What Tyre Pressure Settings Should I Run On My Motorbike

There's so much misinformation out there about tyre pressure settings. Here we take a look at what you need to know to answer the question - what tyre pressure settings should I run on my motorbike?
Full details here - thebikestig.com...

[@davomccranko]

Some roads are in really poor condition, where a lower tyre pressure can make a huge difference in comfort. Also in traction, as the tyre is able to deform more over the rough surface, giving more traction. If a tyre is too stiff over a rough surface, and you loose traction and even speed, it's called 'hysteric loss'.

[@TheBikeStig]

thanks for the comments David, appreciate it

[@miliano8274]

Ignore the dislikes my man. you actually know what you're talking about. I subscribed just to help spread proper knowledge. there are plenty of morons spreading misinformation on YT. you are NOT one of them. hope your channel gets the recognition it deserves

[@TheBikeStig]

Thanks for the support mate, appreciate it

[@llerradish]

I don't think you got it exactly right. A larger contact patch does not translate to more traction for several reasons. A lower pressure and larger contact patch translates to the more friction and more heat which can be a good thing if your tire compound is designed to run at a higher temperature, like track tires. The problem with running track tires on the street is that it is very difficult, if not impossible to ride hard enough on the street to keep a race tire warm or hot enough. So your tires performance will not be consistent and predictable. A good street tire will work very good in a much wider heat range. The amount of weight load on the tire will effect traction more than anything. A smaller contact patch or more weight per square inch can also allow the tire to deform and actually penetrate or deform to the little edges and pockets on the road surface giving you much more consistent traction.

[@weedtastic]

Finally someone telling the truth about Tire Pressure, so many People have it wrong. Another reason for running slightly lower pressure in the rear is that the Rear experiences more friction/heat due to being attached to Throttle/Engine input. I wish manufacturers would stop instructing people to put too much pressure in their tires and put more in the rear then the front.

[@TheBikeStig]

Thanks for the comment Joel, very appreciated :-)

[@ginnystokes2013]

I've got a small 250 thumper. I'm 120 lbs. the suspension is like rock. I dialed the rear shocks down to the lowest setting.

[@TheBikeStig]

awesome, its weird the suspension is so hard though

[@Thumpermad]

Really well put thanks for sharing mate. I got asked the question and I said 38 psi straight off the cuff cold tyres and I usually go for 36 psi cold in the front tyre pressure is critical for a good ride I think also rear rebound plays a significant part loaded or unloaded etc my mate was actually running 28 psi since that's what they told him at track day 😜

[@rustyshackleford6092]

Does an individual rider's weight factor into setting tire pressure at all? Or is that only when setting the suspension? Great, informative video and thanks for posting it!

[@TheBikeStig]

I can tell you that at the super bike school the coaches range quite a bit in weight yet we run the same pressures right across all bikes and it's all good even running fast track times. I'm not the right person to really ask this but it's my opinion that technically speaking weight would have an effect on contact patch for a given pressure, though the impact is less than you might expect. Weight is a major factor in suspension setting, absolutely.

[@jwsolarusa]

If you find any of my videos helpful. Thanks again Mate

[@HORNET6]

Common rear pressure is 42 psi and is a catch all in case a pillion and or heavy luggage is carried. The other reason is to hold the tread pattern open in order to disperse water. If you lower the pressure for track, don't get carried away or you will get what's called cupping. This is where the centre of the contact patch lifts or deforms up so decreasing the contact patch.

[@TheBikeStig]

thanks for adding to the conversation mate, much appreciated

[@richardmiddleton7770]

People think there is a big difference between 35 psi and 40 psi! If your surname is Rossi, maybe! There will definitely be a difference in traction though and with that comes more confidence to lean the bike and not panic brake which is much more important.

