FXST/FXSTB owners
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 301
Likes: 7
From: NORTH CAROLINA
Owners manual for 06 fxst says 30 front and 38 rear for driver only and 42 rear with passenger. That's what i run all the time without issues. **note...front has a tendency to look low due to the tire construction. I had to get used to the look myself. I hear frequent remarks from other bikers saying my front tire looks low. That's the looks.
May our Moderator Rest in Peace
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 11,386
Likes: 35
From: Rochester, NY
Run what the manual says 30/38 solo and 30/42 two up (or loaded for trip).
Putting more air in a tire than is called for is not a good deal. Less rubber on the road means reduced braking efficiency and a greater tendency for the tire to bounce over bumps and loose traction.
BTW The MAX tire pressure marked on the side of the tire is just that, a MAXIMUM pressure rating for that particular model of tire. Running higher pressures than that drastically increase the chances for a catastrophic blowout.
Think of it this way. If the ultimate blowout pressure were to be say 100psi and you hit a bump that compresses the tire to double its pressure (very easy to so with a pothole even at slow speeds) that jacks up the pressure of a 40psi tire up to 80psi. leaving you with only a 50% safety margin and that doesn't account for tire heating from riding. With the tire at its normal tire pressure of 30psi, doubling it puts it up to 60psi and still leaves you with a 133% safety margin.
Chrome Junkie,
You FLSTC bike has a much larger size front tire on it so it needs higher pressures in it to maintain its crossectional shape in turns rather than 'roll under' causing severe handling problems.
Putting more air in a tire than is called for is not a good deal. Less rubber on the road means reduced braking efficiency and a greater tendency for the tire to bounce over bumps and loose traction.
BTW The MAX tire pressure marked on the side of the tire is just that, a MAXIMUM pressure rating for that particular model of tire. Running higher pressures than that drastically increase the chances for a catastrophic blowout.
Think of it this way. If the ultimate blowout pressure were to be say 100psi and you hit a bump that compresses the tire to double its pressure (very easy to so with a pothole even at slow speeds) that jacks up the pressure of a 40psi tire up to 80psi. leaving you with only a 50% safety margin and that doesn't account for tire heating from riding. With the tire at its normal tire pressure of 30psi, doubling it puts it up to 60psi and still leaves you with a 133% safety margin.
Chrome Junkie,
You FLSTC bike has a much larger size front tire on it so it needs higher pressures in it to maintain its crossectional shape in turns rather than 'roll under' causing severe handling problems.
Last edited by In Memoriam Citoriplus; May 4, 2009 at 07:31 AM.
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