Winter tire pressures?
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6th Gear
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 13
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From: Salt Lake City
Winter tire pressures?
Quick (dumb) question on tire pressures in cold air . . . When I winterized a Street Glide a couple of months ago, I brought the tires to 36 / 40 lbs. on the front and back at about 50° outside. We're having a really dry winter and so the bike came back out. It's about 25 in the morning and the pressure is showing at 32 / 36 lbs. I'm sure the cold temps compressed the tire air, but I'm not sure whether they should be brought back up to their regular levels or left alone. (They do pick up about 2 lbs. as they warm up with riding.) Any suggestions are appreciated.
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,191
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From: North East, MD
It wouldn't hurt anything to up the tire pressures but when it warms up again they may read higher then spec. Personally I'd leave them alone because when the road and tires are that cold you have lower traction so getting a bit of heat in the tires from the flex due to the lower pressure would actually be a good thing.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,623
Likes: 6,442
From: Honah Lee
Always check and adjust tire pressure when they are at outside ambient temperature before riding if you check them. Be it car or bike. A bike is even harder then a car to really just eyeball them. And obvious more important then a car not necessarily about a couple lbs but to watch out for a change indicating a leak.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Jan 18, 2018 at 09:22 AM.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,674
Likes: 84
From: New Jersey
Quick (dumb) question on tire pressures in cold air . . . When I winterized a Street Glide a couple of months ago, I brought the tires to 36 / 40 lbs. on the front and back at about 50° outside. We're having a really dry winter and so the bike came back out. It's about 25 in the morning and the pressure is showing at 32 / 36 lbs. I'm sure the cold temps compressed the tire air, but I'm not sure whether they should be brought back up to their regular levels or left alone. (They do pick up about 2 lbs. as they warm up with riding.) Any suggestions are appreciated.
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 151
Likes: 6
From: Austin, Texas
I recently installed a set of the Michelin Commander II at my local indy shop and the Michelin rep had just been there showing the guys videos and other info on tire heat and air pressure level etc. The rep stated that they should advise riders to inflate tires 2 lbs above factory recommended - so 38 front & 42 rear.
I have to say that I'm not sure I like the way that feels, now it could be that I went from OEM Dunlops with 12k miles on them so pretty flattened out to these new tires but I feel that the bike swims all over the lane and it takes VERY little effort to move from side to side and into turns.....maybe that's a good thing and I just need to get used to not having to muscle the bike into turns?
Anyway, the rep said it helps with the friction heat that can destroy tires and cause pre-mature wear & cupping
I have to say that I'm not sure I like the way that feels, now it could be that I went from OEM Dunlops with 12k miles on them so pretty flattened out to these new tires but I feel that the bike swims all over the lane and it takes VERY little effort to move from side to side and into turns.....maybe that's a good thing and I just need to get used to not having to muscle the bike into turns?
Anyway, the rep said it helps with the friction heat that can destroy tires and cause pre-mature wear & cupping
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