Correct air pressure for motorcycle tires and how to check it.

[@robertoaguirre5690]

Most useful video about tire pressure, 100% would recommend

[@KnobleMoto]

Thank you very much.

[@irishguyjg_2ndchancerecovery]

Great video. I was going to do a similar video. I had some questions on mine the other day, I'm a fairly new sportster owner, 4 seasons and I appreciate the heck out of professional people like yourself doing informational vids to help others

[@KnobleMoto]

You’re welcome. I love sharing knowledge and helping people ride more.

[@irishguyjg_2ndchancerecovery]

Beautiful bike. SPORTSTER4LIFE here, I've only ever had sportster, so i guess im biased lol. Beautiful BIKE 👊

[@KnobleMoto]

Thanks. It’s a Lowrider ST. Though I do love sportys.

[@irishguyjg_2ndchancerecovery]

@@KnobleMoto I know what bike you have mate lol, that LRST is My dream bike, all blacked out etc etc. I'm just a SPORTSTE geek.

[@KnobleMoto]

@@irishguyjg_2ndchancerecovery I love it. I test rode it just to “check it out”. I bought it that day.

[@KnobleMoto]

@@irishguyjg_2ndchancerecovery my wife has an 883 Iron, so I kinda have a sporty. Lol.

[@irishguyjg_2ndchancerecovery]

@@KnobleMoto got me an iron 1200, I've got it almost all blacked out besides of course the push rod covers and i haven't found any wrap or covers for my upper fork covers, but I do have a few pics in my community page on my channel, do you have any pics or vids with the Sporty? I'll have to watch back and see what you got. God bless you brother

[@Peter-976]

Quick and to the point. That's what I like about this channel. When did you get the ST?

[@KnobleMoto]

That thing is amazing. It’s like the hired BMW engineers. Like really, as someone who has ridden most of the sport bikes and sport tourers on the market, that ST is AMAZING!!!

[@KnobleMoto]

Also I got it in May from Mad River Harley in Sandusky Ohio. (ask for Nate).

[@JCunningham21]

I just bought a HD 42300009 Valve stem extension. it should work great especially on the rear tire.

[@KnobleMoto]

That’s a good plan. The rear always stops in the worst possible spot lol

[@doglaboi2010]

I was always told that the weight of the bike with rider should be factored in. So if the bike weights 510lbs with rider and the weight is distributed evenly between the two tires then you would have 255 lbs on front and 255 on rear tire. 255/584×41psi makes 17psi, which to me is way to low. I will follow your recommendation of 75-90% of max pressure.

[@KnobleMoto]

That is all probably accurate if you are racing on a road course, and you are chasing tenths of a second of lap time. For street use; keep it in the 75-90% range and you will be fine.

[@charlesgreenfield6124]

great video! are running the same pressure in the rear 36 front and rear ? thanks

[@KnobleMoto]

Yes. Same pressure because that’s what the tires were designed to run at.

[@Group_Anonymous]

@@KnobleMoto36/40

[@gottfriedj1647]

That’s why the thread of the rear tire of a bike I just purchased has uneven wear. It’s actually like a saw. Boy, I even thought it was the tire design 😂

[@KnobleMoto]

Glad you caught that!

[@kentmontford1097]

Thx you

[@KnobleMoto]

You’re welcome

[@darvhernandez1]

I just wish someone would make a 15 second video 21 inch front tire needs to be. ...lbs 18 inch lbs 17 inch lbs and that's it

[@KnobleMoto]

90% of the max psi listed in the sidewall.

[@BikerGirlTraveler]

Remember that the maximum tire pressure listed on the tire is the recommended tire pressure at the maximum load for those tires. In the case of those tires, it is 41 PSI at 584lbs on that front wheel. The rear wheel will have a different recommended pressure and max load capacity. If you put 548 lbs of weight of that front tire, you better make sure that the tire's pressure is 41 psi not 36 psi. Of course, you must keep in mind that the maximum load capacity of the tires always exceed the maximum load capacity of the bike. The recommended tire pressure shown on the label on the bike is incorrect for most people even with the OEM tires. Those pressures are based on the unloaded wet weight of the bike, the weight of an average rider (something like 170-175 lbs that manufactures uses), optimum road condition, type of riding, and so on. The heavier you are, if you are carrying a passenger, gear, and so on, the higher the pressure needs to be. The reality is that the pressure shown on the sticker of a bike is a "suggested weight," not the word of the Motorcycle God. No one answer is the "honest to god straight up truth," like you said. To say that it shows your lack of understanding on the technical aspects of tire construction and performance. Including safety. The same is true for suspension settings. The type of suspension setting varies also on many of the same factors that tires do. If you fully load your bike, you also need to adjust your suspension. Just common sense. Yet many riders never do. Don't forget that the tires are considered part of the suspension, as they also absorb the energy from road imperfections. To really get the tire pressure right, it is more complicated than some percentage from the max pressure. It's a good start baseline, but just as the bike's manufacture's recomendaron, it is not optimum. Tire best pressure is a compromise between maximum traction and tire reliability (likelihood of tire failure). Two different curves on a chart that don't reflect or follow each other. To achieve maximum tire reliability you have to compromise some traction. And if you want maximum traction, you compromise some reliability. You change one, you change the other. One goes up, the other goes down. The key is finding the sweet spot the gets you the best of both worlds based on the type of riding you do. If you really want to get technical, you have to consider other curves on the chart as well. Such as handling (the higher the air pressure the "quicker" the tire becomes, the less air pressure, the "slower" it becomes), tire temperature (tire pressure affects tire temp. The lower the pressure the hotter the tire runs as it flexes more), and on and on. The top that most riders are concern with is traction, reliability, and handling. Tire pressures can be very complicated if you want to do it right. With many different ways of calculating the right pressure. Some (I include myself) lower the pressure by a couple of PSI when wet or when it's very cold for extra traction. Like I said before, the lower the tire pressure the hotter it runs, but if it's raining the water will help keep the tire temp down. But if you lower the pressure too much, then remember that you sacrifice tire reliability. That means that the tire could fail if for example you hit a pothole. You could even damage the rim. See how one thing affects the other? If you are fully loaded and you inflate the tire to the figure shown on the bike's label, the pressure might be low, even too low. The same principle as before applies, tire reliability goes down and the tire can't maintain the right shape, runs hotter, and so on. My point is that there is no such thing as one correct tire pressure for a bike and tire combination. One do it all tire pressure. That is true in any type of vehicle. Always keep in mind the weight load, max loads for the tire AND the bike, type of riding, and road conditions. After some trials you'll easily be able to figure out the right pressure for any given ride. Also keep in mind that if you run tires sizes that are different than the recommended tire sizes by the bike's manufacture, you pressure will change too. For cars there are online calculators that lets you enter the original tire size, then the new tire size, and it gives you the correct tire pressure. No such thing for motorcycles. Hell, you can find online bicycle tire pressure calculators, but not for motorcycle. In my view, if you learn about traction, reliability, and handling, and you jeep those in mind when you experiment with tire pressure, you be ahead of the average rider who only uses one air pressure or everything. The more you do it on your bike, the easier it becomes getting it right.

[@KnobleMoto]

Wow! That was a lot of typing!

[@KnobleMoto]

Tag me in your video so I can see how you explain it.

[@robbyb1107]

Someone just post it lol

[@KnobleMoto]

?

Correct pressure is WHAT EVER THE TIRE manufacturers SAYS. not the bike manufacturers say. Be safe.

[@KnobleMoto]

I am pretty sure that’s what I said in the video.