Harley Davidson Forums

General Harley Davidson Chat Forum to discuss general Harley Davidson issues, topics, and experiences.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Tire pressure calculation

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Aug 15, 2010 | 01:06 PM
Share
  #1  
tuckertaft's Avatar
tuckertaft
Thread Starter
|
4th Gear
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Default Tire pressure calculation
I ride a HD Electra Glide Ultra Limited. In the H D owner manual, it is stated the front tire should be at 36 psi and the back tire 40 psi at cold. I live in Texas and am wondering if I should factor the heat in because the pressure will rise some with the heat or should I start out at the recommended pressures 36 / 40 psi,? Facebook friends who ride, if you would also give me your opinion.

Thanks for helping.

Mark
 
Old Aug 15, 2010 | 01:14 PM
Share
  #2  
ROMPUS's Avatar
ROMPUS
Road Master
15 Year Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 932
Likes: 3
From: Tuscaloosa Alabama
Default
that would be the starting out pressures.
 
Old Aug 15, 2010 | 05:52 PM
Share
  #3  
SleeplessinVegas's Avatar
SleeplessinVegas
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,581
Likes: 1
From: Vegas
Default
You should be good with those prressurs as long as you check them before they are hot (Morning). Never has a problem with Vegasheatv with vehicle or bike pressures checked cold.
 
Old Aug 15, 2010 | 06:38 PM
Share
  #4  
roadking2000's Avatar
roadking2000
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,498
Likes: 128
Default
Originally Posted by tuckertaft
I ride a HD Electra Glide Ultra Limited. In the H D owner manual, it is stated the front tire should be at 36 psi and the back tire 40 psi at cold. I live in Texas and am wondering if I should factor the heat in because the pressure will rise some with the heat or should I start out at the recommended pressures 36 / 40 psi,? Facebook friends who ride, if you would also give me your opinion.

Thanks for helping.

Mark
The cold pressure on a tire is the pressure when the tire is at air temperature. Your tires heat up when they roll across the pavement and pressure should be checked before you ride. Here is a copy of the best explanation for checking tire pressure I have found:

"And when should you check the tire pressure? You should check it when the tire is cold. That doesn't mean you need to move to International Falls, Minn., to check your tire pressure. Cold, in this sense, simply means that your tires are at air temperature. You can check tire pressure any time of the day, as long as the tires have been sitting for a few hours or haven't been driven for more than a few miles. In other words, you can drive to the gas station a few blocks away and check the pressure, but don't expect to pull off the highway after driving for an hour and expect to get an accurate reading."
 
Old Aug 15, 2010 | 07:24 PM
Share
  #5  
32vld's Avatar
32vld
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,210
Likes: 1
From: LI, NY
Default
Cold pressure means that the heat raising the tire pressure has already been factored in to the cold pressure specification.

 
Old Aug 15, 2010 | 09:02 PM
Share
  #6  
Dumper 89's Avatar
Dumper 89
Novice
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
Default
You should look around and find a tire shop that has nitrogen and have your tires filled with it. Nitrogen keeps a more constant pressure and reduces tire wear.
 
Old Aug 15, 2010 | 09:27 PM
Share
  #7  
oct1949's Avatar
oct1949
Club Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 145,895
Likes: 821
From: 40 miles Northeast of Indy..
Default
Cold is before riding...

Hot is after riding it for a while...

never seen the ambiance temp averaged in for the pressure reading
 

Trending Topics

Old Aug 16, 2010 | 10:46 AM
Share
  #8  
mongoose's Avatar
mongoose
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 297
Likes: 0
From:
Default
Originally Posted by Dumper 89
You should look around and find a tire shop that has nitrogen and have your tires filled with it. Nitrogen keeps a more constant pressure and reduces tire wear.
nonsense.
 
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Aug 16, 2010 | 10:59 AM
Share
  #9  
800XC SP's Avatar
800XC SP
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 278
Likes: 2
From: Suamico, WI (Green Bay)
Default
Originally Posted by mongoose
nonsense.
agree
 
Old Aug 16, 2010 | 11:03 AM
Share
  #10  
Rick-e's Avatar
Rick-e
Road Master
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 935
Likes: 2
From: Upstate NY
Default
Originally Posted by Dumper 89
You should look around and find a tire shop that has nitrogen and have your tires filled with it. Nitrogen keeps a more constant pressure and reduces tire wear.
Yes this is nonsense, air is 80% nitrogen anyway. "Premium air" anyone?
 



Advanced Search
Reply Closed Thread Share
Forum Jump

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:38 PM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE