What Tire pressure should I use in my new auto tires????

[Peter Aawen]

No, it wasn’t a case of not paying attention, Reacher. So many of those responding do not take the time to see that the thread to which to which they are replying is about aftermarket car tyres, and comment that they are running at 16 and 28. Unfortunately, they are in fact referring to their Kenda tyres, but don’t reference that in their response. That is where a great deal of the confusion arises.

There’s an interesting FB post doing the rounds at the moment where someone is complaining that they only got 5000 miles out of their Kumho (worn down nearly to the wire in the middle)…… others are saying “wow, I got 20,000 and still going”. I asked the OP what pressure he was running, and he didn’t know (which is frightening in itself ) He said he would have to check the side of the tyre, because that was the pressure the fitter used. I guess that means he was probably running over 40psi, which would explain shorter tyre life

Pete

Mind you, if he was running over 40psi under the load of just ONE Spyder instead of THREE, then 5,000 miles is actually pretty good considering! But the ride!! It musta been something horrid! Sorta like riding on an unsprung railway rolling stock uni-cycle!! The pain... The pain...

I'd guess his Dentist was a very happy dentist, lotsa work from that bloke, what with all the fillings falling out & the sudden clacking of teeth together every time he hit the shadow of a line painted on the road.... But it musta been a handful in the wet too, probably only marginally safer'n more stable than in-line roller-skating on dry ice while juggling a half dozen sticks of lit dynamite!!

[Jackhartjr]

Perez, if you noticed, I was the first one that asked the guy what Pressure he was running on the Facebook post. I haven't kept up, however suspected he was running much higher!
I got my Vredesteins on yesterday, will be ryding in the Florida Keys and Everglades at the end of the week, (yes, y'all can hate me now) I will let y'all know the results!

[Peteoz]

Perez, if you noticed, I was the first one that asked the guy what Pressure he was running on the Facebook post. I haven't kept up, however suspected he was running much higher!
I got my Vredesteins on yesterday, will be ryding in the Florida Keys and Everglades at the end of the week, (yes, y'all can hate me now) I will let y'all know the results!

Yes, I did see your question, Jack, and I noticed there was no response, which is why repeated it in more detail. The fact that the OP himself did not know what pressure he was running, and had to “check the tyre” to see, was a sad indictment in itself ……and yet, there he was, blaming the tyre.

p.s. I don’t hate you We run all year round out here, too

Pete

[FrogmanDave]

I got my Vredesteins on yesterday, will be ryding in the Florida Keys and Everglades at the end of the week, (yes, y'all can hate me now) I will let y'all know the results!

p.s. I don’t hate you We run all year round out here, too

Pete

I hate you both None of that here in Kansas unless you want to freeze your a** off (which I still do from time to time).

[K80Shooter]

Great in NE Ga also for the last few day's. Tomorrow is supposed to be about 72 degrees.

[Peteoz]

Yes, I did see your question, Jack, and I noticed there was no response, which is why repeated it in more detail. The fact that the OP himself did not know what pressure he was running, and had to “check the tyre” to see, was a sad indictment in itself ……and yet, there he was, blaming the tyre.
Pete

Just by way of update, the OP on FB just posted that he was indeed running at the sidewall printed pressure on his Kumho. I’m not sure what that would be, but it would have to be 40+ psi. He is one of the few honest enough on FB to admit that he may have made a mistake, which is very refreshing. What a rough, slippery ride that must have been…….He is now heading out to buy a new aftermarket tyre to run at 17-20psi……..
…..just out of interest, would that high a pressure increase or decrease the incidence of aquaplaning? Here is the tyre after 5000 miles -
CFFFC421-50F2-41C2-8B7E-242F53063C86.jpg

Pete

[Peter Aawen]

.....
…..just out of interest, would that high a pressure increase or decrease the incidence of aquaplaning? Here is the tyre after 5000 miles -
CFFFC421-50F2-41C2-8B7E-242F53063C86.jpg

Pete

Given that there may be some minor variations in this due to specific road surfaces; generally, running pressures that high would significantly increase the incidence of aquaplaning for sooo many reasons!

Briefly (& very basically!) Tread Compounds govern how much a tire grips by getting up to temperature & then being flexible enough to actually form & 'mold themslves' into the microscopic nooks and crannies on the road surface as they roll over it, gripping at both a macro and a micro level and not allowing a great deal of slip; while Tread Patterns work by flexing and gripping the road surface like hundreds of little fingers, at the same time as the tread blocks, channels, & sipes are moving & the gaps are opening and closing as the tread surface is flexed by the carcass of the tire - this is so that the little sipes & channels in the tread can sorta grip in like fingers grabbing onto rocks, and the spaces between the rubber acts like a whole bunch of mini pumps, forcing any water (&/or air!) out from beneath & between the tread blocks.... But when a tire is over inflated, there's a great deal less flex in the carcass & the tread (if there's any at all!) so:

1. the tread compound will never get up to its operating temperature; and
2. the tread pattern itself will be held rigidly & won't flex very much at all (if any!) so it can't act like those little fingers AND the channels & sipes won't work like mini pumps to force water (or air!) out from between the tread & the road surface!!

And there's a whole bunch more too, including things like how much the over-inflated tire will already be skipping/bouncing along the top of the irregularities present in every road surface, both at a macro & a micro level, which will mean that not only is the tire not actually really all that much in contact with the road surface in the first place (certainly less than a tire run at its optimum pressure), but it'll also be bouncing along rising & falling, so creating a gap that's just inviting any recently displaced water to rush in to fill, and continually leaving increased space for even more water/air to get in between the tread & the road; yada; yada; yada...

