What air pressure do you run
- Thread starter Busa Dreamin
- Start date
bigoltool
Registered
Are you saying we should Pack Sand?Air is for pussies. I run sand. All the cool guys are doing it.
i generally run 42 front to back w/ the michelin pilot powers and it does feel a bit firm so i might try 38 as well.
i like the max #'s that the tire manufacturer takes the time to print right on the side...and i run those max #'s because the busa is a HEAVY bike...quite a bit heavier thahn the stereotypical sportbike that would wear skins like qualifiers, pilot powers or M3's....and those tires ya bought?...they ain't model specific...and some of'em thought they were going on a 400lb sportbike with a 100 and noth'in lbs panty waist squid.....right up until you spooned'em onto your 540lb (wet) busa...and then piled your 200 and sumptin 50 year old azz on top! LOL!!! To go do high triple digits!
annnnNNNd?...."that's why".....i run the max load #'s.
L8R, Bill.
annnnNNNd?...."that's why".....i run the max load #'s.
L8R, Bill.
38/38
Boy Howdy, what a wide range of thought on tire pressure? Enough to confuse me into thinking I'm confused?
Each tire has it's own optimum temp that gives you maximum traction. Has absolutely nothing to do with tire pressure. All the pressure does is allow the tire to heat up to it's optimum operating grip temperature. So there are no golden numbers that work for all tires, because each tire has a different optimum operating temperature. Each manufacturer has the number on hand and if you pester them enough, they will share that info with you. Most tires operate between 125 & 180 degrees for maximum traction. If it gets to hot, it looses grip or if it is to cold it doesn't give you it's maximum grip. The Bridgestone BT014 is one of the colder tires and Michelins are among the hottest. Track tires tend to be hotter than street tires. Yet, each tire has it's very own magical number.
All of your popular street/track tires will perform just fine for 99.9% of riders no matter what tire pressure they are at. It's that .1% of riders who can milk a tire for all it's worth that seperate the men from the boys.
The reason most manufacturers recommend 42 psi is to help out the not so tire savy guys who may decide to ride his tires at 30 psi (Because that's what the boys on the track do) on his busa at 180 mph for extended periods of time on a 110 degree day creating excessive heat that may cause the tire to disintergrate? Of course leading to serious enjury or even death. As the Jinkster suggested, load has a roll in tire pressure as well.
The lower the pressure the more heat is generated with increasing speed. Example is, as one member put it, the stunters run 10 psi in the rear tire. However they rarely go more than 50 mph. If you run that same 10 psi at 150 mph the tire will soon explode into smitherines due to excessive heat.
What creates heat in the tire is the flexing of the sidewalls. Have you ever taken a piece of wire and bent it back and forth until it broke? Then touch the broken end. It's hotter than hell. Same with a tire. Flex the sidewalls with high speed and the tire warms up. The sidewalls flex more and more if the pressure goes down creating more and more heat. The secret (And it is top secret by the way) is to find that pressure that will allow the tire to flex just enough to reach the proper temperature (No more, no less) that gives you maximum traction. The optimum temp is achieved by combining two factors, speed & tire pressure. If your speed never exceeds 100 mph, your tire pressure should be lower to achieve the proper temp than say, if you are reaching speeds of 170. At 170 your pressure will need to me higher to reach that same temp and not exceed it.
However, if you are not pushing the bike really hard to the point of needing all the traction you can get, it's in the best interest of the tire to run higher pressures. If you listen to your manufacturer and run the recommended 42 psi, your tire will run much cooler giving you a longer tire life at the cost of less traction.
One other thing some of you may not know. Your bike will produce more HP to the ground on a tire with 42 psi than it will with 30 psi. So if you are shooting for the best dyno numbers you can get, air the tire up. With lower tire pressure you create a bigger contact patch which allows the tire to flex. This flexing of the tire creates more roll resistance robbing your bike of HP delivered to the pavement. A 42 psi tire will give you a higher top end speed over a 30 psi tire as the 42 psi tire has less roll resistance.
