Tire Pressure
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 651
Likes: 72
From: Harleysville, PA
Question: How often do you regulate tire pressure? I am one for safety, originally (first year) checked my tire pressure before every ride.
After a year of no changes, I now check pressure beginning of each season, mid season & before winter storage although I never needed to add any air. Now at 5 years 14,000 miles same thing!
Although got a flat on the rear tire over the weekend, (picked up a nail) so there goes a perfect record lol.
B Bop
2012 FLHR (Road King) Ember Red Sunglo & Merlo
Cruise Control, ABS, Chrome Aluminum Profile Laced Spoke Tubeless Wheels, Security Package, Saddle Bag LED Lid Spoilers, and an array of accessories that enhances nostalgic appearance & blood curdling performance.
To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.
After a year of no changes, I now check pressure beginning of each season, mid season & before winter storage although I never needed to add any air. Now at 5 years 14,000 miles same thing!
Although got a flat on the rear tire over the weekend, (picked up a nail) so there goes a perfect record lol.
B Bop
2012 FLHR (Road King) Ember Red Sunglo & Merlo
Cruise Control, ABS, Chrome Aluminum Profile Laced Spoke Tubeless Wheels, Security Package, Saddle Bag LED Lid Spoilers, and an array of accessories that enhances nostalgic appearance & blood curdling performance.
To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.
Last edited by B Bop; Jul 11, 2017 at 03:19 PM.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,776
Likes: 2,252
From: wet coast BC
as above, why are you just adding 2 to the front, the weight is on the back tire.
I agree with 38/42, have you found a reason to drop to 40 solo?
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 283
Likes: 44
From: WV
Just from what I have read on the internet while researching the subject a few years ago. I don't always drop it, if its a short ride I just leave it at 42 and really, can't tell any difference in the ride. Probably wouldn't matter if I ran 42 all the time but just what I got in a habit of doing and started getting another 800 to 1K out of my rear tire after increasing the pressure.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,776
Likes: 2,252
From: wet coast BC
Just from what I have read on the internet while researching the subject a few years ago. I don't always drop it, if its a short ride I just leave it at 42 and really, can't tell any difference in the ride. Probably wouldn't matter if I ran 42 all the time but just what I got in a habit of doing and started getting another 800 to 1K out of my rear tire after increasing the pressure.
BTW, have not cupped a tire since the 2lb increase.
I did have it at 44 rear once loaded down and found no issue. I have also lost a rear tire with low pressure on one long trip, but that was due to a f=defective tire gauge telling me I was at right pressure.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,730
Likes: 199
From: Vancouver BC
Question: How often do you regulate tire pressure? I am one for safety, originally (first year) checked my tire pressure before every ride.
After a year of no changes, I now check pressure beginning of each season, mid season & before winter storage although I never needed to add any air. Now at 5 years 14,000 miles same thing!
Although got a flat on the rear tire over the weekend, (picked up a nail) so there goes a perfect record lol.
B Bop
2012 FLHR (Road King) Ember Red Sunglo & Merlo
Cruise Control, ABS, Chrome Aluminum Profile Laced Spoke Tubeless Wheels, Security Package, Saddle Bag LED Lid Spoilers, and an array of accessories that enhances nostalgic appearance & blood curdling performance.
To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.
After a year of no changes, I now check pressure beginning of each season, mid season & before winter storage although I never needed to add any air. Now at 5 years 14,000 miles same thing!
Although got a flat on the rear tire over the weekend, (picked up a nail) so there goes a perfect record lol.
B Bop
2012 FLHR (Road King) Ember Red Sunglo & Merlo
Cruise Control, ABS, Chrome Aluminum Profile Laced Spoke Tubeless Wheels, Security Package, Saddle Bag LED Lid Spoilers, and an array of accessories that enhances nostalgic appearance & blood curdling performance.
To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 651
Likes: 72
From: Harleysville, PA
No not using nitrogen, are you running tubes?
