tire pressure

[tfranchi]

Did a search of site and can't find this one so here goes.

Put the S1's on today and the shop put 35 pounds of pressure in each.


What are folks running in these tires on a Vino 50? Tires were great to scoot around on and the extra size seems nice. ::handleba

[jaafallon]

I'm running the pressure called for by Yamaha. From memory (therefore not neccesarily correct) that is 25 psi on the rear and 21 psi on the front. Works great for me. . . but then, I'm really a newbie at the scooting game.

jim

[Brodie]

stock tires are 25psi (Rear) and 21psi (Front) the S1's are not the stock tires, so I don't think they are going to be the same, but stranger things have happened.

[OldGuy1]

If it were me I'd just play around with the pressures until I got the combination of ride/handling/tire wear that suited me.

Is changing the tire pressures modding?

[Skullet]

i dont know why ppl never do things the easy way.. look at the sidewalls on your tires. look where it says max load capacity, and it will TELL you what psi is recommended. the front and rear are probably different, so check them both. lower pressures will give you a slightly better ride, higher pressures are SUPPOSED to increase your fuel mileage.

[~cheap_ride~]

dont stray from what the tire manufacture reccomends. this could cause unwanted performance from your machine.

"you do know that modding is dumb right? "

[LaVinoMi]

i dont know why ppl never do things the easy way.. look at the sidewalls on your tires. look where it says max load capacity, and it will TELL you what psi is recommended. the front and rear are probably different, so check them both. lower pressures will give you a slightly better ride, higher pressures are SUPPOSED to increase your fuel mileage.


it does increase your mileage, and your speed.

[OldGuy1]

it does increase your mileage, and your speed.

and makes the tire more susceptible to impact damage, rides rough as a cob and will "skitter" on rough roads.

[monzav8]

Vehicle manufacturers always pick a pressure that is a compromise between economy/performance (higher pressures) and comfort (lower pressures). As long as you dont exceed the max PSI and loading ratings of the tire, you are not in danger of exploding in a ball of flames like some would lead you to believe. Underinflation is ALWAYS more dangerous than overinflation.

Remember that the sidewall rating is not the burst pressure, there is a safety margin built into that number so that even with tire heating and overloading, there is still low likelyhood of explosive failure under normal conditions.

That being said I run slightly less than the sidewall pressure. For the ones I have now, they are stamped 47psi, so I run 42psi. Also, I dont mess with tires, I replace them at the first sign of wear, and I dont buy cheap tires either.

[LaVinoMi]

and makes the tire more susceptible to impact damage, rides rough as a cob and will "skitter" on rough roads.


yup, but we all know it's speed that matters. lol :drum:

[vinobandito]

and makes the tire more susceptible to impact damage, rides rough as a cob and will "skitter" on rough roads.

At the same time a tire with low pressure affects your handling and can make your scoot unstable in turns.

[OldGuy1]

At the same time a tire with low pressure affects your handling and can make your scoot unstable in turns.

You'll get no argument from me. To high or to low are equally bad for different reasons.

To high a pressure and you reduce the contact patch. To low a pressure and the sidewall flexes excessively and builds up heat.

[LaVinoMi]

enough with all of this contact patch and sidewall flexes.

too little pressure=slower scooter, crappy handling
'
too high pressure= faster scooter, better turns, buy more tires

[OldGuy1]

YOu left out possible body damage due to sudden deflation.

[AntonioBustaman]

when i bought my motorcycle, the dealer said use the pressures recomended by the manufacturer of the bike. no matter what brand or model tire i use. different Bikes have different weights overall, and front to back, requiring different pressures.

[Skullet]

the dealer didnt know what he was talking about though. if you go by what the manufacturer says, lets make an example. for example, if ur scoot says to run 29 pounds of pressure. this guy says to use that no matter WHAT tire you put on there. so what happens if you put a tire on ur scoot that says on the sidewall to use 44 psi? you run with a soft sloppy tire. go according to what the TIRE says, and adjust from there. in a video game i run 19 psi in my tires because i dont have to worry about wear. on my scooter i just do what the tires say and stay safe. not to mention when you bring tubed and tubeless tires into the mix..

[OldGuy1]

If harder is faster perhaps one of you will explain to me why the NASCAR guys (and any other form of racing for that matter) are always playing with the tire pressures?

[rockshoxbiker]

This is what I remember reading in Sport Rider:
"the most scientific means of determining if a particular pressure is working for a tire is the use of a pyrometer to assess whether the rubber has reached the manufacturer's recommended temperature, charting the pressure increase of a tire after track sessions will give a good impression of how hard a tire is working. Dennis Smith of Dunlop's Sport Tire Services recommends an increase of two to four pounds in front tires and six to eight in the rear. "

This is for sport bikes that have ample horsepower and less affected by "squishy" tires slowing you down.

I used to run about 32psi on my zuma with Boppers. More air and the front tire would not grip well when doing stoppies.

Just play around with the pressures and see what you like.

If you don't have one already, get a digital tire guage as those are more precise and stay accurate over time. They only cost about $10.

[speedy_scooter]

If harder is faster perhaps one of you will explain to me why the NASCAR guys (and any other form of racing for that matter) are always playing with the tire pressures?
Thats because the harder the tire the smaller contact patch which gives better speeds but with less friction you get less grip. So there is a fine balance when your racing of speed but still keeping traction. Most of the time with these scooters your not going fast enough or around a turn hard enough.

[OldGuy1]

Thats because the harder the tire the smaller contact patch which gives better speeds but with less friction you get less grip.

So you figure your never going to have to make an emergency stop? You're right about one thing, smaller contact patch = less friction = less grip = .... Gee, I think that pretty much says it all.