Tires are even more important to the group of cyclists that do touring. The longer distances and typically heavier loads increase the chances of failure. Do you know what your bikes load capacity is? Do you know how much your bike weights if you are riding two up with cargo?
Tires are abused more often than any other system on your bike. They have to stand up against extremes in temperature, exposure to the elements, potholes, and debris on the road. Now add incorrect inflation and overloading, wheel spin, lockup, a significant amount of straight road driving, and you can understand how important it is to monitor your tires. The National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety as assembled by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) states that tire punctures are the major cause of all the vehicle failures that result in a crash.
Motorcycle Tire Care and Maintenance
The air inside of the tires carries the weight of the motorcycle, not the tires themselves. The tire's ability to hold air pressure, the amount of air pressure, and the amount of space between the tire and wheel available to hold the air, determines what a tire can support. It is very important to follow the manufacturer's instructions for load and inflation. Your owner's manual will guide you on load limits of your bike's chassis and suspension, and the sidewall of your tires will have inflation information. This information can also be found on the VIN plate, which is usually near the steering head.
Slow leaks can result in blowouts. Conscientious bikers know that tire pressure should be checked during your pre-ride inspection. Tires have to be checked when they are COLD. Even if you ride a mile, they will heat up and show a higher pressure. Wait one hour if you have been riding your bike. Make sure that the stem cap is on tight. Centrifugal force may open the valve inside the stem.
It is also very critical that your tire gauge be accurate. How do you know if it is? The best way is to compare with several people at the same time. If you all measure the same tire, you can compare how your gauges read. Some gauges have flashlights; some have sound so that you can check your tires in the dark. Other factors are large display, digital read out. Use a top quality gauge. Never bleed air out of a hot tire!
When tires are under inflated they have to flex more when the tire flattens to meet the road. This causes excess heat and premature tire wear. It could also cause a catastrophic failure. A tire can also rotate (slip) on the wheel. If you are using tube type tires, this can cause the valve stem to be pulled from the tube.
In addition to checking inflation with an accurate gauge, observe the tire's overall appearance. If you notice tread groove stress cracks, sidewall cracks, blisters, bulges, uneven wear, cuts, punctures, flat spots and knots - replace the tire! It cannot be repaired. If you are unsure, call the manufacturer. Do not rely on wear bars. How does the bike feel when you are riding it? Is there a change? Is it difficult to steer? Vibration and wobble are very serious and you should stop immediately.
Trailers can cause problems with your tires in addition to handling problems. The extra weight of the trailer tongue combined with quick starts and stops put too much stress on the back tire and can cause it to fail. At best, you should be sure the load rating is up to the task and expect accelerated wear on the rear tire. Some accessories can increase load as well, so you should consider the cumulative weight of all of your bolt-ons.
Dunlop recommends the following guidelines:
For touring motorcycle loading
A. Light loads-single rider with some luggage (up to 200 lbs total) - minimum tire
pressure of 32 psi front and 36 psi rear must be maintained.
B. Heavier loads-dual riding and/or luggage (from 200lb. Total up to maximum
motorcycle capacity stated in the owner's manual - pressure of 36 psi front and
40 psi rear must be maintained.
For any dual riding or fully loaded use, 40 psi must be maintained in all Dunlop rear tires fitted to touring motorcycles.
When you decide to replace your tires, keep these factors in mind. Do not use maximum power, do abrupt lean overs or extreme corning until you have ridden at least 100 miles. Let the tire cool for three hours and then check inflation pressure. This allows you to get use to the new feel and handling of the bike. New tires will have a different lean over edge. If you have only replaced one tire, use caution until you have tested the handling.
Make sure that you have your tires balanced, and rebalanced any time that a tire is removed.
Motorcycle tire repairs leave no room for error and should be done by a professional. Tire repair should be done from the inside only, with the tire off of the wheel. You should not go more that 50 miles per hour for the first 24 hours and never go 80 or above. The wheel must still be in good condition, not bent or cracked, and the general condition of the tire must be good with no cracks. The tire should have at least 1/32 of an inch of tread depth excluding tread wear indicators. Never repair a punctured tire with a tube. Dirt and moisture will enter the tire and can cause the tire to come apart. Do not use a tire sealant. After the repair, the valve assembly should be replaced and the tire/wheel rebalanced.
