Air pressure effect on tire wear

[denydog]

I run the tires with the highest pressure recommendation because I am 6'6" and weigh 300lbs. Plus my wife rides along alot. :-D

Exactly!

NO FEUDING ALLOWED

Sorry, I try not to get too testy, and just ignore certain responses. It's tough though when someone starts with up with the "nobody else agrees with you" and "you've made up your mind that your always right" stuff. But maybe that's a better reason to ignore it.

[Boondocks]

I don't know that nobody else agrees with me. I didn't ask everyone and I'm not taking your word for it.

Oh yeah, apparently Suzuki agrees with me, because it's their recommendations that I'm following. But ya, let's write them off, they only designed the motorcycle and specified the tires. Lets follow some obscure web links instead.

Don't take my word for it. Read this thread again, and search the internet. Maybe you can find someone that will agree with you. The "obscure" links that I provided are top hits on Google. There's nothing wrong with following Suzuki's recommendations, but they are not the best source of information on tire performance.

How Tires Work. Nice link! I wasn't trying to redefine overinflation. I was trying to explain to you what I meant by over inflation, as in over inflated per the vehicle manufacturers recommendation, but you missed it. Over inflated to the tire manufacturers maximum inflation pressure is not the same thing. Where did you get the impression that I was recommending under inflated tires anyway? I've been supporting the recommended inflation pressure as found in your manual for the most part. I just think it's generally wrong to pump em up to the max pressure on the sidewall. But if you like it, OK.

I didn't miss it. It's better to have one definition that everyone understands, rather than one unexplained different explanation. My comment about underinflated tires was a general statement, and had nothing to do with you. For what it's worth, I don't always inflate my tires to the max pressure on the sidewall, but run higher pressures than the manual. Normal pressure for my bike according to the manual would be 25 psi front and 28 psi rear, far too low for best tire life and performance.

Nice try anyway, but those car tire links did not address my points at all, so were pretty irrelevent. I know for instance that under inflated tires will perform poorly in the rain. But I never suggested anyone should under inflated tires. I'm only suggesting adjusting the inflation pressure to the load (recommendations) rather than blindly using the tire's max pressure limit.

The car links directly addressed your misunderstandings and were relevant to someone who is willing to learn. Underinflated tires in rain was not the point of the link, and I think you know that. The fact is that tires run at higher than "normal" factory recommended pressures will perform better in the rain. Why continue to ignore advice and evidence from authoritative sources that tire pressure recommendations from manufacturers are usually geared to comfort, not safety, long life and gas mileage? Why pretend that blind adherence to manufacturer's recommendations is the last word in tire inflation practice, in spite of empirical evidence and expert tire advice to the contrary all over the internet?

And a link to competition car tire recomendations for temporarily increasing pressure for racing in the rain? What is that about.

It's about the fact that increased tire pressure works better in the rain to prevent aquaplaning and improve traction. I think that you know that, but won't admit it.

And that link on wear patterns, recommending tire pressure for a Honda Valkyrie and VTX to reduce uneven wear and cupping. Like I'm going to just follow that. What, those bikes must weigh 700 lbs, and I don't even have uneven wear and cupping.

If you read the first part of that link, you will notice that they recommend that Honda's recommended motorcycle tire pressures not be used, as they are too low for best performance and extended tire life. If you got nothing else from that link, you should have learned that.

Maybe you didn't think I'd read your links? BTW- I can show you links that show that space people are living among us.

Right! You think I assembled a bunch of links with false information just to win an argument with you. How ludicrous.

And I haven't seen the source, but Pirelli giving a blanket inflation recommendation for tires that may be used on motorcycles that can easily vary in bike and rider weight by 200 lbs or more? Sound a little too much like "one size fits all". I try to be a little carefull what I believe, it may have come from the marketing department.

The source is the 2.87 MB PDF 2007 Pirelli Full-Line Tire Guide on page 21. My first reference used the 2006 guide which had some misaligned columns. The Pirelli information should read:

TIRE PRESSURE
Always inflate tires to the correct tire pressure as indicated in the owner?s manual. However Pirelli US has found the air pressure suggestions listed below will improve mileage and customer satisfaction...

