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.

 

That pressure should be right on the money. Usually 38 front 40 rear.


Don't adjust the air pressure in the tires for weight. If you have air shocks you might wanna check that pressure. Fully loaded I usually run at 40# in the rear on my 13 ultra. 50# is the max pressure, but, Don't use a compressor, just a hand pump.

 

I would add a few lbs to the front. Rear should be OK.

 

What is max psi rating on the AE tires? If youre going to gross out GAWR's I would go with tire max or close to it. Weight with lower pressures will flex the carcass more, this means increased heat.
Some here will say the owners manual will say blah blah, but the reality of things is; those numbers are fine as long as the tires on the bike are the same tires that came from the factory. Different brands/sizes have different psi specs.
Ive been a wrench for 40+ years and have owned a trucking business, the heavier the load, the higher the air pressure should be up to tire maximum.

 

Agreed. Sounds like you'll be near the rating on the tires, so go with what's listed on the tires.

 

I get best tire wear on Michelin commanders running 38 front 42 rear when 2up touring and change rear to 40 when solo.

 

Always go with what the manual says to go with. Never read to vary from that for any reason anywhere.

 

HEAT will weaken a tire to failure. An under inflated tire is a dangerous heat generator due to excess flexing friction the manufacturer didn't allow for. If you make any error with tire pressure, a bit too much is far better than a bit too little. A hot tire also wears faster than a cooler one. If your 1/3 worn tire blows out and you survive, you won't be much concerned that you might have gotten a few hundred extra miles out of it had been inflated "perfectly" at all times. A slightly over inflated tire runs much cooler than an under inflated one. Personal technique that has never let me down: I run max side wall pressure PLUS a few psi because my gauge is not calibrated and if it shows more than I really have, I have a safety pad. If you live in the mountains and go to the valley or the plains, your tire pressure will drop. Your gauge really shows the difference between atmospheric pressure (at your elevation, about 14.7 psi at sea level) and the pressure in your tire. If you live near sea level and go to the mountains, your tire pressure will rise a bit as your altitude increases. If you are OCD and correct for altitude, when you go home your tires will be under inflated OR you will need to remember to add more air. Run the max or a little more and don't worry. Your tires will run cooler. If you run exactly the "correct" pressure, if you get a small puncture or go to a lower elevation you will be instantly under inflated, the more dangerous of the two options.
Opinions will vary, and everybody has one.

 

Harley fail to adequately advise us on tyre pressures IMHO. A very heavy rider, or riding 2-up, or fully loaded all require suitable adjustments. For my Glide I have three pressure settings, one for solo, another for 2-up and a third for fully loaded, when touring. In that third configuration we are close to max GVWL. I use Avon tyres, which use higher than stock pressures, so my numbers won't suit anyone else.

For a heavy rider I would add a couple of psi in each tyre. When 2-up a couple in the front and four in the rear, when loaded to capacity a further couple of psi in each tyre.

A comment on the writing on the sidewall: that tells us the max load AT THAT PSI. It does not necessarily limit tyre pressure to that figure. A bonus for those of us who live outside the USA is that the regulations which demand those numbers only apply in the USA, so the rest of us can ignore them!

 

I like to run a but higher, I run 38/42 on my Elite 3...seems to wear more even.