Forum

[Beezabryan]

With all due respect Thack your response to my reasonably worded post has been treated with the comtempt it deserves.

[Norm]

Anyway as a personal opinion I think 18 psi in a front tyre with a disc brake could result in rim slip but that is just my opinion

[Scalyback]

OK, so a misunderstanding between different manuals, for old and new bullets, resulting in confusion and various people defending what they knew as correct from both sides.



I agree it's not good to say somebody is wrong, but if your manual clearly states some information that is different than that quoted by somebody else, then I can understand how it would arise, but would suggest a more subtle approach with different wording in the future.



Let's not fall out over bloody tyre pressures guys!

Simon aka Scalyback

[simon]

I think we should move on to choice of oils and spark plugs next.....or perhaps not. Have to say my bit on the tyre thing. It depends on the tyre and the weight of the bike and rider more than the age of the bike. Are you riding on sand (low) or Tarmac (high) do you want a hard ride or soft. As long as the tyre stays on the same place on the rim and holds the bike off the ground and of course you can ride and brake without falling off then go with what makes you happy. I got on the Ducati having replaced the tyre but having forgotten to reset the tyre pressures having got the bead on the rim. The couple of miles at 65 psi were some of the most uncomfortable and frightening of my forty riding years. So that is too hard.

[Scalyback]

Sod the manuals, everyone put air in their tyres,so...



What bike have you got and what pressures do you use?



My iron bullet is per manual at 32-36, but I am thinking of lowering it a little, as there are lots of pot holes around here, but I do not know what the bottom end pressures as per tyre wear are?
Or does that not matter with bike tyres?



My previous bikes were always kept at the manufacturers settings, so I have no experience of deviating from that, and don't want to make an avoidable error.

[Thack]

Ooops! Sorry, Beezebryan! It was you I should be apologising to. So, please accept my apologies.

[Beezabryan]

Accepted with thanks
don't know how to do a "handshake" thing , maybe Scaly the site IT guru has some ideass?

[Thack]

Beezabryan and Leon, I've learned two lessons from this; lessons which I already knew, which makes it even worse. Firstly, don't make assumptions (like I did about the age of guru's bike). Secondly, don't be so rude, pompous and arrogant, when there is no possible reason to be so. :-/



Oh, I've learned a third thing: that there is a vast difference between the recommended front tyre pressures for old and new Bullets. I think it was Beezabryan who mentioned different tyrewall stiffness in modern tyres. However, I'm not yet convinced that is the full story, because we haven't seen a similar reduction in pressures on other makes (or rather, not on my bikes, which cover about the last 40 years).



My "gut" (which is substantial, thus hard to ignore) tells me that 18psi should be way too low. However, I've had mine set at that pressure from new, and I have to say it feels absolutely fine. I suspect this proves I'm not at all a perceptive rider.

[Leon Novello]

Thack: If you are going to use the lower pressures, loosen the lock nut around the valve stem so you can see if it moving (it will be on an angle) and about to be ripped out. This is what we watch for.

[Thack]

Good point, Leon. I will definitely loosen it, and will report back if any sign of tilt appears.