Tire pressure

[OneLeggedRider]

Tire pressure.. and this applies to all bikes and tires including tube and tubeless.

Most folks think it's a set number that's posted in your owner's manual, it's not. Proper tire pressure varies by the load the tire is carrying. Cousin Jay and I have both have Hawks and I outweigh him by 120lbs so the right pressure for him isn't the right pressure for me.

With you setting on the bike you want to see just the slightest deflection of the sidewall, kinda like a radial tire on your car but not nearly as pronounced. Same goes for carrying a passenger for any great distance. If you and the wife are gonna spend the day on the bike you should readjust the pressure with both of you setting on the bike.

An over inflated tire will be prone to traction loss, and an under inflated tire will get hot, reducing tire life and may lead to failure. Photo courtesy of my MMI textbook.

[China Rider 27]

Good stuff. I wonder, are these tires radial or bias ply? I guess I need to go out to the garage and look.

[OneLeggedRider]

Good stuff. I wonder, are these tires radial or bias ply? I guess I need to go out to the garage and look.

Bias ply.

[Megadan]

tire carcass construction plays a big role. Stock Hawk tires take a lot more pressure than the Shinko 700's I am running, just as an example.

[China Rider 27]

Surely the construction is much different on a motorcycle tire that leans over and depends more on the sidewall for stability. I was thinking a good way to test the inflation might be to put water on the tire and coast it over a piece of paper for the tread engagement and correspond it to the pressure. Kinda weird I know, but at times I have this OCD for precision.

[Megadan]

Surely the construction is much different on a motorcycle tire that leans over and depends more on the sidewall for stability. I was thinking a good way to test the inflation might be to put water on the tire and coast it over a piece of paper for the tread engagement and correspond it to the pressure. Kinda weird I know, but at times I have this OCD for precision.

There are so many factors that go into how a tire is constructed depending on use, width, etc. In the end the basics still apply across the board.

You would actually be amazed at how much a sport bike tire deflects under high lateral loads.

A wider tire also makes a bike lean over further (higher angularity) to get the same change in lateral direction. Aka, a skinny tire bike has to actually lean over less to make the same turn as a bike with big wide tires. The big wide tires have the advantage in contact patch, aka grip, which is why big fast bikes have big fat tires.

[China Rider 27]

There are so many factors that go into how a tire is constructed depending on use, width, etc. In the end the basics still apply across the board.

You would actually be amazed at how much a sport bike tire deflects under high lateral loads.

A wider tire also makes a bike lean over further (higher angularity) to get the same change in lateral direction. Aka, a skinny tire bike has to actually lean over less to make the same turn as a bike with big wide tires. The big wide tires have the advantage in contact patch, aka grip, which is why big fast bikes have big fat tires.

Looking at a utube video last night a guy was talking about the best adventure tire and he said he preferred a skinnier tire because it would sink down through the mud to something hard for traction. It also puts down more force to the contact area. This idea always made sense to me. I do like the big rear tire on the Hawk with the skinnier front wheel look but a skinnier tire would probably work better off road and maybe on road.

[OneLeggedRider]

Looking at a utube video last night a guy was talking about the best adventure tire and he said he preferred a skinnier tire because it would sink down through the mud to something hard for traction. It also puts down more force to the contact area. This idea always made sense to me. I do like the big rear tire on the Hawk with the skinnier front wheel look but a skinnier tire would probably work better off road and maybe on road.

My old '74 K20 Chevy Camper Special is about the heaviest, beefiest Chevy ever made and it consistently wins at mud events or places in the top 3. But it weighs over 3 tons and always sinks to the bottom of a hole so I purposely put tall thin 38" Swampers on it.

And from my days of racing Hare Scrambles I can tell you a narrow rear knobby tire will hold a more accurate line through mud and especially up a hill. Wide tires are for looks mostly, or for a lightweight vehicle that will stay on top. But Mike Treadway who owns the local Honda and Suzuki shop used to race with me and clued me in on narrow rear tires being better for a variety of terrains.

It was a fun time because my closest competitor was also a good friend that bored my cylinders and shaved my heads. He was a 1 man operation back in the day that just truly loved bikes. Now he's got a big shop with 20 employees and both of us are too old for racing, but every time I stop up he comes out of his office to give me a handshake and a hug. 🙂

[China Rider 27]

Can't think of anything more valuable to have than an exceptional relationship with another human being. Not easy to achieve or sustain, especially the older you get. CG tough, ride hard!