Help with tire pressure

[Bob Denman]

You weren't reading any better than me...
I said that the front tires should be kept within a half-pound of each other...

But here's where I read it...

TIRE
S
Type (use only tires Front KR31 165/55R15
recommended by BRP) Rear KR21 225/50R15
Front
Nominal.: 138 kPa (20 PSI)
Min.: 118 kPa (17 PSI)
Max.: 158 kPa (23 PSI)
Nominal.: 193 kPa (28 PSI)
Min.: 179 kPa (26 PSI)
Max.: 207 kPa (30 PSI)
Pressure
Rear
NOTE:
The pressure difference between the left andright side tire should not exceed 3.4 kPa (.5 PSI).

Read your manual: it's in the technical specifications section. (I think that it starts on page 160...)

[OJ UK]

xl-hero-tire-pr-t1r.jpgRunning a Toyo Proxes T1-R at 22psi on my 2015 F3-S on the rear. It works!

[AeroPilot]

I don't know if my Overly Compulsive, Doubting nature can take this change. May be time to get JT's balance tubeDSCN1585.jpg

Even the FOBO's tend to vary with time and temp, although the bike has been sitting without me touching the valves...hmmm. Oh well, I know they have air in them, and the weather is nice, so... time to RYDE!!

[Peter Aawen]

If you park your Spyder long enough with only one tire sitting in the sun, then sure, you're gonna get some temperature difference between front tires & therefore you'll have a pressure difference too, altho it shouldn't be more than 1-2 psi unless you live somewhere really hot - but the critical thing is that after they've been warmed up thru ryding/use, they end up within that 1/2 a psi or so!!

You should aim for a 4-6psi pressure increase after an hour or so's ryding anyway!! If your tire pressures aren't set too high to start with, it should only take about 10-15 mins of 'normal' riding to get them up to operating temps!! If they start out more than about 5-6 psi too high when cold, it's likely your tire pressures won't change much at all in that short a time ryding, & it might take a loooong ryde to really get the tread up to 'optimal' operating temps, if you can ever do that on anything but a narrow strip down the middle of the tread!!

An 'infrared' remote temp gauge should show an even tread temperature right across the face of the bit of tread that hits the ground (measure at least 3 spots across the face immediately on stopping) - if it's got clear high temperature strips of tread, your tire pressures are incorrect & your tires will probably wear out the hot bits faster than anything else! Rough guide - Outside edges the hottest, pressure too low; Middle of the tread the hottest, pressures too high.

[Deer Slayer]

Then you get a whole new set of numbers.
If anyone gives a rats arse, with nitrogen on my RS-S, 16 PSI FRONT and 24 psi REAR. Single up and some times trailer. Type on ya'll...

[Bob Denman]

nitrogen?
I use the discount version: it's only 78% pure...

[WingmanRT]

My wife and I have been riding our Spyders (RT 2010 & 2011) for 5-6 years with the front tire pressure at about 18@. She went to fill hers up and correctly stated that the sidewall says a Max pressure of 30psi!!!!???? I looked and it says that on both our Spyders. Mine has new fronts (from BRP) and hers are still OEM. I got about 22000 miles on my first set, but

I don't want to run under-inflated. What's the answer?

[wd8ajj]

I use BRP's recommended thats on the bike and add about 4. Say 18 front, I put about 21,22. 19k on the front so far and rear, well went to Vee and have 10K and looking good. about 28 in rear.

[Fat Baxter]

^^ "A few on here see the need to be a di#k for no reason."

I blame cabin fever. Spring can't come soon enough for our northern-based brethren.

And FWIW, I have Kumho Solus KH16's on the front, running at 18 psi, and a General Altimax RT43 on the rear, running at 24 psi. One-up riding only. No problems.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

xl-hero-tire-pr-t1r.jpgRunning a Toyo Proxes T1-R at 22psi on my 2015 F3-S on the rear. It works!

OJ , I had those on my RT on the front and I think it was the Stickiest tire I ever ran ........ can you even break traction with it ??????? .................. Mike

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

My wife and I have been riding our Spyders (RT 2010 & 2011) for 5-6 years with the front tire pressure at about 18@. She went to fill hers up and correctly stated that the sidewall says a Max pressure of 30psi!!!!???? I looked and it says that on both our Spyders. Mine has new fronts (from BRP) and hers are still OEM. I got about 22000 miles on my first set, but

I don't want to run under-inflated. What's the answer?

30 is the safety limit, not recommended pressure. 15 is BRP recommended pressure.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

[AY4B]

On my first rear tire, It was time to change at 3500 miles. I got a Yokahama S drive and wore it out at around 8 thousand. The center was going bald. I was running 28 pounds. Just got a new Yokohama mounted. Should I drop to 26 or lower?

