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Cruiser
Posts: 115
Columbus, Ga | I have been lazy about checking my tire pressure. Well I checked it tonight for the first time in a long time. Was 20 psi in both tires. Not good!! If you have not checked your pressures in a while please do it. Especially with the weather getting cooler. |
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Visionary
Posts: 2118
Pitt Meadows, BC Canada | Never checked mine in 3 years. Got a dealer to do that.... OR HE BLOODY WELL BETTER DO THAT!
(I do a visual before EVERY ride, and I am savvy enough to know when my tires need attention)
I got 13000 miles out of my stock tires - with NO problems and still had decent wear left when I replaced them with the same-as-stock. Never any cupping or ANY of the complaints I have read of here. I am 230 lbs and co-pilot 95. About 80% of mileage riding 2-up. And often packed-to-tour.
I think riding in cooler climate and winding roads has a LOT to do with tire issues. Riding on straight - hot - pavement will do different things to tires.
And I think tires DON'T leak - unless they are LEAKY. Air just doesn't .... vanish for no apparent reason. Ask WHY your pressure was down - in BOTH tires. I would kick the ass of whoever is checking my tires. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | Thanks for the reminder....it has been a few weeks...I will check mine in the morning. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 619
Southeast Iowa | Yes tires DO LEAK on there own no matter what you do. I've owned 9 bikes with rims and tires from several manufactures, some with tubes and some without, and they have all leaked. You can NOT tell if your motorcycle tires are properly inflated by looking at them, kicking them or anything else short of using a tire gage. I have a good friend and a brother that both had rear tire failures at interstate speed that learned this lesson the hard way. Both were told under inflation was the cause for the blowout. So my advice is to check your tires often, I do mine at least once every 2 weeks. If you don't think your tires loose air over time then my guess is you haven't checked them. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 162
Northern NJ | I check tire pressure weekly. Don't trust your dealer to do it. Just my 2 cents. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 71
B'ham, Al. | Been riding 40+ years and BIG VIC is spot-on RR |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Eagle - thanks for the reminder - it should be part of every pre-flight check for any rider - but we do need to be reminded!
I'm going out now to remove my tires, pull the valve core to clean and lube and reinstall - I do that everytime time I check air.
I'm just funnin' on the second part - sarcasim is only one of many services I provide... |
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Visionary
Posts: 2118
Pitt Meadows, BC Canada | And of course you all do this to your car/truck daily..... you definitely will lose more air checking them than from any 'natural' cause.
A proper tire - properly mounted - does NOT leak. Stick one under water and watch the non-existant bubbles....
If you ARE losing air - don't just keep putting more air in - FIX THE PROBLEM!
Sorry BIG VIC - just my 50 years of experience and working in a garage back in the 60's. Since my first tubeless bike tire 30 years ago - NEVER a problem except a puncture.... |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 619
Southeast Iowa | Don
Who would I be to question your 50 years of experience and the work you did in the garage back in the 60's? If your comfortable that you have leak free tires and you visit your mechanic often enough to ensure your leak free tires are fine more power to ya! It's your life and you are free to live it any way you want to! Unfortunately I have never been blessed with these leak free tires. I have bought 9 bikes and they all came with defective tires or rims. To make matters worse it seems I always get bad tires when I replace them too. Now I know that I'm just plain unlucky when it comes to motorcycle tires so I check them and I check them often!!
As for my vehicles I check them about every 2 months or so. I think we all know that vehicles differ from motorcycles for some obvious reasons. The most obvious one is if you have a blowout on a vehicle you probably won't DIE!
Ride Safe
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | In theory, I take Don's experience with tires at face value. Uncannily I have had tires go many weeks (I almost said, months) and not check my tires and have no loss. Of course, certain things must be in play here; ambient tempature and internal tempature. But I just rechecked my front tire from a week ago and it is down a few pounds, but the rear tire is still at 41 psi, well until I fiddled with the gauge it was. So I think my front tire has a bead leak, ever so slight, or value stem. Since I'll be doing my own tires the next time, this will give me a chance to clean the rim and check for imprefections in the tire bead and replace the valve stem. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 619
Southeast Iowa | varyder
I also agree with Dons theory but for unknown reasons the forces of nature do what they do. But all theories aside my experience with a tire pressure gage proves to me my tires loose pressure over time. I would bet that those that regularly check their own tires with their own gage have found the same to be true. In the end each will do what they are comfortable with..........as for me checking tire pressure is about the easiest maintenance anyone can do to their own bike to ensure they have a safe ride. |
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Tourer
Posts: 329
scotts valley, California | By golly, ya'll are right. I checked mine fifteen times today, and in one day lost ten pounds. On a serious note, I got 16,300 miles out of my first set of Dunlop E3 tires, and have close to 16,000 on the second set of E3's but the rear one is starting to cup a bit..... probably should check my air more often! |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 741
Central New York | Put the recommended dose of "Ride-On" in my tires a couple thousand miles back. Haven't had to add air since. Still check 'em every couple weeks, but I think I loose more checking than anything else. |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| Here is my 2 cents worth
Tires are pour is they do leak mostly due to how and cold weather changes. Most all high dollar cars come with nitrogen in the tires like the nascar's run.