Over-inflation even just a little means less traction & less resistance to aquaplaning; but gross over-inflation by running a tire at or above its Maximum Pressure when it's only carrying something closer to 1/3rd or maybe 1/5th of its Maximum Load is inviting loss of traction on the shadow of a road marking line & aquaplaning if a gnat pisses on the road in fright!! And it's also courting other 'unpleasant' stuff, like lotsa tire slip; catastrophic tire failure if the tire happens to run over a bit of gravel or other road debris; massive tread wear in the only spots that touch the road (cos the runner 'scrubs over' rather than grips the road surface); bloody harsh & awful ride (cos there's no 'shock absorbing' built into the tire & flexing sidewalls - they're just too tight!) and more...

Just Sayin'

[Peteoz]

Thanks Peter. I haven’t yet asked him how it performed in the wet, but it will be interesting to find out.

Pete.

[SLICE]

I hate you both None of that here in Kansas unless you want to freeze your a** off (which I still do from time to time).

85˚ and humid, AC cranking away.

[Jackhartjr]

Hi folks, before I get thrown into a volcano, I used the search feature, didn't come up with anything.
What tire pressure is recommended for car tires, front and rear please?

[jjc54]

I run 17 PSI in my Vredestein's both front and rear. They grip well and seem to be wearing well.

[bikerchris1270]

I run 17 PSI in my Vredestein's both front and rear. They grip well and seem to be wearing well.

17 psi front
24 psi rear
The rear tire sits behind the Catalytic Converter, gains 3 psi while riding)
This combination works for me

[MeudtPG]

2018 RT Blue/Chrome
New REAR: VREDESTEIN QUATRAC 205/60R15 18 PSI
New FRONT: VREDESTEIN QUATRAC 165/60R15 18 PSI
2015 Freedom Trailer - New set tires from Coker: MICHELINS® XZX 145/70 R 12 XZX 69S TL 30 PSI https://www.cokertire.com/tires/bran...helin-xzx.html

[Albec]

New guy here, can you tell?

I have a couple of questions about the tire pressures.

Why so low?

I'm about to buy my first Spyder, '23 F3 LTD Special Series and in doing some reading here I found out about the low pressures.

Again, why so low?

My Kawasaki ZG1400 calls for 42psi and I was shocked when I saw the low pressures called for on the Spyder.

Is it just because these things have bicycle tires on them OEM? Do folks put different tires on that call for higher pressures?

Inquiring minds HAVE to know....

In any case, I'm not planning on swapping the tires right away, I'll wear 'em out first and then do the change, maybe...

How many miles are folks getting out of the OEM tires?

[EdMat]

The short answer is that they are not running a typical motorcycle tire, even the stock Kenda's.

[Arion]

Bicycle tires? Not sure I understand that comment. Regardless, there are lots of posts regarding tire pressures, depending on whether the tires are OEM or car tires that you can review. However, you should, at least as a starting point, accept the manufacturer's recommended pressures. Different tire profiles and different sidewall construction than those on your Kawasaki account, at least in part, for pressure differences. Not to mention weight being carried by three wheels rather than two.

BRP would be in a legal bind if they recommended tire pressures that weren't safe for their thousands and thousands of customers. MY Spyder wears Vrederstein auto tires on the front and the OEM tire on the rear. Front pressure on mine is 15 - 16 PSI and rear is 26-28 PSI and has proven acceptable over many miles.

[Albec]

The short answer is that they are not running a typical motorcycle tire, even the stock Kenda's.

I understand that my question is why? Why use a tire with such low pressure? This has to reduce tire life significantly.

[Hekarwi]

Not sure why they recommend the low tire pressures, but I run the OEM recommended pressure in my 21 Limited... I got about 12,000 miles on my original tires and got new OEM tires on my return trip to Alaska last year which were some really rough roads. There were not a lot of options available in Canada when I needed to new ones so I just stuck to OEM which is all I could find. Most on the forum swap to car tires and there are several discussions here if you do a search. They also give their recommended brands and tire sizes. I'll probable do the same next time.

[RayBJ]

There are expert tire guys here and will do a better job than I but here's my take.
The OEM (Kenda) tires are very soft and balloon in the center at speed so the sides will last very long but the center will go bald. Higher psi will cause that wear sooner and make the ride harsh. The Spyder is relatively light and doesn't stress the tires much. The car tires are stiffer construction and can/should be run at lower psi for best handling and comfort.

[Albec]

Bicycle tires? Not sure I understand that comment. Regardless, there are lots of posts regarding tire pressures, depending on whether the tires are OEM or car tires that you can review. However, you should, at least as a starting point, accept the manufacturer's recommended pressures. Different tire profiles and different sidewall construction than those on your Kawasaki account, at least in part, for pressure differences. Not to mention weight being carried by three wheels rather than two.

BRP would be in a legal bind if they recommended tire pressures that weren't safe for their thousands and thousands of customers. MY Spyder wears Vrederstein auto tires on the front and the OEM tire on the rear. Front pressure on mine is 15 - 16 PSI and rear is 26-28 PSI and has proven acceptable over many miles.

We have 4 bicycles in our garage, my wife and me. All 4 have Kenda tires and innertubes. My only experience with Kenda is with bicycles and I had no idea that they also made Powersports tires. Thus, my comment.

I plan on using the manufacture's recs on the tire pressures, I didn't mean to imply that I wasn't.

"Different tire profiles and different sidewall construction than those on your Kawasaki account, at least in part, for pressure differences"

I understand this, I know that they are different tires and have different requirements and that the weights of the two vehicles are different. ~700lbs for the Kaw and ~1klbs for the Spyder. Not that much though.

I guess that my question is, why would the engineers design the Spyder to use such low-pressure tires instead of a more standard tire with more conventional tire pressures? It just seems odd to me is all.