I take a few PSI off of the recommended pressures when I'm out on a hard ride. But for going back and forth to work I leave it at the recommended pressure to save my tires a bit. Whether it helps or not I don't know but subconsiously I think it does.. considering I've put 5900 miles on my 2CT's and am about to change out the rear.

 

That's the other thing I forgot to mention, if it's up at recommended specs (36psi up front and 42psi in back) wont it narrow the tread on the middle, thus having less traction and shorter tire span?

 

Correction *shorter tire life.

 

Here's a good way to see about lower air pressure and tire life. Go take 10PSI out of the tires on your car and see if you get the same mileage that they say they can get.

Recommended tire pressure is what the factory says should give you the best all around handling and tire life for the bike as well as fuel economy. Of course setting it to your liking is the best bet. Nobody has the "right" answer as I might be might lighter than you and can drop the pressure more without seeing much change.

True that the patch on the ground might be a little more but it's really not a lot more unless you're almost flattening the tire. Too low of pressure will make the bike "spongy" and increase tire wear.

 

:thumbup

 

That makes pretty good since, thanks!

 

you bet! :smile

 

...I hear keep it low (28-33 psi for the front and back) to get better grip and handling...

I've run 36/42 cold pressures at the track, up to about mid pack in the intermediate group.

I never vary from 36/42 on the street but at the track I adjust pressures all the time based on how they feel.

 

i believe i run 34 front 36 back in the summer. in the winter drop it a tad lower..

 

I have a cousin who used to work for bridgestone,asked him the same question and he said to run what the tire manufacturer recomends.That on a bike when you lean,the load changes and running less pressure is detrimental to the grip and profile the tire is designed to have.The tires are are made to give you the best amount of traction,mileage,and feel at the psi listed on the tire...hope this helps.

 

+1

What he said. :mfclap

 

I set my pressure at 41 front and rear. When they wear out 2 weeks later, I spoon on new tires.:rolleyes


TRUE

 

jimmmac ...If you made a product that was in competition with many others(tires)...would you tell someone to use it in a way that was less effective??

 

Do you live somewhere really hot or cold? If you do you might want the tyre pressure altered to give best grip/handling/life compromise. Otherwise for general road use the standard pressures are best.
The tyre pressure has its greatest effect upon the rigidity of the tyre carcass, if it is lower the tyre will flex more and the internal friction caused by this will cause the tyre carcass to get hotter, in certain circumstances this may be good - if you're at the track you'll use the tyre harder and the temperature will rise, as we know temperature and pressure are inextricably connected, if the tyre gets hotter the pressure will rise. Using standard road pressures at the track on a warm day can lead to a seriously over-pressure tyre.
How the tyre is used has an enormous bearing on how the tyre functions, A number of times when fitting tyres I've been asked by the owner to set them at a low pressure, this is almost always asked by people who fondly believe they're very very fast, (despite the evidence of the tyre I've removed to the contrary), and stating that they use the tyres very hard and they overheat at standard pressures, I don't know how they manage to get these sports tyres to overheat when they're waiting next to me at the traffic lights.
Working temperatures are a very important factor of how tyres are constructed, sports tyres are made such that they will shed heat so as not to get too hot when used as intended, more road oriented tyres are constructed such that will not lose heat so readily, in many circumstances a less 'sporty' tyre will be grippier - in cooler weather and in the wet a sports tyre will never reach a suitable temperature, and in the real world of stop start riding even in hot weather a sports tyre can be difficult to maintain at ideal temperature.
Extreme examples of this are slick racing tyres and full wets for rain racing, slicks are horrible when cold and the harder you use them the better they get - but you need to be a good rider to get the best from them - if you slow down they shed heat and don't work correctly. Rain wets are made with lots of very small tread blocks that are comparatively tall which makes them flex lots and maintain their heat, this is what makes them grippy in the wet - not just their ability to move water out of the way through the tread pattern.


If you ride on the road the standard pressures are almost always the right ones. This is just scratching the surface of a very complex subject, unless you have a compelling reason to do otherwise use the standard recommended pressures.

 

This is just scratching the surface of a very complex subject, unless you have a compelling reason to do otherwise use the standard recommended pressures.

Exactly... see? :drama

The only PSI listed on the tire, is the maximum limit the tire the tire can hold. It has nothing to do with how much should be put in it.

Don't give bogus info. Someone is bound to believe you and get hurt.:tard

That's why you read your owners manual and set the pressure accordingly to start with. Most people are riding on the street and not tracks so tire life is gernerally more important to some people.

I work in cars and it's the same thing. The tire shows it's max PSI. The car will tell you the best PSI for that car on that little tag inside the drivers door. Trust me... if you put the same tire on a BMW 3 series as you did a Honda Civic the recommended PSI's will be different. The BMW is a much heavier car. Everything is relative to the vehicle the tire is on.

You said earlier you spoon on new ones after a couple of weeks? Obvious to me you aren't riding around town losing that much tire in two weeks Jimmy. (unless you were kidding of course) So let's all agree that tire pressures are in fact a "very complex subject" as Teuthida so kindly pointed out for everyone.

Hey I replied to try and be helpful...Seems like you replied for a pissing contest..:rant
Run whatever you like bro

+1

 

I run my rear tire about 5-8 lbs low on the 14, and the tire seems to last longer that way. But with 200 hp, I think the added traction tends to keep the tire from peeling off as much rubber when it's on the low side. That is just for casual cruising and straight line romps. I have heard other ZX-14 owners say the same thing. But when I hit the twisties hard, I run the recommended pressures.
Since there are no twisties around here, I stay 5-8 lbs on the low side most of the time in the rear tire.

 

All I'm talking about is just for general use. I live in Florida, so it gets in the 90's in the summer, and as low as the 30's in the winter. I just want to know what's good for the best cornering grip for street use, not necessarily the track or stunting.

 

:rotflmao:rotflmao:rotflmao:rotflmao

This guy must be like...WTF did I start!!!

It's cool,just read the thread and go from there :banghead

 

lol yea pretty much!

 

it's cool man... happens from time to time around here.

Welcome to the madness! :crazyloco