tire pressure

[joecool]

on an 83 Interstate, is it preferable to go as high as 40psi on the front and rear Michelins when I'm traveling maybe 6000 miles at highway speeds fully loaded? Tire says 40psi max at full load. Or does the front always have to be lower pressure than the rear?

 

[dan filipi]

I run 40 rear, 32 front whether loaded or not.
Any higher in front makes for a harsh ride.

 

[slabghost]

Not certain but I think max psi is cold or hot. Tires warm in use and pressure builds.Too much pressure can limit a tires traction.

 

[AApple]

32/40 for me, too, regardless of load/distance. Using the tire's MAX pressure on a long trip could also cause a premature failure of the tire, if it gets too hot. Straight-line hiway riding prolly wouldn't effect that as much as canyon running would. Also, the tire's MAX pressure might be way more than the vehicle manufacturer's MAX recommendation, which could cause the previously mentioned handling issues.... :read:

 

[OldWrench]

This is interesting because I had been experimenting with various tire pressures and found the 32/38 works best for me. I recently put on a Dunlop E3s and found that is they seemed to feel best at those pressures.

 

[slabghost]

This is interesting because I had been experimenting with various tire pressures and found the 32/38 works best for me. I recently put on a Dunlop E3s and found that is they seemed to feel best at those pressures.

Thanks for your experimentation and observation. Would you please elaborate a little on your observations with other pressures?

 

[detdrbuzzard]

if i remember right dunlop says 38 front and 41 rear for the e3's on my 1200 wing

 

[OldWrench]

Thanks for your experimentation and observation. Would you please elaborate a little on your observations with other pressures?

We all have different riding environments, mine is in the Sierra foothills, my commute each day is 96 miles round trip. The roads are two lane with plenty of twisties, and not the smoothest roads in the world. So what I was seeking is the balance between good handling and nice ride. Increasing the front tire pressure gave me more responsive steering but lessened the ride quality. I found based on my body weight (too much) that 32 was the best balance for me. Had pretty much the same feeling with rear tire pressure, but not as noticeable, and if increased tire pressure effected ride quality I didn’t notice it. I love the way my bike handles and rides now. Oh I keep 10psi in the front forks, and 35 on the rear shocks, that was another trial and error that I went through. Now other folks may find different pressures work better for them. When my wife rides with me I increase the front tire pressure to 36, leave the back the same, increase rear shock pressure to 50.

 

[dan filipi]

Since tire pressure plays such a big role in tire life I think since the rear tire is carrying most of the weight it should be run at or near max all the time.
With the suspension design what it is ride quality seems to be the same whether the rear is at 30 or 40 psi.
I could never run my front at max with the streets and highways the way they are.