r1/litre bike tyre pressure question

just wondering what pressures you’re running on your r1s/litre bikes and on what tyres.

if you can give me an idea of mileage you’re getting out of them too that’d be handy?

book recommends 36front, 42rear which i feel is too high on the michelin 2CTs, esp with the cold weather (from what i’ve found so far a few less psi in the cold weather is a good thing to help the tyre work, heat up and provide grip)

put the pressures to 34front, 36rear which feels good - nice and grippy, seem to heat up fast etc. dont know if i’m going to get rubbish tyre wear that low, esp as take pillion. guys on the r1 forum seem to be putting pressure down to silly figures which i can’t see as being a good idea.

looking for a good compromise basically so prob going to try putting the rear up to 38 i think? thoughts?

on my 03 r1 the tyre pressures were ment to be 36f 36r but i run 34f 36r on supercorsa’s

on trakdays 28f 31r and no more

I’ve been on track pressures since Brands last month (or whenever it was), still not got round to pumping them up. I love how it feels, but man, it’s got to be eating the tyres. Will pump them up another five psi I think for the weekend.

interesting that the previous model recommended much lower pressures at the back. i’m also hoping that the stickier sides of the 2CT will mean that they’ll keep the profile of the tyre and not square off as badly given the faster wear.

lol Jay - doesn’t the bike fight you for the first couple of miles running sub 30psi front and rear?

what would you say is good mileage for a rear given the odd track day and mostly fast-ish (ahem) road riding? 3k?

Bike is a little sluggish at first, but not as bad as it is on other bikes I’ve had, weirdly. I don’t know why that is. Milage? No idea, I don’t count to be honest mate.

fair play. have to say if i have to choose grip vs miles…i’ll have grip please bob

the firestorm is 36 and 42. Being blonde I don’t have enough knowledge on this subject but could ask Chuffster for you, he’s pretty good on tyre pressures.

I run 31, and filled with Nitrogen it allows me not to have to change between track and road. Look into it.

sorry but nitrogen filling doesn’t do that fella. it still expands, it just doesn’t pass through the tyre walls as rapidly as compressed air does

Is it expensive?

if you ask the guy who changes your tires for you nicely, he’ll do it for free. otherwise I think it could be something like 5 gpb.

Seems like a bit of a waste for 5 of the queens greatest… unless possibly on track?!

Never had a problem with Manufacturers reccomended tyre pressures, give me all the grip and heat that i need! but then again i do only check them every month or so

was the person you quoted that from familiar with english? yeash

its not that it ‘also doesn’t expand’, it the second part thats true. its just how dry the gas is, not that nitrogen is particularly better (unless we’re talking about aircraft.

even so the problem is that you only have a valve to inflate the tyre, so the wheel will still contain some air, and some moisture

nabbed this from a discussion thread on the net:

Our fleets use air GoodYear recommends using dry compressed air in most applications. GoodYear only recommends using nitrogen in off-road heavy construction equipment.

GoodYear’s Official Position:
GoodYear-Nitrogen Document

In Section Five Based on their testing:

  1. There is little if any tread life to be gained by using nitrogen
  2. No Improved casing durability
  3. Corrosion is due to moisture not the result of air versus nitrogen inflation
  4. ANY non-nitrogen air will significantly contaminate a nitrogen filled tire and negate any benefits gained.
  5. Nitrogen has very small or insignificant advantages for over-the-road tires

In other words…YOU ARE WASTING YOUR MONEY.

you’d expect the tire guys to say that of course.

The one thing I would say is that I have not had to touch my tire pressure in a while - actually not since filling it up with nitrogen so all-in it’s quite helpful from that perspective.

Furthermore, 5gbp is a joke - that’s not even a burger these days…