Think about getting a new seat to improve comfort. Stock seats on Sportsters can be hard riding. Corbin, Mustang, Le Pera, etc. may offer some solutions.

 

I completely disagree!!!! Tires are, literally where the rubber meets the road. No component has a bigger effect on bike performance than the tires. They are game for change every bit as much as shocks and springs. But hey, if you want to spend money on other things first - go ahead.

 

Schwingding, you are an experienced rider and have track experience. For a less experienced rider, messing with tire pressure could put them on the ground. Track racing, experienced rider, that's a different deal from most riders. Someone who wants a softer ride might not be as experienced a rider and as able to deal with the subtleties of handing changes brought on by adjusting tire pressure.

My bike behaves differently at +-3 pounds, so I like to keep it right where I want it, which happens to be at the manual recommended pressure. If tires get a little soft the bike wallows in a way that I don't like. I check tire pressure cold, in the AM, before I go out, so they aren't heated up from riding. I don't go with the sidewall numbers. I read the manual and use that info.

That was the basis for my reply. No disrespect intended.

 

You have a valid point. However, a softer ride can be had, WITH performance gains and stability, by simply dropping the pressure a little. It can also screw things up. It might not be so easy to tell the difference for a newbie. I had this experience on my sporty - a 50 mph right hand curve that I took every single day I rode my bike had a dip in it near a drain that would cause my bike to lose its balance and screw up my nice turn, every time. After discussing it with my pro racing buddy, and applying his suggestion for dropping the pressure by about 8 pounds to start, that turn not only smoothed out, but I could hit it at about 10 mph faster than prior. I did have enough experience to know exactly how my bike would respond to a specific condition and the ability to judge a tire pressure change's effect on the bike.

Overall, I'd just like people to know that tire pressure changes are a perfectly acceptable place to 1. get a softer ride (to a degree), and 2. to get performance gains, occasionally both. Seems not many folks know this, or how to judge whether you're doing it right. Conceded.

 

When you run with less than ideal air pressure in your tires, you change the sidewall flex AND the convex profile of the tire. Since motorcycles rely on camber induced steering to turn round a corner, the profile of the tire and sufficient side wall stiffness are crucial. Too little tire pressure tire can affect cornering in odd, scary ways.

 

I think we would all agree on this.

 

I agree with you here with slight/small changes in air pressure.....But someone with no experience attemping to lower air pressure could go to far. Know whatI mean?

 

+1 - Playing with small pressure changes of 2 or 3 pounds is fine. Let's face it, there's a significant difference in gross bike load between a 110 lb female and a 210 lb male solo rider, and small adjustments + or- from the recommended spec are acceptable.

However, running a stock tire 10 pounds (26%) under the recommended pressure in an attempt to get a softer ride is foolish.

The OP has a ride quality issue because he installed shocks that make the bike look cool instead of shocks that function well. You don't fix that by running the tires way under inflated which in turn creates dangerous handling issues.

 

Off base there... The bike came with the shorty shocks. And I don't remember saying anywhere anything about "way under inflated..." And because I'm new to this forum doesn't mean I'm new to bikes. Way too many assumptions.

Simple question. Simple answer. Two or three pound difference. I've ridden on bikes in ages past with little to no pressure, because I don't like to lose. Nearly every time I destroyed the rim and the tire, but I almost always finished the race.

And lastly, everybody seems to have an opinion about what is and isn't cool. Different strokes for different folks.

Bottom line is, if people keep beating up on OPs, pretty soon you all will be talking to yourselves.

 

my tire pressure doesnt bother me I just keep it t my recomended 40ish