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RE: [ST] Tyre (tire?) pressures



Rich,
I'm not sure of the import of your post (i.e., "Strange") - your findings 
seem to support my statement.  I posted in response to a post which stated, 
"As any of the radial tire manufacturers websites and/or reps will be happy 
to tell you, the BEST inflation pressure for just you and your gas and a 
tank bag is in the 31-33 psi range . . ."  I found this an interesting 
statement and thought I'd check it out.  A perusal of the manufacturers' 
websites reveals this statement is just not true.  I posted information 
from Bridgestone's website (which you deleted in your reply) and from 
Metzler to support my point.  You found similar information on Michelin's 
site which also refutes the poster's statement.

In truth, the advice given may not be bad (although factually 
incorrect).  I know many riders reduce pressure for traction - but to claim 
this is what the manufacturers' websites suggest just isn't so.  I was more 
upset recently when a poster (I don't think it was on this list) stated 
that when making Iron Butt rides you should always inflate your tires to 10 
psi over the recommended pressure to get better gas mileage.  I'm just 
concerned that inexperienced riders can get into trouble with that kind of 
information.

I'm certainly not offering advice as a tire expert, but we both found the 
original poster's statement to be incorrect.  Several years ago I worked 
with a guy that spent a number of years as an engineer for a major 
automotive tire manufacturer.  His stories of the tire development and 
testing process were very interesting and convince me that the 
manufacturers do spend a lot of time and money designing and testing the 
tires we purchase.  And, given the way these new Triumphs handle, I have to 
believe Triumph puts a lot of thought into their inflation recommendations.

As an aside, I'm curious to learn how you like your Pilots?  I recently 
replaced my BT 010's with Metzler Sportec M-1's (which are fantastic on my 
ST).  I was torn between the M-1's, Pilot Sports, and Avon Avarros.  It 
just doesn't seem like tires could be any better than the M-1's, but many 
of the racing schools use Pilots.
Craig


At 09:42 AM 8/8/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>CRAIG WROTE:
> >Metzler recommends 2.50 BAR (36.25 psi) for the front and 2.90 BAR (42.5
> >psi) for the rear for their M-1's on a Sprint.
>
>Strange. I checked Michelin's website FAQ  about tire pressure and they say
>QUOTE:
>
>"Because a motorcycle's suspension, steering and chassis are designed to
>work most effectively with the tires at a specified air pressure, you should
>always follow the air pressure recommendations of the motorcycle
>manufacturer. Never exceed a tire's maximum air pressure, which is listed on
>the tire sidewall."
>
>Hence my RS manual says 42 psi (REAR) and 36 psi (FRONT).  I ran those
>pressures +/- 1 psi on the stock Bridgestone's and only got 7600 mi out of
>them.  Same pressures for my Macadam and I've got about 9400 on my Macadam
>100X's.  Should I presume the same for my Pilot Roads?  Regardless of what
>the motorcycle mfr. manual says, what is the "best" method to determine the
>"optimum" tire pressure.  Since each individual rider style is different,
>suspension setup is different, etc., there must be a recipe to determine
>what's best for me, no?
>
>I kind of like the thread that mentioned the differential change between
>cold and hot to determine what the correct cold pressure should be.  Is that
>method optimal?
>
>-Rich
>
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