Tyre Pressures ?
I prefer to run with 30 front and 28 on the rear for the road.
The manual from memory says 33 front - 31 rear.
The manual from memory says 33 front - 31 rear.
This may be a silly question, but what is the advantage of lower pressure in your tyres (apart from more surface on road)?
Does it otherwise improve / worsen the handlind in a "logical" or consistent manner?
Does it otherwise improve / worsen the handlind in a "logical" or consistent manner?
depends on how hard you drive - lowering the psi by 2 won't make any difference if you corner hard or reach high speeds compared to some one running 2 psi more than you who doesn't get the tyres warm as air expands when hot and the psi will raise anyway.
For this reason if your driving hard its worth taking them down a notch or two.
For this reason if your driving hard its worth taking them down a notch or two.
So I did a google search, and this is what 'people' have said (rather than officials). About Cars, but will cross apply
"So - the most important thing to obtain from a tyre? Grip and traction, the stability or handling of the tyre and the tyre-life. In short, you need to follow the recommendations of the tyre and motorcycle manufacturers!
So what are the best track pressures?. Well, we set them at 30psi front and rear. Hey... wait a minute... Didn't I just say to follow what the manufacturers say? Well, I did, but they don't print what you would run at a racetrack, unless of course you're running a race tyre. The lower the tyre pressure the more the tyre deforms. The more the tyre deforms, the more friction there is between the tyre and the road surface. The more friction, the more heat. The more heat, the greater the opportunity the tyre has to regenerate itself by shedding the 'used' layers of rubber (to a point). This deformation of the tyre also creates a bigger contact patch at the cost of a little stability.
Tyres that are used purely on the track wear the edges first because on a racetrack you generate much more force on the edge of the tyre. You want the tyre to deform, heat and literally 'shed' the used layers of rubber. On the road you have other considerations.
The stability or handling of the tyre is extremely important, as you don't have the controlled conditions of a racetrack. There are other road users and emergency situations that you just don't have on the track. You spend more time with the bike upright on the road, no matter how 'sick' a rider you are! This means that tyre deformation actually works against you. Now it's deforming when the bike is upright. This means it's wearing quicker in the centre and will 'square off'. This changes the profile and the handling and grip of the tyre. The higher the pressure, the less it will deform giving you the best possible tyre life and handling."
"So - the most important thing to obtain from a tyre? Grip and traction, the stability or handling of the tyre and the tyre-life. In short, you need to follow the recommendations of the tyre and motorcycle manufacturers!
So what are the best track pressures?. Well, we set them at 30psi front and rear. Hey... wait a minute... Didn't I just say to follow what the manufacturers say? Well, I did, but they don't print what you would run at a racetrack, unless of course you're running a race tyre. The lower the tyre pressure the more the tyre deforms. The more the tyre deforms, the more friction there is between the tyre and the road surface. The more friction, the more heat. The more heat, the greater the opportunity the tyre has to regenerate itself by shedding the 'used' layers of rubber (to a point). This deformation of the tyre also creates a bigger contact patch at the cost of a little stability.
Tyres that are used purely on the track wear the edges first because on a racetrack you generate much more force on the edge of the tyre. You want the tyre to deform, heat and literally 'shed' the used layers of rubber. On the road you have other considerations.
The stability or handling of the tyre is extremely important, as you don't have the controlled conditions of a racetrack. There are other road users and emergency situations that you just don't have on the track. You spend more time with the bike upright on the road, no matter how 'sick' a rider you are! This means that tyre deformation actually works against you. Now it's deforming when the bike is upright. This means it's wearing quicker in the centre and will 'square off'. This changes the profile and the handling and grip of the tyre. The higher the pressure, the less it will deform giving you the best possible tyre life and handling."