• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

Max pressure ratings and real life application

  • Thread starter Thread starter JEEPRUSTY
  • Start date Start date
J

JEEPRUSTY

Guest
My natty new hoop ( us cool types call tires hoops ) has a max psi at 42
that is with a max load of 6 hundred and some pounds

Do that mean with my 420 dry bike plus fuel and fat bastard driver should get a very high PSI?

My chassis sticker says 32 IIRC.
 
You should use the 10% rule. Start with cold tires, inflate to xx psi, ride until tire is hot, check pressure again. It should increase 10%.
For example, I run 32 psi front, 36 psi rear. It increases around 10% after they get hot.
 
Im going to do that 10 per cent rule if it ever stops raining.

This was the easiest tire mounting I have ever done. Put the dot beside the heaviest spot which was just a few degrees away from the stem.

And no more that 35 PSI and POP POP and away we go.

I really need to make a balancing stand as its seems my heavy spot has moved a fifth of a turn or so.
 
I run my GS1000E at about 26 front, 31 rear,
I run my GS1100E at about 25 front, 31 rear,
with those pressures and my 175lb frame and Avon Roadriders, I get good traction, handling, and I don't feel every pebble in the road.
With my GS1100E I was experiencing a problem with it going all over the road, especially with a little crosswind, that all disappeared when I dropped the front wheel tire pressure a couple of pounds, now it tracks straight and true, it's nice not having to fight it anymore to keep going straight down the road. What I should've done was look at the manufacturers recommended tire pressures in the first place.
 
I have been using 36 front 38 rear on my bike with Shinko 230 TourMasters. No apparent wear on the front, good feedback and expected wear on the rear. Should be changing the back tire at about a season and a half riding.
 
On my 83 GS 550 ES I inflate to Suzuki manual and sticker recommendations. Front 16" tyre @ 28psi and rear 18"tyre @32psi. Pressures worked perfectly with Sport Demons installed. Pressures worked when I weighed 200lbs. and still now at 162lbs. I found higher psi resulted in poor grip and harsh suspension action compromising handling.Your results may vary like my weight did:eek:
 
It all depends on your weight, and more importantly, your riding style. I personally discount recommendations made 30 years ago on tire technology that is now 30 years old. I trust the 10% rule a lot more and it works for me. The 10% Rule
YMMV.
 
Damn well the tire is on and Noah next door is building a large boat.

Reading the lowdone on the 10% rule now.


Thanks for all the input guys.
 
Read the 10% rule but was wondering if justing riding on a mostly straight road would work and about how long would that take. We have a 65 mph state highway road I can ride on. Will that work?
 
I went and applied the 10% rule and adjusted my tire pressure from 36 front 38 rear to 33 front 38.5 rear. I wasn't too far off on the previous guess. I'm running 110/90 front and 130/90 rear tires.
 
Last edited:
32 cold on my new rear went to 36 warm

not hot but warm and not uncomfortably warm


so I reduce pressure?
 
JEEPRUSTY said:
32 cold on my new rear went to 36 warm

not hot but warm and not uncomfortably warm


so I reduce pressure?
Click to expand...


No -- 4psi is a 12.5% increase, so you're very close. But you might try bumping your cold reading up a wee bit. Maybe try 33 psi.

Of course, when you're talking about 1psi differences, it's within the error range of most gauges, so 32 is pretty darn close.


As Koolaid noted above, the recommendations on the sticker on the bike were based on tires from ancient history. And the pressure listed on the tires is a maximum, not a recommendation.

The truth lies somewhere in between, and for street riding on modern tires, the 10% rule is an easy and accurate way to find it.
 
Last edited:
It is amazing how much tyre pressure can increase, when warm.
I just bought an old drag bike and, since I had the front fender off, I noticed that the tyre had expanded to the point that it had rubbed on the bottom of the fender.
 
If the weight being carried on the tire is the max weight allowed, the max air should be run. Any less air at that weight would be bad. Less weight on the tire requires less air. We ride around at maybe 2/3 of the rated weight, so around 2/3 of the max air pressure is a good ballpark to be in. The 10% rule is great. It's not all that critical. What is critical is that you don't run them low. Pressure too high means a harsh ride, maybe a bit less traction, slightly better gas mileage and tire life. Nothing too hazardous. Too low means dented rims, fast wearing tires, ill handling, falling down, sudden tire failures, maybe even some death and destruction. However you determine your correct tire pressure, don't get lazy and run them low.

At least step on the rim to see if it's gone flat before you get on. Also learn what the bike feels like when the tire pressures are low, so you can recognise the onset of a leak before a nail or something bites you on the ass.
 
tkent02 said:
At least step on the rim to see if it's gone flat before you get on. Also learn what the bike feels like when the tire pressures are low, so you can recognise the onset of a leak before a nail or something bites you on the ass.
Click to expand...

It really helps to know what it feels like when your pressure is low, so you anticipate problems. Even in your cage you will notice the effect on the steering.
 
Contact the tire manufactor to get the correct pressurs for your type of riding. Having considerable track experience each mf will be different, and by a considerable amount. Some tires add more psi when warm than others. And 1 pound can make a difference.
 
I ride with mine at about 32/36 too... Been meaning to do the 10% test for years, one of those get round to it things!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top