Use only a mild soap to clean your tires. Do not store them in sunlight, near electrical motors or where they can be exposed to gas and oil.
We all know that bike tires can be expensive. And if you ride a heavy cruiser or tourer, or a sport bike with a penchant for the soft sticky ones they seem to burn up altogether too quickly. However, if you seriously consider the consequences, choosing not to replace worn or damaged tires can be painfully more expensive.
Motorcycle Tire Care and Maintenance
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Tires are rated by their respective manufacturers for a given PSI often with a recommended and a maximum range. For the purposes of this, we'll be touching on the maximum PSI rating only.
The maximum PSI rating of a tire does not suggest that one PSI more will result in the tire blowing off the rim. It does however, indicates the strength of the bead and also builds in a buffer for pump gauge variance and rider weight.
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Roadgear Digital Tire Gauge
In recent years we've seen many cyclists push for higher PSI tires thinking that the more pressure means a faster bike. In a fashion they are correct - the greater the PSI the less tire is in contact with the ground which translates to less rolling resistance. However, less tire on the ground also means reduced cornering and braking performance, and reduced comfort. You could argue that being comfortable on the bike might be equal to, if not more important then, the small change in rolling resistance and lets be clear we are talking SMALL.
Proper Tire Pressure
Where the rubber hits the road
For the average rider it's pretty much whatever PSI they feel comfortable riding at. A rider at 170lbs can choose to run 80 or 90 PSI but also go up to 130 on a tire rated at 120 PSI. The risk is minimal that something will happen - however that's not to say it's not there. It's just reduced. As the 170lbs rider goes from 80 to 130 PSI they reduce the amount of contact the tire has on the road which will decrease breaking and cornering performance while increasing, slightly, their speed.
For light riders who are at or above the maximum PSI there can been undesirable riding characteristics. Most noticeable will be comfort. The same tire that the 170lbs rider put a little bulge in will stand tall for a light rider of 130lbs and not give to imperfections in the road. In this situation ride quality and brake/cornering performance are reduced. Reducing the PSI so the tire has a slight bulge while ridden will increase comfort and performance.
It becomes a balancing act for those of us at or above the 200lbs range or those wishing to run higher PSI then rated. It is a personal call. There are no hard and fast rules to follow. Going beyond the manufacturer's rating moves you into uncharted waters. One could view the maximum PSI as 100% but even if you believe the tire can be run at 120% the breaking point is unknown. Tire size and rider weight are not the only factors to gauge maximum PSI. That said some heavier riders have the need to run at or slightly above the maximum PSI to reduce pinch flats. See avoiding flats for more on pinch flats.
Something to consider
When you inflate your tire the PSI on the pump gauge does not include your weight. With a rider on the bike the PSI goes up and even spikes when riding. Bumps, pot holes, change in altitude, heat and the occasional bunny hop cause changes in the PSI. One of these in isolation is not likely to cause a problem, but when pushing the limits on the bead they all become factors of failure to consider when inflating your tires over the maximum PSI.
We Keep You Cycling recommends you run at or below the maximum PSI rating for your tire.
Proper Tire Pressure
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Roadgear Programmable Digital Tire Pressure Gauge Tube. Duration : 1.87 Mins.
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At present, there are two kinds of tire pressure gauges available in the market: digital, and analog. You've probably seen both at your local mechanic's or the nearby gas station. The analog pressure gauge usually has a round face with a needle that indicates the pressure in the tire, while the digital one has an LCD screen to do the same.
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READY TO GO HI-TEC DIGITAL TIRE GAUGE
Product Brand : Roadgear
Model : 015507105066
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Together, tire valves and tire valve stem caps play very important role in helping to maintain the pressure of your tires. They are intricately linked to one of the four components of your tire maintenance.
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ROADGEAR Programmable Hi-tec Digital Tire Gauge
Product Brand : Roadgear
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