Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Tire pressure, speedmaster/metzlers, solo riding

I DID do a search but didn't find anything much. But i'm concerned because in the vault it lists the pressure as something like 38/40 while the speedy owners manual say 36/38 and the triumph service manual says 31/31. Theres a huge variance there and at least one of them is way off. Is there a difinitive answer or do i just have to use my own judgment?

What does the label/sticker on the right hand side of the neck of your bike say? It should provide the actual date of manufacture (month/year), the VIN#, and the front and rear tire pressures.

My SM says 36/36 front/rear, as does my owner's manual.

I like 38/40 because the tires will only lose pressure, never gain it. I do not fire up the compressor until the tires get below 36/38.

They gain pressure every time they heat up through use. With manufacturer recommended tyres take em to the bike's manufacturer recommended pressures when cold, and maintain them regularly (like once a week). If you go with something different start with the tyre maker's recommendation and experiment.

I live in Florida and the pressure does go up when it gets hot. I guess if you live where it gets really cold, you're more used to pressure going down. Also, it is my understanding that the pressure written on the tire is the maximum reommended cold pressure for the tire. It isn't the proper pressure for every application. In most all normal use, the pressure should be lower than the maximum. The only tires I've run at maximum were ones on an overloaded boat trailer where the tires were at their maximum capacity (weight limit).

Speedy tires are radials and once a month is plenty to check pressure. Tube tires may need a once a week check if you ride a lot. Most tires lose pressure from owners checking them too often. Pressure is always checked in the morning on a cold tire. A little too much (40 PSI maximum)air is way better than too little. Just my opinion, file where you see fit.

Perhaps if you substitute the word tubeless for the word radial.

NEVER mix bias and radial tires.

Tire pressure per Triumph goes out the window with non oem tires. Must start at the tire manufactures recommendations.

Don't forget about the whole Ford/Bridgestone, Firestone thing that happened a few years ago. Always inflate to the "COLD" PSI listed on the side of the tire & it's a pretty good idea to check everytime before you ride. It only takes a few seconds....