tire pressure for ktm rc390 metzelers sportec m5 street use mostly!
Hi there i have a triumph street triple 660 2015 model. i check the owners manual, they say put recommended pressure and there's none. check the street triple if there a sticker for the recommended pressure and there's none as well. at the moment i put 40 psi front and back.
What was the specific brand of gauge you used Ari? Inquiring minds want to know.
Hi there my owners manual says under load condition rear 0-90kg 29psi and 90-190kg 41 psi so do i load only those two exact values or can i go in between say 35psi as I sometimes pillion my mom and girlfriend lol thanks and i love all this videos wish i found them a lot sooner as i feel like an idiot with bikes
how to confirm , if the tyre pressure sticker is wornout and no way to find out the exact pressure required , is there any universal method to find the psi ? ty
I'm a little worried that the recommended tire pressure in the manual is the same as the maximum tire pressure written on the tire. It should be way lower right?
I hadn’t checked my pressure since I got new tires (about 3 months) I was at 26psi front and 35 rear - I felt unconfident in my stability in corners, always felt like it was going to kick out, and handled weirdly...
Just inflated and damn it feels completely different, a lot more planted, confident and handling is amazing
any advice on tire pressure for a track day? I've heard people throw out random numbers but what is the right way to set tire pressure for the track?
Sure: tires still need pressure when at the track.
You're welcome.
Hi quick question is N2 better than air for the tyres?
Tire pressure is part of your TCLOCKS. OK maybe I didn’t get that perfect however, the first thing I did this morning was check my tire pressure on my 2021 Kawasaki Z 900 RS café. If you would’ve asked me to check my tire pressure 15 years ago I wouldn’t have even known what you were talking about LOL but now I’m educated now we have CZcams
Should I drop some tire pressure on a cold and wet roads during rains?
thk y simple explanation
What would be tire pressure for back n front on a Ducati 2015 1299s ?
For a dirt bike shod i run what dunlop recommended (12-14) or shod i run what you recommended.
My dirt bike does not have a recommendation for tire pressure.
Whats the right psi pressure for Diablo Rosso III , the front size is 120/70 ZR 17 and back is 160/60 ZR17 ?
Does Nitrogen filled tyre really make a signifucant difference compared to compressed air filled one???
Can You please tell me the perfect tire pressure for ktm rc390 on metzeler sportec m5 ..........
nice video but failed to mention the need to add tyre pressure when carrying pillion etc... You can also get valve caps that warn you if pressures are dropping by showing green, yellow & red - most of the time you can just tell by looking at them if they are low. You can also get valve adapters that change the angle of the stem so you can fit cheaper pressure gauges easier or simply do what most people do and physically pull them over.
my dealer put 45lbs in both tires on my new zx6r 2024 (raven killer edition) is this too much air? and yea thats the cold temp
So regardless of thr tire size and brand, stick to manufacturers recommendation?
Is higher or lower pressure best for hitting sand on pavement ?
I have fallen.
Lots of hidden sand here on pavement.
Please advise.
id say lower is vetter but you just want to be upright and not in a huge lean when you hit that sand,if you straight and just driving through it,dont grip the hadlebars too strong and let the bike find the path through it,it might wiggle on its own fron side to side,hold it steady but not too stiff,maybe stand up a little so all your weight is on those footpegs,that should help with center of gravity,and dont be jerky on the throttle.Idk what pressures you use but try 35/35 and see how it feels,if you want it more nimble and easier to lean then maybe 37 37 ,im still experimenting with 37 37 so do 35 35 for yourself
Can I follow the written psi on my tire instead? i noticed that there are different psi written on each of every tire depending on its brand