What is the best tire pressure?

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BikesOfAllKind

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What is the best tire pressure to run on my 2009 FZ1? I mainly use it for sport riding on some pretty twisty roads. The recommended tire pressure according to the owner's manual is 36 psi front and 42 psi rear so maybe that's what I should use. However on other sportbikes I've had in the past, these pressures (36 front and 42 rear) were the maximum recommended pressure, and we always went with several pounds less, like maybe 28 psi front and 34 psi rear. What pressure should I be running? I would certainly appreciate any advice anyone could give. Thanks.
 
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I think it really depends on your riding style and the tires in question. What others use could be a good base but you'll have to experiment to really find what works for you :)
 
Dustin said:
I think it really depends on your riding style and the tires in question. What others use could be a good base but you'll have to experiment to really find what works for you :)
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Hey Dustin--thanks for such a quick reply. The tires are the stock tires on this bike (not sure what they are offhand). I'm just curious if I should be experimenting with different lower-than-maximum recommended pressures as my buddies and I used to do with vrarious sportbikes we used to owned back then
 
Dustin said:
I think it really depends on your riding style and the tires in question. What others use could be a good base but you'll have to experiment to really find what works for you :)
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Dustin,

I keep having to re-login every time I try to edit my response. Gieven that grip is so important when sport riding, I'm kind of scared to be experimenting too much with the tire pressure. I'm just not sure whether I should be using the recommended pressure even though that seems a little high for sport riding, or if I should be riding several psi less in each tire, or if there is some standard that others hre use. Help if anyone knows. Thanks.
 
I have been using 34 F 38 R psi (for 1 up riding) for years now and it's served me well.
I find this a good compromise between grip and tyre longevity.
If I ride 2 up, I use the recommended 36F 42R settings.
 
I dont really want to give a smartass answer, but what ever the tire calls for. Dont go off the FZ1 manual. Tires have changed since 2003. :stupidPC:

Under inflating/over inflating both can can increase wear. Surprisingly,under inflating along with over-inflating increase chance of a tire blow out. Under inflating causes excess heat build up, and faster break down of the rubber. Since more rubber is in contact with its self and the road.

Over inflating just puts more stresses on the rubber and belt. Over inflating it too much could also effect its rigidity. Being over inflated instead just hitting the curb and bouncing up up because your tire is so hard there is no room to give and it blows.

Generally tires range in the 35-36ish for rear about about 35-40ish for front.
( well at least my continentals). I always go off the tires since every tire manufacturer is different and standards vary by design and size coupled with intended use.

I would say under inflating may not be as bad as under inflating a car tire. I say this only based on the fact that Car tire side walls are NOT built for high demands that motorcycles places on their sidewalls. With that said, the potential for the tire to bubble up under pressure, or ride on the sides is there, and possibly increasing wear.

Its definitely tricky since we have 2 wheels. Under inflated front would cause excess tire flex, heat build up, and slip. Over inflating can cause a front tire to expand slightly, mis shape, and become hard and "bouncy" or causing you to ride off center from improper pressure placement from within. Along with slipping because the wrong area of the tire is touching the road.

I know my explanation was somewhat detailed and spaced out. Sorry if it was a lil hard to follow. Pretty common knowledge in my field or work. But easiest answer is. Run them at the PSI indicated by the TIRE.

You should be good sir. Go ride, have fun. :cowboy:
 
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ddemlong said:
I dont really want to give a smartass answer, but what ever the tire calls for. Dont go off the FZ1 manual. Tires have changed since 2003. :stupidPC:
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Where do you find 'what ever the tire calls for'? Where is this information found? I sincerely hope this isn't the PSI figure listed on the side of the tire...
 
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I used 36/40 for local sport rides in the twisty mountains and 38/42 for long distance.

I will disagree with ddemlong about higher pressures being trouble, I have never hit a curb but have hit a few pot holes without any problems. Low pressure is the real trouble maker as it will cause your tire to reach very high tire temps which is not good.

Most important is to check the tires before every ride when they are "cold".
 
I always ran 39 in the front 41 in the rear... With suspension set up properly, you're not asking the tires to do the suspension's job, and you can get away with higher pressure. Making tires last longer.


So. Start with properly set up suspension.. Then worry about Tire pressures.

––New Galaxy S3
 
ddemlong said:
Most tire manufacturers list the recommended tire pressure on the sidewall.
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That is the max pressure, not recommended pressure. It would be completely impossible for a tire manufacturer to have a recommended pressure for a mass production tire as that tire will be mounted on literally hundreds of different bikes as well as bikes not yet even on the market.

