I never really checked tire pressure in the 1200 or so miles I have had my GS, i know big mistake.  I have filled the tire pressure once with a friend around 700 miles or so, with an automated pump at the gas station. Since then I hadnt inflated nor checked the pressure.  Last week I got a pressure gauge and my readings were like 20 on each. Today I went to fill the tires and even though physically it feels like it is inflating, the pressure reading isnt really changing. I could just be doing it wrong, or is something else wrong with my tires from riding on low pressure?

please help, thanks

well low pressure can damage the walls on the tyre where it is near your rim as the tyre is softer and pinch and split the walls. this happened on my mates bike and he need new tyres... but they would deflate.. checked your valves? it the pump gauge correct?

Did you go back to the same air compressor?  I'd recommend trying a different one and seeing if that makes a difference.  There's a couple of gas station air compressors that just don't seem to work well on my bike, and others that are fine.

20 psi? That is crazy low! I am usually bothered when my tire pressure gets 4 to 6 psi low and you were 13 and 16 pounds low! You should never let your tire pressure get that low. It is possible that you damaged something, but it is more likely you just went to a gas station with a bad pump. If you're in the US, just go to another gas station, buy some gas and then make the attendant turn the pump on for you. It is federal law that all gas stations provide anyone who buys gas with a rest room, air for their tires and water for free. The places that use coin op compressors just do that to prevent non-costumers from getting free air...

You are pressing the inflator onto the valve hard enough?

I was thinking what Sledge was thinking.  Valves on some of the coin-up compressors... well... SUCK, and if you don't have it lined-up perfectly and press hard and straight, (just the way she likes it!) it won't fill the tire.

Quote from: fred on March 30, 2009, 11:01:40 AM
If you're in the US, just go to another gas station, buy some gas and then make the attendant turn the pump on for you. It is federal law that all gas stations provide anyone who buys gas with a rest room, air for their tires and water for free.

Really?

Why do I get the feeling that if I mention this to the typical gas station attendant, I'll only get a blank stare?

QuoteIt is federal law that all gas stations provide anyone who buys gas with a rest room, air for their tires and water for free.

I tried to google the federal law and all the sites that came up are about state laws that require certains services to be provided free of charge to customers.  All of them included free air.  I've not seen anything on the federal law.

If the federal law does exist, there is no excuss to have low tire pressure.

Weird, I thought it was part of the Federal Highway Administration made gas stations give you free air. Perhaps I am wrong or something has changed.... I do know you can still get free air in California though, and my GS has never been out of the state... I usually just use a bicycle pump anyways, it goes quickly and I can do it in the morning when my tires are cold... The nearest gas station is a mile away and I'm always paranoid that the tires will get too warm to get an accurate pressure reading...

i've started using these:



when the pressure drops below 32 psi, the green portion recedes and reveals a red ring. they're fairly accurate so far. i've checked the caps against 3-4 air gauges i own, and they average pretty close. makes checking tire pressure fast and easy enough to do at a stoplight. the only problem (if it can be considered a problem) is the cap uses the pressure from the tire to indicate the pressue... so if the cap fails at all, there goes your air !

carry a CO2 cartridge or 5 so you can inflate a tire when needed.

i usually check my pressure, oil, and brakes at every gas stop. simple, safe, easy.

I have a set of these on my car. I wouldn't take them as accurate enough to replace a pressure gauge though. Firstly they have no way of telling you your pressure is too high, only if it is low. Since your pressure increases with the increase in tyre temperature from riding you really can't check it at a stop light, even a low tyre can show ok with these, so do yourself a favour and give them a quick glance before starting the bike.  Also, the ones I have for the car are 34psi and I've found that they only start to show low pressure at 30psi. Far from an accurate pressure reading, but at least it does give you an indication that you need air ASAP whenever they show low pressure. I have contemplating working out which value cap I would need to get for it show low sooner but then I also have to consider that if someone else puts air in the tyre and puts it what the cap says then it's gonna be too high, Not an issue if you're the only person who will put air in but in my case my wife also puts air in, and the label on the cap if very handy for helping her know what to put in.