So the next time you go to the track and want to get the best performance from your tires, first learn what temp your manufacturer recommends for your particular tire. Then take a heat sensing gun with you and check the tire temp as soon as you come in off the track. Add or release air until you have found that magical number.
Hope this has enlightened at least a few of you on exactly how your tires function.
This is however, only my opinion so no flaming please from the experts. I read this in a Sears Catalog just the other day and I'm convinced Sears wouldn't lead me astray
Each tire has it's own optimum temp that gives you maximum traction. Has absolutely nothing to do with tire pressure. All the pressure does is allow the tire to heat up to it's optimum operating grip temperature. So there are no golden numbers that work for all tires, because each tire has a different optimum operating temperature. Each manufacturer has the number on hand and if you pester them enough, they will share that info with you. Most tires operate between 125 & 180 degrees for maximum traction. If it gets to hot, it looses grip or if it is to cold it doesn't give you it's maximum grip. The Bridgestone BT014 is one of the colder tires and Michelins are among the hottest. Track tires tend to be hotter than street tires. Yet, each tire has it's very own magical number.
All of your popular street/track tires will perform just fine for 99.9% of riders no matter what tire pressure they are at. It's that .1% of riders who can milk a tire for all it's worth that seperate the men from the boys.
The reason most manufacturers recommend 42 psi is to help out the not so tire savy guys who may decide to ride his tires at 30 psi (Because that's what the boys on the track do) on his busa at 180 mph for extended periods of time on a 110 degree day creating excessive heat that may cause the tire to disintergrate? Of course leading to serious enjury or even death. As the Jinkster suggested, load has a roll in tire pressure as well.
The lower the pressure the more heat is generated with increasing speed. Example is, as one member put it, the stunters run 10 psi in the rear tire. However they rarely go more than 50 mph. If you run that same 10 psi at 150 mph the tire will soon explode into smitherines due to excessive heat.
What creates heat in the tire is the flexing of the sidewalls. Have you ever taken a piece of wire and bent it back and forth until it broke? Then touch the broken end. It's hotter than hell. Same with a tire. Flex the sidewalls with high speed and the tire warms up. The sidewalls flex more and more if the pressure goes down creating more and more heat. The secret (And it is top secret by the way) is to find that pressure that will allow the tire to flex just enough to reach the proper temperature (No more, no less) that gives you maximum traction. The optimum temp is achieved by combining two factors, speed & tire pressure. If your speed never exceeds 100 mph, your tire pressure should be lower to achieve the proper temp than say, if you are reaching speeds of 170. At 170 your pressure will need to me higher to reach that same temp and not exceed it.
However, if you are not pushing the bike really hard to the point of needing all the traction you can get, it's in the best interest of the tire to run higher pressures. If you listen to your manufacturer and run the recommended 42 psi, your tire will run much cooler giving you a longer tire life at the cost of less traction.
One other thing some of you may not know. Your bike will produce more HP to the ground on a tire with 42 psi than it will with 30 psi. So if you are shooting for the best dyno numbers you can get, air the tire up. With lower tire pressure you create a bigger contact patch which allows the tire to flex. This flexing of the tire creates more roll resistance robbing your bike of HP delivered to the pavement. A 42 psi tire will give you a higher top end speed over a 30 psi tire as the 42 psi tire has less roll resistance.
So the next time you go to the track and want to get the best performance from your tires, first learn what temp your manufacturer recommends for your particular tire. Then take a heat sensing gun with you and check the tire temp as soon as you come in off the track. Add or release air until you have found that magical number.
Hope this has enlightened at least a few of you on exactly how your tires function.
This is however, only my opinion so no flaming please from the experts. I read this in a Sears Catalog just the other day and I'm convinced Sears wouldn't lead me astray
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