[Old Okie]

I just checked the tire pressure on my GL650 and the BMW.

I rode the beemer about 40 miles last week and was complaining

about how bad it handles at speed, I thought I may need new tires.

The tires, GL and BMW tires, had about 10 to 15 pounds of pressure,

where did the air go?? Part of the problem is cooler weather

that we are having. I run 28 lbs front and 32 lbs rear on both bikes.

Going for a ride and see what a difference it made. Just a reminder

with the cooler weather, check those tire pressures.

 

[MotorcycleCommuter]

I do maintenance on my bike every weekend since I ride every day it's above 35F and not raining or snowing. I Check tire pressure, front and rear suspension air pressure, oil, antifreeze, lights, etc... Tires will lose air when the weather turns cooler and gain pressure when it warms up. This time of the year with unpredictable temperatures you can end up putting air in one week and letting some out the next. You have to check it often to keep the best handling.

 

[Trickster]

I just checked the tire pressure on my GL650 and the BMW.

I rode the beemer about 40 miles last week and was complaining

about how bad it handles at speed, I thought I may need new tires.

The tires, GL and BMW tires, had about 10 to 15 pounds of pressure,

where did the air go?? Part of the problem is cooler weather

that we are having. I run 28 lbs front and 32 lbs rear on both bikes.

Going for a ride and see what a difference it made. Just a reminder

with the cooler weather, check those tire pressures.

Sounds like you have some leaks, never seen tires lose 50%+ of their pressure due to cooler weather.

But thanks for the reminder, tire pressure is often overlooked and just assumed to be okay, because it does not "look"



low. My boy is very guilty of this.

 

[marshallf3]

Rubber isn't glass tight and will loose some pressuer over time. Some tires are far worse at this than others, expecially if they're getting older.



The Bridgestones I've run on my cars for years hold air almost forever but still need to be checked every few months.

 

[Old Okie]

We, me and my son-in-law went for about a 40 mile ride today.

He on Honda 750 Shadow, me on the BMW. Sure was a nice ride and

the beemer handled so good. The tire pressure made a big difference.

I must be some kind of dummy to let the tires get that low but

they looked OK. Im know, I know, this is a Honda CX/GL forum,

I will ride the GL next time out. The GL had low tires too.

 

[Johnny Canuck]

You can be assured that no air is trying to get in your tires! However what's in is trying to get out 24/7/365...and occasionally some of it is successful.

 

[chicagorandy]

And let us not forget than your Honda was designed for Japanese air and the BMW needs German. Plus factor in they were engineered for Metric air, not US measured stuff.



I spend a fortune every year importing the proper Russian, Metric air for my Ural sidecar rig's tires.





lol

 

[marshallf3]

Another one of those articles that's kind of fun to read the comments on:



Does nitrogen help the performance of our motorcycle tires? Or is at unnecessary expense?



Filling motorcycle tires with nitrogen (instead of air) has been a controversial subject for a number of years now with members of various motorcycle forums touting either its benefits, or conversely, the view that its apparent value is not worth paying anything at all, compared to readily available free air (which contains 78% nitrogen).



Click for more and to add your comments:

http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/nitrogen-tires/529

 

[Trickster]

Ok here we go on the nitrogen thing.

Its benefits are the ability to maintain the same pressure (or close to it) when submitted to varying temperatures.



Unless you are not checking your pressures and/or riding through changing ambient temperatures alot, not really a big



sell for me.



BTW as far as das German air, yeah the measurement system they use (Bar) is really not as accurate as P.S.I.



Since 1 Bar equals around 14 P.S.I. if I recall correctly. My BMW runs at 2.3 and 2.7 Bar front/rear, always need the



calculator and the air guage.

 

[marshallf3]

Another claim I've seen made is the size of the Nitrogen molecules have a harder time seeping through rubber.



Oh, it was a valid idea when it came out but just how many Nitrogen Filing stations do you see? I suppose you're supposed to go by a special dealer every time you want to top off your tire pressure?

 

[InWeldingWeTrust]

There are some advantages and disadvantages of using nitrogen. The advantages normally are increased tyre life due to pressure stability, and they have a much more consistent feel in all three speed ranges, low, medium and high



However they can be harsher at low speeds so expect some loss of comfort. Also nitrogen filled tyres do not self clean as well as oxygen filled tyres so the risk of punture due to a trapped pebble stone, or flint shard etc is higher, and far outweighs the increased liklehood of punture due to oxidation in a regular tyre. The single largest cause of all tyre failures is underinflation/overloading (this is essentially one and the same thing)abuse by neglect of the owners. Air filled tyres require more pressure maintainence, but nitrogen filled tyres need much less so which can lead to a total neglect situation. Certainly in countries that keep regular statitstics it appears that nitrogen tyre failure due to pressure neglect is fast catching the totals accrued by air filled tyres thus far and as the tyres contructions are the same this points to a higher level of owner neglect than before.

Personally, I like to maintain regular presure checks and appreciate the softness that cold, low pressure air gives me until it reaches operating temp, thereby letting me know everythings nicely on the boil, so I fail to see the need for nitrogen in the first place

 

[chicagorandy]

I have always used a mix of 78% nitrogen and roughly 22% oxygen to fill my tires.



Works great, costs little, available everywhere.

 

[cxlover]

I have nitro in my tires and my air shocks. At work we have the machine so i said why not. I can't really say what difference it has made other than the tire pressure is nearly always the same. I always think of this though, when you get a flat.........you gotta do it again. Most places you did it at first to begin with will fill it up for free but i just don't see the overall win for it.



Almost like a transmission flush, trans fluid doesn't break down it burns up. When it burns up usuaully the lock up in the torque converter is done and the rest of the trans needs a good rebuild as well.