Look at new car valve stems and if there green then they have nitrogen in them. Cady's lincoln's and so on. Nitrogen helps the tires stay inflated longer and gives them longer life. Stop by a tire store and ask them. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 803
Perry Hall, MD | My pressure gouge (went through several to find one that I trust to be accurate) is always in the saddlebag, and it does get used frequently. When I travel a small compressor goes into the bag as well. Decided to go to angled valve stems to make the job a little easier.
Thanks for the reminder. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 51
Edmonton AB, Canada | they only appear to lose pressure if you check em!
cause if you don't check em how will you know if they are down a few pounds?
I am not really worried about your tires if you don't check em regularly...
but I'm worried about mine! |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | ...seriously, here's how I check my tire pressure. I have a little air compressor, but before then I had just a hand pump. I use one of those accru-gage or whatever it is called that clips onto the valve stem. Almost always it will lose air, so that is why I have the air pump handy. If the air pressure is under 41 psi, I pump it up to 42 psi, at COLD. If I note unusual handling, and I check hot, I still only take it to 42 psi, but will recheck when cold. The front tire this time around seems to give me trouble lately and it has been down to 38psi in a two or three week timeframe, but I'm getting close to replacing the tire, so I'll keep checking at closer interval. I really attribute the lose though to the fact when I check the air lately it is in the 70's in the morning and the daytime high is in the 90s. |
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Visionary
Posts: 2118
Pitt Meadows, BC Canada | Morning - 50's - daytime - low 70's. Maybe THAT'S why I don't have to check my tires???
OK, why not !
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Iron Butt
Posts: 742
North Orange County CA | Perhaps having stiffer sidewall bias ply / tube tires, and horribly inaccurate gauges on free air pumps readily available lulled me in to a false sense of security ; but I have to admit I don't remember tire pressure being as much of a problem back in the "good old days".
Maybe the thinning ozone layer has reduced the size of air molecules; or anabolic steroids and antibiotics in the water supply have increased the size of the molecules in "rubber" compounds thereby allowing tires to leak more.
Perhaps the laws of thermodynamics have been reinstated by an activist judiciary hell bent on forcing scientific principle down our throats.
Perhaps it's another cynical example of planned obsolescence engineered into a product causing it to fail earlier than it's advertised service life if not watched with the diligence of Barney Fife on stake out.
Whatever the reasons for the apparent increase in air loss in modern tires; the shrinking value of my life insurance policy (relative to the cost of living) , and the sure knowledge that I've already used at least 7 out of my 9 allotted lives, causes me to now be anal retentive about tire pressure.
Travel Safely 
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Cruiser
Posts: 192
Republic of Tejas | So...................
wait for it
wait for it
wait for it
what kind on air do you use?????
(sorry, couldn't resist) |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 742
North Orange County CA | I used to insist on bottled alpine air from france or italy, but the change in the economy and the balance of trade made me change my purchasing habits.
I now only use the local air, although due to living on the west coast, NAFTA and weather patterns it is inevitable that some of that air has "offshore" content.
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Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | I'm up in winter country this weekend, going to change my air to winter air before heading back to Texas. Should be a better ride, but I'll have to really check when back on the gulf coast, it may over pressure.  |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | you have to be careful in airing up your tires in the higher altitudes also. They become over inflated at sea level and can pop. Don't ask me how I know.... |
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Visionary
Posts: 2118
Pitt Meadows, BC Canada | - Northern Canadian air is immune to altitudinal popping. I should bottle some to send to you poor southerners. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 51
Edmonton AB, Canada | I'm using the new synthetic air now... only way to go! |
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Did something smart about my stupidity