Your standard 180/55R17 rear tire could be used on a 700lb loaded touring bike and a 350lb supersport and there's absolutely no way those two bikes would need the same amount of tire pressure

It is not advisable to run your tires at the maximum pressure stated on the tire
 
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I am fairly new to the FZ1 but I run 32/36 as I've found this a reasonable starting point based on the bikes I've owned over the years.

Once I get the suspension installed I'll play with pressures a bit more.
 
Correct tire pressure?

Dustin said:
That is the max pressure, not recommended pressure. It would be completely impossible for a tire manufacturer to have a recommended pressure for a mass production tire as that tire will be mounted on literally hundreds of different bikes as well as bikes not yet even on the market.

Your standard 180/55R17 rear tire could be used on a 700lb loaded touring bike and a 350lb supersport and there's absolutely no way those two bikes would need the same amount of tire pressure

It is not advisable to run your tires at the maximum pressure stated on the tire
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Dustin,

Exactly. And that is the problem, so maybe the real question is "What is the proper tire pressure?" For about every sportbike I've ever had, it seems that the maximum pressure listed on the tire was 36 psi front and 42 psi rear. Because of this, my buddies and I always put about 6 to 8 psi less in each tire. However, the FZ1 RECOMMENDED pressure according to the owner's manual is 36 psi front and 42 psi rear. Because the owner's manual actually recommends this pressure, I"m inclinded to go with it; however, I'm still a little skeptical because it seems to be the same as the MAXIMUM pressure for the tires for all of the other sportbikes I've owned.

Thanks Dustin and everyone else for all of your input, and feel free to add any additional responses if you have any.
 
BikesOfAllKind said:
Dustin,

I keep having to re-login every time I try to edit my response. Gieven that grip is so important when sport riding, I'm kind of scared to be experimenting too much with the tire pressure. I'm just not sure whether I should be using the recommended pressure even though that seems a little high for sport riding, or if I should be riding several psi less in each tire, or if there is some standard that others hre use. Help if anyone knows. Thanks.
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Mate, why are you scared of experimenting with tyre pressures on the FZ1 when you said you experimented with tyre pressure on sports bikes? There is F all differance except the ride position. With your experience you will know the best tyre pressure depends on the brand of tyre, the way you ride, and what feel you like. Start with the recommended and experiment!
 
Personally I don't care for recommended pressures. The bike feels like it is bouncing down the road. Try 31F 33R. On the track 29/30F 28/29R.

At those pressures she's a totally different bike, for the better.

Rule of thumb; check your tires stone cold in the morning. Set your pressures. Ride 20 minute session on the track. Look for 3 to 4 psi increase in pressure. Bleed air as the day goes by. Try to keep the pressure in that cold to hot range.

For touring crank them up.

Sent from my LG-P925 using Tapatalk 2
 
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No exact "proper" pressure?

PK1 said:
Mate, why are you scared of experimenting with tyre pressures on the FZ1 when you said you experimented with tyre pressure on sports bikes? There is F all differance except the ride position. With your experience you will know the best tyre pressure depends on the brand of tyre, the way you ride, and what feel you like. Start with the recommended and experiment!
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PK1,

I guess I never really thought of it as being scared to experiment, but that is kind of what it is. Too, I just kind of went with what my buddies recommended one in particular who is pretty technically oriented and knowledgable about motorcycles. I think too that part of it is that tire grip is so important and I don't want to find out the hard way (i.e. wrecking the bike) that a given pressure is too low or too high. Plus, where I've always heard that you're supposed to use the "proper" pressure, so I kind of figured that there must be some "proper" pressure figure I'm supposed to use, and from all of the responses on here, it sounds like there is no real "proper" pressure than what works best for each person given all of the various factors (weight, riding style, etc.) involved. It also sounds like it might not hurt to experiment a little within a reasonable range from what I'm hearing on here.

There's also another factor to consider other than performance and that's longevity. While I'll take performance (and safety) over longevity if it comes down to a choice, I'd like to get both if possible. So does one sacrifice longevity by a large margin for performance by using some pressure other than what is recommended? Or if by using the best tire pressure for performance that is found by experimenting, do you also then have the best tire pressure for longer tire life? Feel free to answer if anyone knows.

Thanks to you and everyone else for responding--I'm getting a lot of good information! :tup:
 
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Deja vous

Shifty said:
I am fairly new to the FZ1 but I run 32/36 as I've found this a reasonable starting point based on the bikes I've owned over the years.

Once I get the suspension installed I'll play with pressures a bit more.
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Shifty,

Your and Hellgate's responses sound very similar to what I used to run in tires I've had on various sportbikes over the years so I think I'll try some combination of these pressures. Thanks to you and Hellgate and everyone else for the excellent responses! :tup: And if anyone has anything else to add, please feel free; additional responses are always welcome.
 
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