...Sport Touring 130/90 rear:***solo 36-38 psi***2-up light 38-40 psi***2-up heavy 40-42 psi...

The above are the Pirelli RECOMMENDED MINIMUM TIRE PRESSURES

Also stated in the fitment guide:

NOTE: Pressures shown include the minimum and maximum for each Pirelli tire. Running higher pressures up to the maximum on the sidewall will increase mileage.

The recommended range for our bikes would be about min/max 32/42 psi front and 36/42 psi rear.

And why, pray tell, would the Pirelli marketing department give a sh!t about tire pressure recommendations? Pirelli knows a lot about tires and inflation pressures for best performance, and you don't.

I think I'm always right? Where did that come from. I'm only right this time! It's only an opinion.

You've proved my point. You never seem to let facts get in the way of your beliefs and opinions, and present spurious arguments to deny facts. You don't seem willing to learn anything. The technical forum is about learning and facts, not having the last word and winning arguments with a strategy of evasiveness and denial.

Oh, and for point of reference, saving a few bucks on gas and tire mileage are not my top priorities, ride and handling are. I'm going out to lower my tire pressures now, after having bumped them up for 500 miles of high speed riding I did this weekend. Load and speed my man. One size does not fit all.

I'm not your man, so don't patronize me. Lowering tire pressures will give you a softer ride but will not improve handling. Your belatedly surreptitious admission of the effect of higher tire pressures on tire mileage contradicts your previous stance in your earlier post:

I don't buy the better traction in rain, or the longer tire life. How can running the tire on a narrower contact patch lessen wear? It seems like it would accelerate wear down the centerline of the tire, by causing wear to be concentrated to a smaller area....

I spend a lot of time and effort to research and provide verifiable facts to help people are open to learning, not those that cavil and deny facts with obstinate arguments.

[denydog]

Wow! Touched a nerve, did I? :-D

[Giblet]

Wow! Touched a nerve, did I? :-D

How do you think I feel? I just asked an innocent question (or so I thought) and touched off the Hatfield & McCoy feued. OK, you boys kiss & make up, er uh, never mind on the kiss thing. No one wants to see that :shock: . Just make up. Good thing I didn't mention oil or octane ratings \\/ .

[denydog]

Ya, I can't believe you started this mess

And yes, it feels like it's been taken to a personal level, with the multiple comments, including the ones around my unwillingness to "learn". That pretty much ends the tire inflation discussion as far as I'm concerned. That stuff doesn't belong here (in my opinion ).

I have no problem with Boondocks having a different opinion than mine. I'm just a little disappointed after the fact, in his inability, without trying to demean me, to accept that I just have a different opinion. Makes a guy kind of hesitant to post an opinion (not really)

[salty_monk]

One thing all my track time driving cars taught me was that within reason tyre pressure is not nearly so important as you might think unless you are right at the limit.

This is also true on road bikes & mountain bikes.

I can't believe it's so far different on a GS (although I'm a new rider...)

Too much can be almost as bad as too little but having them higher is safer than the other way.

Personally I ride the high speed solo Suzuki pressures all the time which work out about the same as Pirelli's minimum quoted figure & also matches the low speed two up figure (for when I have the wife onboard - she won't do speed...). For me it's the best compromise. I'm 165 & the wife is about 90lb so it's less of an issue than for some.

Dan

[Guest]

Not that I'm taking sides because that's not my style. I've known Philip (Boondocks) for a couple of years since he bought some items off me from Ebay.
Whenever I have a question about where to buy or how something works I pm him and always get a well researched and articulate response.
I feel he gets upset because he does spend alot of time researching a subject before commenting on it.
Arrogance and confidence are two different things. I'm not calling anyone arrogant but I feel Philip is very confident in what he says.

But one things for sure I wouldn't want to be on the other side of an argument with him!

[denydog]

Thanks for that information, and I wouldn't want anyone to take sides. It was just a difference of opinion as far as I'm concerned.