[Peter Aawen]

..... Should I drop to 26 or lower?

Not on the Kendas, they can't handle it!! But certainly drop your pressure on any car tire with a load rating that's up to carrying a normal sedan - the Spyders are significantly lighter so any 'strong' tire underneath them will generally only need about 20-22 psi in them to carry the load & let the tire achieve operating temps, the heavier/stronger they are constructed or the lighter the load on them, the lower their necessary pressure to do the job becomes - but they will generally do it safely & without any hassles!!

Car tires under something light like our Spyders need the lower pressures to let their stronger/heavier sidewalls flex suitably to generate that 'necessary for proper operation' heat but you don't want to go so low that you compromise their handling, your safety, or the tire's integrity, so you should probably use something like the 4psi rule or an infra red thermometer to confirm that the tire isn't overheating/increasing in pressure (due to overheating) too much!!

A pressure increase of 4-6psi after an hour's riding from your cold start pressures is ideal & what you should be aiming for - less increase, your cold start pressures are too high & you are compromising the tire's puncture resistance, grip, & wear rates, especially in the centre of the tread; more increase & your cold start pressures are too low so you are compromising the tire's sidewalls, handling, & wear rates, especially on the edges of the tread.

It's not hard really all that hard to do (especially with a TPMS) but by putting in the effort to regularly check your tire pressures/pressure increas & aiming for the right pressure/temperature increase during use, you get significant pay-back in terms of optimising your ride, handling, traction, & tire life - doing so can pay for the extra effort the very first time you avoid an aqua-plane incident in the wet or simply thru the better ride & handling you'll get every day... & you get better grip, ride & handling every day that for the (usually significant) longer life of the tires too!!

Or, if you can't be bothered to look after your tires this way, you can just learn to accept the 'less than ideal' ride, handling, grip, & tire life that you are undoubtedly getting!! (unless by some fluke you managed to set your pressures reasonably close to the ideal )

[AY4B]

Not on the Kendas, they can't handle it!! But certainly drop your pressure on any car tire with a load rating that's up to carrying a normal sedan - the Spyders are significantly lighter so any 'strong' tire underneath them will generally only need about 20-22 psi in them to carry the load & let the tire achieve operating temps, the heavier/stronger they are constructed or the lighter the load on them, the lower their necessary pressure to do the job becomes - but they will generally do it safely & without any hassles!!

Car tires under something light like our Spyders need the lower pressures to let their stronger/heavier sidewalls flex suitably to generate that 'necessary for proper operation' heat but you don't want to go so low that you compromise their handling, your safety, or the tire's integrity, so you should probably use something like the 4psi rule or an infra red thermometer to confirm that the tire isn't overheating/increasing in pressure (due to overheating) too much!!

A pressure increase of 4-6psi after an hour's riding from your cold start pressures is ideal & what you should be aiming for - less increase, your cold start pressures are too high & you are compromising the tire's puncture resistance, grip, & wear rates, especially in the centre of the tread; more increase & your cold start pressures are too low so you are compromising the tire's sidewalls, handling, & wear rates, especially on the edges of the tread.

It's not hard really all that hard to do (especially with a TPMS) but by putting in the effort to regularly check your tire pressures/pressure increas & aiming for the right pressure/temperature increase during use, you get significant pay-back in terms of optimising your ride, handling, traction, & tire life - doing so can pay for the extra effort the very first time you avoid an aqua-plane incident in the wet or simply thru the better ride & handling you'll get every day... & you get better grip, ride & handling every day that for the (usually significant) longer life of the tires too!!

Or, if you can't be bothered to look after your tires this way, you can just learn to accept the 'less than ideal' ride, handling, grip, & tire life that you are undoubtedly getting!! (unless by some fluke you managed to set your pressures reasonably close to the ideal )

Thanks Peter! I will go with 22 and keep an eye on the temperature that the FOBO is reading. I am still running the stock front tires and keep them at 18 psi. They still have lots of tread.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

On my first rear tire, It was time to change at 3500 miles. I got a Yokahama S drive and wore it out at around 8 thousand. The center was going bald. I was running 28 pounds. Just got a new Yokohama mounted. Should I drop to 26 or lower?

If you only got 8,000 on the " S " drive ........ why did you get another one .......... Mike

[Bam Bam and Pebbles]

If you only got 8,000 on the " S " drive ........ why did you get another one .......... Mike

True Dat! Hell, I got 10k on my crapenda OEM tire before I changed it out.

[Bensonoid]

I run 20 lb. in my s drive. I started out with 26 and noticed the center was wearing at 8000 mi. I expect to get another 6-8 k out of it now.

[AY4B]

If you only got 8,000 on the " S " drive ........ why did you get another one .......... Mike

Cuz It was Bald