Hey all,
I found a few threads on here which have two different answers. Until recently I've been setting my tires at 41psi cold(front and rear). I went out riding with a mate on his gs today and he said he uses 33/36 just as the chart on the bike says.

I've been following what the inner wall of my tires state(stock tires).

Can someone tell me what they should be at!
FYI I'm 68kg and only a solo rider!

Cheers

The 41 psi on the tire is the maximum running pressure recommended for the tire and the pressure the load rating applies to.  The more pressure the greater the load capacity it carries.  I've run mine at 33/36 psi for 175k GS500 miles so far, except when I frequently forget to check them and it's less.     I weigh about 235# now.  Rear pressure can/should be raised to 41 psi for carrying a passenger.

By the way, the tire pressure is set with tires cold.  In use the pressure raises about 1 psi for every 10* F the tire temp raises.

I run 38 front and 40 back and have been happy with that but I am 275 lb/122kg so you wouldn't need as much IMO



Sent from my iPad using a big stick

Common misconception........what it says on the tire is NOT the pressure to run on the bike....

What is says on the tire is the maximum safe pressure that the tire can take........this is typically too much pressure for the bike......

You must run the tire pressure specified by the bike manufacturer....this is based on the weight and handling characteristics of the bike..........

So go by the vehicle owners manual...or the placard mounted on the vehicle...this applies to cars too.

Cookie

Quote from: alexanderjennings on August 19, 2013, 04:55:29 AM
Hey all,
I found a few threads on here which have two different answers. Until recently I've been setting my tires at 41psi cold(front and rear). I went out riding with a mate on his gs today and he said he uses 33/36 just as the chart on the bike says.

I've been following what the inner wall of my tires state(stock tires).

Can someone tell me what they should be at!
FYI I'm 68kg and only a solo rider!

Cheers

Well this should be interesting. Going to feel very soft when I drop it down today.
It'll just take a while to get used to I suppose.

On another forum I'm on, they go by the "10% rule". Air up your cold tires to whatever psi, take the bike out to warm them up, and check the pressure. If it goes up by more than 10% than your original pressure was too low. If it goes up by less than 10%, than it was originally too high.

Of course, tire manufacturers have their own pressures / limits / whatever, so this is more of a general guideline.

I always found my GS is very temperamental with tyre pressures. A couple of PSI makes a big difference to the way it handles. I run 33/36.

This makes no sense to me....tire pressure is always specified "cold".

Cookie

Quote from: Big Rich on August 19, 2013, 02:59:44 PM
On another forum I'm on, they go by the "10% rule". Air up your cold tires to whatever psi, take the bike out to warm them up, and check the pressure. If it goes up by more than 10% than your original pressure was too low. If it goes up by less than 10%, than it was originally too high.

Of course, tire manufacturers have their own pressures / limits / whatever, so this is more of a general guideline.

Actually it should overall feel better.........

Too hard tires can sort of "bounce" like a basketball......proper pressure will hold the road better..

Cookie

Quote from: alexanderjennings on August 19, 2013, 02:54:36 PM
Well this should be interesting. Going to feel very soft when I drop it down today.
It'll just take a while to get used to I suppose.

Suspension guru Dave Moss advises that a 4-7 psi gain from cold tyres is ideal for street riding, after about a 30-40km ride. But starting with the recommended pressures is a good starting spot

Here ya go Cookie - the article pertaining to the 10% rule:

http://www.mad-ducati.com/Articles/TirePressure.html

I always checked and adjusted mine frequently. For a lot of highway I would run about 35/38 cold. For more twisties and fun riding I would run about 32/35. Depending on the temperature I would adjust that as well.

On a very cold day I would add a PSI or two as the ambient temps wont increase pressure much. Filling my tires on a cool summer morning I would subtract a PSI as they will warm up quite a bit.

test a few pressures out but the stock 33/36 is good to start at. Dont fill your tires cold to the max PSI on the sidewall!

Nice article....but....notice the huge differences in pressure due to the type of riding...twisties vs straight...rough roads...racing etc.........

See, ya gotta start with a baseline that doesn't change...that's "cold" pressure........everything after that is variable...depending on lots of factors......

If you try to follow what they say in that article you will go insane...and spend all your time testing and worrying....

Remember it's a GS 500.......we're not makin' a Swiss watch here....

Use manufacturer's recommendation...measured cold....done...

Worry about world peace or becoming a millionaire.....


Cookie

Quote from: Big Rich on August 20, 2013, 05:57:36 AM

Here ya go Cookie - the article pertaining to the 10% rule:

http://www.mad-ducati.com/Articles/TirePressure.html

As always, it's tractor science not rocket science!

I'm not arguing about this. Seriously.

But who here sets their psi at one pressure and NEVER changes it? Hopefully nobody. Riding 2 up, or with a loaded up bike for a trip, extreme cold / heat, etc.. Everything is variable - even the manufacturers specifications. That article just helps to explain why and when things should change.

Yo...I'm not arguing either...Just trying to present a practical side to this story......

The article was great...really....I agree with everything in it...all good information and gives a better understanding of how tires work...

Again from a practical point....I'm not gonna be carrying around an air pump and a pressure gauge to change tire pressures for each and every possible change in riding conditions...just not my thing...

I pretty much always ride solo.....if somebody needs a ride across town...they are just  gonna hop on...I'm not going to the filling station first and put in 3 extra psi...then let out the 3 psi after they dismount.......

I do check the tire pressure periodically...not every ride..not every day...sometimes not every week....more like change of seasons...........good tires don't really loose much over 3 or 4 weeks......


Now...If I were RACING....then it's a different story......you try all kinds of tire set ups and pressures.....if you can save a tenth or so each lap...you make a big difference...Then I would re read that article and heed what it says..

Cookie

Quote from: Big Rich on August 20, 2013, 07:46:21 AM
I'm not arguing about this. Seriously.

But who here sets their psi at one pressure and NEVER changes it? Hopefully nobody. Riding 2 up, or with a loaded up bike for a trip, extreme cold / heat, etc.. Everything is variable - even the manufacturers specifications. That article just helps to explain why and when things should change.

Quote from: Big Rich on August 20, 2013, 07:46:21 AM
I'm not arguing about this. Seriously.

But who here sets their psi at one pressure and NEVER changes it?

Me
I set and forget

i remember to put air in .. mostly when the back end feels 'squirrelly' at the start of a ride on cold rubber...

i stick with the recommended pressures as long as ive only just ridden down the road about 1km to the service station ... if the rubber feels warm though i use my 'official guesstimator' and put 35/38-39 ...

so long as it dont feel squirrelly  anymore ...

when i have left it for long enough and not ridden .. lowest i got was 21/24 ... according to the 'digital' station pump anyway ..