[@TheBikeStig]

Richard Middleton we’ve done a lot of track testing and 5 psi can change wear behavior and traction quite a lot, but this is usually when a bike is being pushed hard. People see less difference during normal street riding when the bike and tyres are not being pushed to the edge of their performance levels

[@Chickendave344]

Depends on what Tyres your on

[@jasonnguyen739]

I have Honda VFR 1200F manufacture recommended front tire pressure 36 psi in cold and rear tire 42 psi but I ride my bike more comfortable with front 34 psi and rear 39 psi I weight 175 pounds.

[@TheBikeStig]

Sounds like the way to go, if it feels good and performs good its a good set up for you and the way you ride.

[@wutdafugchug7175]

Good info. What's the thing mounted to the tank top?

[@TheBikeStig]

cheers mate, that's actually a pillion grip. It's made by A-Sider I think, brilliant item for someone crazy enough to sit on the back of these types of bikes :-)

[@michaelrullis7501]

This topic is so convoluted. Weight, suspension geometry, tire carcass, temperature, etc.... oufff

[@TheBikeStig]

but it does give people something to start with

[@MujoNovak]

I always ride 2 psi less than says in the manual.

[@TheBikeStig]

I think I ride about 10 psi than the manual on the rear tyre :-)

[@SmokinZen]

Ok I guess this gonna sound stupid but my bikes frame says 42psi cold rear 36 cold front, so I fill it up to 42 psi and 36 psi when cold, isn't the tire pressure going up once it's warm and go over 42, 36 psi? Do I literally put the recommended pressure or do I compensate for it getting warm?

[@TheBikeStig]

Those figures are for normal street riding or commuting where they are making sure you don't wear the middle of the tyre out. Yes, tyres increase in pressure as they get hotter, on a track they can increase 3 to 5 psi depending on how hot they get. What I do is set pressures more towards the track pressures if my riding is on ranges and twisties, if its normal commuting only then follow the manufacturer setting.

[@roadymoto378]

So I have a set of Metzeler ROADTEC Z8 INTERACT (((120/70 ZR 17 M/C (58W) TL (M) (front) and 160/60 ZR 17 M/C (69W) TL (M) Rear (SPORT TOURING RADIAL))) on Yamaha FZS 600 70kW year 2001. In the manuals say 29 psi front and 32 rear on cold tires, but I think it might be too low. What do you reccommend? :D

[@TheBikeStig]

Sounds way too low for street riding, I know a lot of manuals recommend 36 psi or so on the front and 40/42 psi for the rear. I'd recommend checking in with the tyre manufacturer as not all tyres are the same.

[@ken2tken2t]

Thanks for the info. Follow up question I have a 125cc scooter and i weigh 82kg and always with a 50-70kg passenger, what should be my recommended tire pressures?

[@TheBikeStig]

Im not the person to ask about that mate, if it were me I'd set the tyre pressures to whatever the manufacturer recommends and maybe add 2 or 3 PSI for the passengers added weight. You could also check out forums I guess. Me ... I'd go with a bigger bike for pillioning someone around :-)

[@repsolcbr2543]

Good explanation , very clear , track and hwys covered ,should of mention the twisty roads [psi] NICE BIKES

[@TheBikeStig]

+REPSOL CBR Thanks mate, appreciate the tip, I'll include commentary about that in one of the upcoming vids, cheers

[@rafaelcarvalholobo3195]

very well put, thank you very much

[@jeetcalm3864]

how do you cope with sand on the road? If i use manufacture Tyre pressure i tend to lose traction a lot.

[@TheBikeStig]

Sand will always be a problem on bitumen mate, for off road sand riding we drop pressures quite a lot but on the bitumen, you have to deal with it as an obstacle I guess. I can give you one tip - when you have to deal with slippery sand on roads it helps to ride like a motocrosser and put all of your weight on the outside foot peg. Other than that ... avoid sand on the road :-)

[@katanagrrl]

Great video. Thank you

[@WarMachineMotovlogs]

solid information mate.

[@TheBikeStig]

+War Machine Motovlogs Thanks mate

[@CHIBA280CRV]

Fantastic thanks

[@TheBikeStig]

cheers mate

[@DEA-vy4bh]

THX 4 sharing the knowledge.

