Tire Pressure - Track Vs Street

[99VFR]

I have Pilot Powers 2ct on my VFR now and had regular Pilot Powers on before these.. On the previous ones I always ran the recommended tire pressure that my VFR said to run 36 in the rear and 42 in the front. I never really had a problem with this until one day when I was out and I noticed that I felt very uncomfortable on it and didn't know why.. When I checked my pressure I had dropped a few pounds in each one.. I inflated them again to the VFR recommendation and all was right with the world again..

 

I changed tires about 6 weeks ago (Pilot Powers 2ct) and once again set them to the spec VFR pressure and didn't have any issues, but when I went to Level 1 in October on inspection I was told my tires were over inflated and both tires were lowered to 32 psi (I don't know where that number was taken from). They said at the time that it's Honda's recommendation based upon 2up riding with luggage, etc. (which I vaguely remember hearing before somewhere)

 

I had no problems that weekend (2 levels) with the tires but now that I am back on the streets I don't really know where I should be.. I called Michelin and they said if they were the same size tires as the bike calls out to run their recommended pressure (36 and 42).

 

I wonder if the reason my old Pilot Powers felt strange was because they had been run at a certain pressure for so long that when the shape changed with the lower pressure it changed the feel??

 

Anyone have any light to shed on this?

[6blade07]

I have Pilot Powers 2ct on my VFR now and had regular Pilot Powers on before these. On the previous ones I always ran the recommended tire pressure that my VFR said to run 36 in the rear and 42 in the front ....

 

.... Anyone have any light to shed on this?

 

99: I understand that all tyres have different recomended pressures, but am confuesed why they recomended for street use a lower psi for the rear then the front. I thought the general rule of thumb was 42 rear and 36 front not vice versa - weird. I be keen to read what responses you get and clarify this.

 

 

Regarding pressures for Dunlop Qualifiers:

 

I switched to Dunlop Q's becuase it made sense to set the bike up with the tyres the school runs so if I needed replacements, it should be a straight swap - the suspension is already set up and I'd be familiar with their handling.

 

So I was at my local track last week to test my new setup before CSS and the dude giving us the rider breifing said that Qualifiers had a thick side wall and therefore can handle lower pressures. I was told I could run the 190 rear at 24-26 psi cold and the front at the standard 28-30 cold.

 

After logging the pressures before the warmers went on, then just before the each session and then straight after, I noticed that they did in fact average a hot gain of 5-6 psi (f and r). So am I right in running these pressures as the standard for tracking Qualifiers?

 

Thanks,

Sincerley RD

[99VFR]

I think I swapped the pressures, 42 in the rear and 36 in the front ... It's been a long week!

[sleepr]

Normally for track riding it is recommended to lower the pressure from street pressures to allow more heat and flex in the tire for track use, so perhaps this is what the inspection was referring to? On my street bike (ZX12R) I usually run the max recommended pressure as a lot of my riding is straight boring(comparatively) riding, and a lot lower aggression level than the track.

[Fajita Dave]

I wonder if the reason my old Pilot Powers felt strange was because they had been run at a certain pressure for so long that when the shape changed with the lower pressure it changed the feel??

 

Anyone have any light to shed on this?

 

Maybe you were just feeling the difference between a worn tire's profile and a new tires profile.

 

I just replaced my tires a few weeks ago (stock BT016s only run on the street at recommended pressure). They had a VERY strange feel because of how they wore. The front tire had three different profiles, flat in the middle, flat on the side at the lean angle I rode at most, and round from there to the edge. So at a lean angle anywhere between 0 and 20 degrees I had to hold pressure on the inside bar to hold down in the turn, anything between 21 and 35 degrees the bike really fell into the corner so I had to hold it up with pressure on the outside bar, and past that it was kind of normal. All of this just because of the odd wear pattern on my front tire and after a while this just felt normal. If I did lower the tire pressure it probably would have felt weird again.

 

So when I put new tires on and leaned it into a corner it had a very weird feel. It almost felt like the front end was sliding out from under me because it leaned over so smooth and effortlessly. I could also completely relax on the bars and it will just maintain its line now.

[Cobie Fair]

Read the last few posts, hope I'm not covering ground already covered in this thread.

 

Likely the tire you had took a "set" and didn't want to easily go past this. Hence the new tire was a lot less work and worked better.

 

42 and 36, that's just way too high for anything but 2 up, loaded down and a smoking hot day, really.

 

The numbers in the owners manuals/sidewalls are typically max pressures, and done to cover one's butt. 6 lbs cold to hot increase has long been a number I've heard at the track (in terms of PSI increase).

 

We run 29 rear, 31 front on the Q's.

 

Too much pressure just reduces the contact patch. I run the same pressures track and street--why would i want less traction on the street? I gave up letting the tires wear down to the nubs a long time ago (right after I tossed my first bike down the road due to old used tires).

 

Do I sound like a grumpy opionated old guy?

 

CF