For the life of me cannot understand why motorcycle tires generally do not hold their air well. My automobile tires never needs air either.
My old kicker for work 1999 Grand Cherokee has a slow leak on one tire but I know it's a bad valve stem, putting it off for few months as it will need tires soon.
Buuuuut I'm amazed how often riders need to add air.
B Bop
2012 FLHR (Road King) Ember Red Sunglo & Merlo
Cruise Control, ABS, Chrome Aluminum Profile Laced Spoke Tubeless Wheels, Security Package, Saddle Bag LED Lid Spoilers, and an array of accessories that enhances nostalgic appearance & blood curdling performance.
It appears everything in my life sucks, except for my vacuum cleaner. WDB
For the life of me cannot understand why motorcycle tires generally do not hold their air well. My automobile tires never needs air either.
My old kicker for work 1999 Grand Cherokee has a slow leak on one tire but I know it's a bad valve stem, putting it off for few months as it will need tires soon.
Buuuuut I'm amazed how often riders need to add air.
B Bop
2012 FLHR (Road King) Ember Red Sunglo & Merlo
Cruise Control, ABS, Chrome Aluminum Profile Laced Spoke Tubeless Wheels, Security Package, Saddle Bag LED Lid Spoilers, and an array of accessories that enhances nostalgic appearance & blood curdling performance.
It appears everything in my life sucks, except for my vacuum cleaner. WDB
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,730
Likes: 199
From: Vancouver BC
Bigger volume in car or truck tires means less change in psi do to conditions. With 2 tires and far less volume the pressures become not only more likely to change but have a greater impact if they do. If your pressures never change, well that's interesting but hopefully you stay on top of them anyway.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 6,175
Likes: 1,966
From: Great State of Canada
I just had Dunlop American Elite tires put on my 98 Electra Glide. Dealer set tire pressure at 36 front and 40 rear. We are leaving on a 4500 mile ride later this week. We will be fully loaded top and sides plus our total people weight is about 330 lbs. One other factor is that we will be riding west where the temps have been in the high 90s. Any recommendations as to adjusting the tire pressures for this trip. Thanks in advance.
This topic tends to be over-thought quite a bit. There is some fairly significant pressure leeway when it comes to tires. Hand wringing over 1-2 psi adjustments, which no doubt would tax the accuracies of commercial pressure gauges anyway, ("reading" error is at least +- 1 in most), isn't worth the attention it seems to get.
Visually check your tires as part of your pre-ride check and check pre-ride pressure "for consistency". You're good to go.
FWIW, (which isn't much since my ride is so much different from yours), On my 2014 BO I run a 120 front tire and a 250 rear with 36 psi in both. This has proved optimum for me. I didn't arrive at these pressures in an arbitrary way. There is a method. Without getting into it, you'll do just fine with your Dealer's pressures. The real point is that these are tires, not surgical equipment, and they aren't as sensitive to incremental pressure changes as people like to think. The probable reason for all the pressure apprehension is that whenever a tire does fail, no matter the ultimate reason, the first thing the rep. / salesman is gonna blame is "pressures" because that's a customer responsibility. Pump your tires as hard as you like, thats no absolute guarantee they won't fail,, any more than running em "a bit" on the soft side is any guarantee they will. As a rule of thumb, when you measure cold pressure and then measure hot pressure, the difference should fall within 10-15 % of cold pressure.
Last edited by HKMark23; Jul 12, 2017 at 08:07 AM.
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 76
Likes: 21
From: Michigan
I have always run the pressure recommended in my owners manual and have always gotten reasonable life from my tires with no unusual wear patterns. One up, two up, and fully loaded. My feeling is that a couple of psi difference one way or the other will not have a significant effect. More than that I'm not so sure.
Note:The person with only one tire pressure gauge will always know exactly what pressure is in his tires, the person with two gauges will never be quite sure.
Note:The person with only one tire pressure gauge will always know exactly what pressure is in his tires, the person with two gauges will never be quite sure.