[@jonchan1001]

My factory recommendation for solo riding(up to 90kg) is 33front 36rear and max load 36front 42rear in PSI. My total weight for solo riding with luggage load is tad bit more than 90kg. Should I play along with psi as such 34F 38R or 35F 40R PSI? This is mainly for street usage and light touring.

[@TheBikeStig]

Hey Jon, for road riding stick to what the factory recommends. Those settings are fine and they help avoid wearing a flat spot in the centre of the tyre because of the straight line commuting. Range riding and track riding is a different scenario and the tyre pressures are changed to suit for multiple reasons. Personally, I use the same track racing settings on my bike for range rides. Where I live a weekend range ride would be about 60 percent windy roads and about 40 percent commuting to and from the range.

[@rubberneckrides5940]

Good stuff to know for any rider. well done

[@TheBikeStig]

+Rubberneck Rides thanks, glad its of use to you

[@iceboximaging7413]

Law of physics state grip or traction is independent of contact patch

[@TheBikeStig]

Not sure that makes practical sense, the new 200/60 Pirelli tyres created originally for the Panigale V4 was designed (because of its shape) to produce a larger contact patch on the edge of the tyre .. obviously for grip. Can't help but wonder that the person who wrote that didn't ride bikes.

[@503BikerDad]

hi. very interesting info. what about riding in the canyons or on a day trip to the country in a sport bike? what pressure settings would you recommend?

[@TheBikeStig]

for the canyon rides we do i personally run similar pressures to the track (28psi rear / 31psi front, cold pressures) bearing in mind I am using the pirelli supercorsa - these have fairly thin walls and run higher pressures than say a Dunlop might do. It still comes down to tyre stability, getting and maintaining sufficient heat in the tyres. If I were you I'd first do a search on tyre pressures for whatever tyre you are using and see what the forums bring up for you.

[@marcsworld1love]

@@TheBikeStig I'm a 135 pound rider 2003 RC51 with new Metzeler m7rr sport tec tires. I ride mostly canyons and am intermediate skill. I don't care about longevity, but only care about traction and contact patch. I called Metzeler and Pirelli answered, I asked Pirelli (i think they own Metzeler, or are partnerships with pirelli) customer service over the phone what psi would be for my m7rr sport tec tires and was quickly told to go by bike manufacture recommendations. I can't imaging at 135 pounds and intermediate skills that my Honda recommends 42 rear and 36 front. I'm kinda ok with 36 front, but 42 cold psi rear can be like riding on ice when twisting open the throttle. It's been hard to find a psi answer.

[@TheBikeStig]

@@marcsworld1love thats right mate, they will always refer you to manufacture settings for the street for legal reasons. Those pressures are generally for commuting and minimise the wear and tear for normal riding. If you do sport riding, then those are not suitable for a number of reasons. Personally I have settled on running 32psi cold front and 28psi cold rear for dry weather range rides and get around 2psi pressure increase when they warm up. Hope that helps mate

[@marcsworld1love]

@@TheBikeStig 👍 thankyou is helpful.

[@cachidril]

Hi. I am riding an stock KTM RC390 with the stock metzellee tyres. what could be a good tyre pressure setting for the track. I am 160pounds

[@johnjonlee]

how are you defining traction... I've noticed almost everyone taking about traction and contact patch makes the mistake that more contact patch results in better grip/friction to the road. This is completely wrong and usually covered in a first semester physics course for any engineering major. Rest of the info is useful.

[@TheBikeStig]

Mate, I'm not an engineer so I guess I'm not qualified to respond. I do know there are more factors than just contact patch size that affect how much 'traction' a bike will have. Cheers

[@johnjonlee]

