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04-27-2008, 11:17 AM | #1 |
Tire pressure
This is embarrasing but may save some one some problems so I will deal with it. I have not used a tire guage on my Nomad, even though there is one in tool kit, just because the bike felt fine on the road and the tires did not look like they were low at all. So, when I pulled the wheels off today and had the tool kit out I decided to check for grins and giggles. Both front and rear tires were low, in the range of 20 pounds each!! This may be why I got such lousy mileage out of them at only 8,500 miles.
Yeah I know, I really know better than this but low air pressure is always some one else' problem right? So, grab your tire pressure gauge and check those air pressures. I will bet you that those of you who have not done so will be surprised at what you find. Now, go ahead and beat up for being a dumb sh*t.
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Idaho (aka Curmudgeon) Blue Knights Idaho III VBA #110 VROC #24864 IBA #49753 2007 Nomad 86,000 miles Bud Smalley Pocatello, Idaho Idaho Jack Adapter Login or Register to Remove Ads |
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04-27-2008, 12:00 PM | #2 |
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Tire pressure
If you pump them up to 40 psi and go ride around, then let them down to 35 psi and ride a little, you will really feel the difference, and you'll know right away whenever your tires are severely low. This is important to know, as you don't want to take off on a ride with a puncture or other leak.
It's possible to ride with the tires very low and not realize it because the carcases of MC tires are so stiff they stand up with virtually no pressure in them. But handling will suffer horribly. Your first clue is that the bike will want to follow every line and groove on the road. The second clue is that it will handle very badly in the turns. Usually the bike will want to "fall in" too fast. |
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04-27-2008, 01:13 PM | #3 |
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Tamworth New Hampster 06 1600
Posts: 12,484
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Tire pressure
You got about 1,500 more miles on that junker Bridgestone than just about everbody else!
Mine was dead at 6,000 miles but being cheap I ran it to 9,000, but I won't ride till I get new ft and rears.. My ft is legal still but i have had my fill of these OEM junk, so when I get that off anyone who wants to pay the price of shipping can have it. New they would be better planters than they are tires. of course that's just my opinon. and that goes for Stones on cars as well.. So far as air goes. Well you won't ruin a rim with 0 psi. The sidewalls are just to stiff. Some Dunlops are that stiff, and one day I ran over road mess rebar, and put a easy 3/8" hole in my rear on ther xs 850. That tire had only 4,000 on it, but it was instant trash. I had my wife get off, and wait, while I rode it to a wal mart where I boight 2 plug kits and a 12 volt compressor. I stuffed 8 plugs in that hole, filled the tire and went back for her. The plugs leaked like seives too. So I rode a good 10 miles with the hole empty, and 50 more plugged as best as a i could on a 3 day weekend to get home. Once the store was open I bought another new tire, and cut the old one so no one else could use it. It looked ok but I knew different and didn't want the dump rats to get killed.
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06 1600 Nomad Just call me Mac molon labe come and get it |
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04-27-2008, 01:25 PM | #4 |
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Cartersville, Georgia
Posts: 4,838
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Tire pressure
I only got abot 8400 miles out of my OEM stones, and the same for my first set of metzlers, and am on metzlers again. I DO check my pressures religiously.
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Cliff "VulcanE" Evans 2005 Blue & Silver 1600 Nomad VBA # 320 VROC # 20381 |
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04-27-2008, 01:46 PM | #5 |
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Ft Myers FL Most of the time
Posts: 218
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Tire pressure
I check my tires 1X a week. I run 34# in the front and 43# in the rear. Metzler M880 is my pick, they ride better and last longer.... I get about 22K out the front and about 14K out of the rear. We ride 2-up 95% of the time and we ride 20K + a year for the last 14 yrs.
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04-27-2008, 07:25 PM | #6 |
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 74
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Tire pressure
doctorgski would those pressurses work on the stock tires as well, as we two mostly two up most of the time. |
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04-27-2008, 10:36 PM | #7 | |
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Blairsville in N. GA mountains
Posts: 1,625
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Tire pressure
Quote:
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Dick Campbell Blairsville, GA 2008 Red & Black Nomad 1600 (retired) 2009 1900 Yamaha Stratoliner (retired) 2013 1900 Yamaha Stratoliner 2018 CanAm RT Limited Spyder (Sold) 2014 Goldwing Roadsmith Red Trike (Sold) 2019 Goldwing DCT Roadsmith Copper & Black Trike VBA #243 Darkside #115 Patriot Guard Rider American Legion Rider |
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04-27-2008, 11:18 PM | #8 |
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Peoples Republic of New York State
Posts: 15,154
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Tire pressure
Idaho, I don't know how you could ride with that low of tire pressure and not realize it. The side walls may be stiff but I don't think they are that stiff.
When I got my bike out after winter layup I went for a ride up the road and back ( about a mile). The front end was all over the place. It felt like riding a rut in a dirt road. I had 20 pounds in the front and 25 in the rear. I normaly run 40/42.
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Tim "TC" Conley VBA #9 2011 Victory Kingpin mine 2013 Victory Boardwalk -hers [LEFT][COLOR=#000000] [SIZE=4] |
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04-27-2008, 11:51 PM | #9 | |
Tire pressure
Quote:
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Idaho (aka Curmudgeon) Blue Knights Idaho III VBA #110 VROC #24864 IBA #49753 2007 Nomad 86,000 miles Bud Smalley Pocatello, Idaho Idaho Jack Adapter |
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04-27-2008, 11:59 PM | #10 |
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Tire pressure
azroundboy, welcome to the forum. Good folks here.
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04-28-2008, 12:00 AM | #11 |
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Tire pressure
Idaho, you don't mean to tell us you and your mistress had a falling out over tire pressure do you? How could you be so fickle ? LOL.
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04-28-2008, 06:54 AM | #12 |
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Newmarket Ontario Canada
Posts: 35,387
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Tire pressure
I check my tires every couple weeks at least. Like TC said, with low air the bike is all over the place. Keep them hard.
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2002 Nomad aka Bountyhunter VBA #27 VROC #18951 |
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04-28-2008, 08:56 AM | #13 |
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Tire pressure
I check mine at least once a week. It seems that pressure is definitely the number one concern for long mileage.
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04-28-2008, 10:36 AM | #14 | |
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Ft Myers FL Most of the time
Posts: 218
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Tire pressure
Quote:
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04-28-2008, 10:50 AM | #15 |
Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Ft Myers FL Most of the time
Posts: 218
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Tire pressure
I would try this pressure and see. But you will not get the same mileage out of the stock tires. Metzlers are great !
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