I'm actually saying there are 2 factors in considering traction and contact patch isn't one of them; increased contact patch results usually from weight transfer (from braking or shifting body position forward or any other means to transfer the weight to one wheel over the other). This in turn causes the Normal Force (N) to increase for that wheel which in turn increases the Friction Force. The only 2 things affecting friction is the coefficient of friction (u) and the normal force N; F(friction) = uN. 99% of your info is correct just the misunderstanding of contact patch; but like I said almost all youtube videos out there say the same thing. You can describe the contact patch as the result of shifting the weight causing more friction; but not necessarily that having a larger contact patch gives more friction. So if you over-inflate one tire and under-inflate another tire you have the same amount of friction (assuming weight distribution is consistent) but one has a smaller contact patch than the other. You can test this which is covered in most 1st semester Physics course covering Clasical Mechanics where you take 2 pieces of 2x4 blocks same sizes and lay 1 on the narrow side and other wide side on a plank and raise the plank until they slide; they should slide at the same time and rate. Most videos out there would do more justice either getting this fact right or even leaving it out completely. There may be some that just misspeak in their explanation of contact patch; but majority of them seem to just not understand how friction works and almost all of them at one point end up saying the same thing... more contact patch more traction/friction. Hope you educate others down the road on future videos :)

[@bfforlife1880]

John Lee I think it's fair to say that tire compound and the surface the compound interfaces plays a significant role in traction. As you know from physics, you can ignore several things when analyzing a problem to keep the equations easier to work with (think air turbulence for projectile motion for instance). I think in this case, under the simplest of terms, the amount of tire surface interfacing the ground is sufficient explanation for Layman terms. Especially when you consider the explanation that would be provided, for marketing purposes, to those who race or day to day riders as opposed to explaining it to engineers, which are unlikely to be their target audience. How would you explain it to those who ride, in layman's terms, without using the intricacies of physics? I think that's why you don't see these explanations outside of "how it's made" or truly educational videos.

[@tomorrowtoday4839]

Interesting. My understanding is tire pressure affects tire temperature. Low pressure means more movement of tire layers which increases tire temperature, thus increasing coefficient of friction (to a point). We may be adjusting temperature, not contact patch, by adjusting tire pressure!

[@DynamixsEd]

I'm afraid that contact patch does factor into traction friction grip what ever you want to call it because elastomer compound do not go form to the standard uR model.

[@Gramidle]

new info, thank you

[@TheBikeStig]

+MivecMelaka You're welcome.

[@charlieryan1736]

Thanks for making this informative video, just subscribed

[@alifnorman898]

I ride r1 08. And im using rosso 3. At the moment im using for daily & weekend twisties. 36 front & 42 back as the manual book said. But my friend said its too hard & wont get much traction. But when i took his advice, drop of to 32 front & 36 rear i find out bit hard for me to flip the bike side to side & dont have that confident go lower & faster. So what are the best pressure?

[@TheBikeStig]

Those factory settings are for general commuting and intended to prevent you wearing a flat strip in the centre of the tyres. You friend is correct. FIRSTLY THE PRESSURE - on the street with Metzeler M7s and M9s I've settled on 30psi front cold and 24psi rear cold but keep in mind most of my riding is on the ranges and none of it is commuting. For commuting use factory recommendations. On the track I run race tyres and for Metzeler's run 32psi front cold (higher than street because the braking is much more aggressive), on the rear 24psi cold. I use those same pressures on Pirelli tyres. SECONDLY YOUR STEERING - As a coach with the California Superbike school, I can tell you with certainty that if you are having trouble getting the bike to turn quickly it will be because you aren't counter steering the bike correctly. I'd recommend getting someone in the know to check what you are doing ... these types of pressures will not slow your steering rate if you do it correctly mate. Cheers.

[@normanhughedicko4076]

110/70-17 & 150/60-17 what tyre pressure?

[@TheBikeStig]

Depends on what bike and what you are going to use it for mate. If it's for general street riding .. then follow manufacturers recommendations. If it's for sport riding up ranges then I move more to the track type of settings. I you let me know what bike and use I'll tell you what I would run.

[@paulcowell7588]

Like shit to a blanket...

[@superbike1]

36 front 42 rear is all you ever need on the road. If you go lower you are losing rear profile and roll over becomes harder.

[@rollingindadeep3676]

Ask the moto gp tuner..i dont trust u

[@TheBikeStig]

what would I know