Tyre Pressure..?

[Thanh-BKK]

Hello

This may sound like a stupid question.... but can anyone explain to me how much air i should put on my motorbike tyres? It'sa '94 Yamaha RXZ, the front wheel size is 2.75/18 and the rear is 3.25/18. I ride mostly with passenger.

When i bring the bike to the shop for something, they usually pump it up as hard as stone. Which is way too uncomfortable, i let some air out again. But, after a time, it loses air too, and i have to refill.

So at has stations, either the "meters" don't work at all, or show fantasy-value. So now i've got myself a tyre gauge, but don't know how to read it! As there are "PSI" and "kPa", none of which tells me anything.... as a European, i am used to "Bar" only.

So how many PSI or kPa do i need to put in there?

Appreciate any advice.......

Thanh

[Crossy]

1 Bar = 100 kPa = 14.5 PSI

[HDRIDER]

HI

I think that 30PSI front and 32 Back should be OK, i use 32 back and front on Nouvo

[dave_boo]

They beat me on the bars<->PSI conversion, but I usually do 32 front and 36 rear (of course that's PSI since I'm American). That's usually 2 up also, and I'm at a hefty 95 Kilos. Wife is some 58 and the bike is 105 (CBR 150R). Total weight is then 258, and since the rear is 'harder', I think it helps distribute the weight onto the front wheel more. Of course, when I run it on the track, that's a problem, but letting some air out and softening the rear shock helps. This is an informative read.

I don't know if your bike has tubes, but I'd be worried about a slow leak. If it has tubes, that's an easy fix. Just replace the tube. A tubeless tire is going to need the rim cleaned and maybe resurfaced. You said you drove your bike through a lot of standing water, there may be corrosion that's preventing a good seal. Also on tubeless bikes, a replacement of the valve stem often fixes slow leaks.

[Richard-BKK]

It is amazing how much people, who can build a bike blindfolded, or even so-called tire experts at gasoline station, know about tires. When driving in Thailand, car or motorcycle, the first thing you need to buy is a decent gage to measure air pressure. Even if, by some miracle, a Thai gas station have a air-pressure gage it is still likely it not works correctly.

An similar article about tire pressure Tire happiness

Edited January 30, 2008 by Richard-BKK

[goldfish]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=115213&hl=

[Thanh-BKK]

Thanks for all the replies

Yeah, i CAN actually build a bike blindfolded, and, using my thumb to pres the tyre, always get a rather good pressure in there.... i just wanted to have it official as to how much i actually need There's one gas station which has a digital meter on their "air station" and there i always did it with "32" as a guess after some trying - "32" felt like my "thumb-meter" and after reading your replies it seems like that's an ok value.

Yeah, my tyres have tubes in them as i use spoke wheels, but there is no corrosion as the wheels have just been built last year and they are aluminium rims. The front tube IS new (i had a flat just last friday because of the tyre itself that was worn from the inside - no wonder after 26.000 kilometers!) and still very slowly lets air out (they always do that here... ever since i got the bike, i need to refill air on both tyres about every three weeks or so, and i drive some 300 kilometers per week).

About the tyre gauge, easy to say "must get a decent one" - question is, WHERE? As always with such things, what you get in every supermarket in Germany might be completely unavailable here! Such as "Decent Rain Overall In Farang-Size", "NGK Spark Plug Covers", "Chain Lube", "Decent Tyre Gauge". I've got mine in Chiang Mai, of all places - as i didn't see ANY in Bangkok in the last couple of years!

With kind regards......

Thanh

[PeaceBlondie]

Thanh, frankly, those are several good points. Since most of us are not fluent in Thai, and our partners' knowledges of bike parts is sometimes sketchy, they can bring home silicone lubricant that is not meant for bike chains, or they are told that CBR150 tires are radial, etc. I do not know where to get a good tyre gauge, and the only one I could find in southernmost Mexico cost me about 200 baht!

[HDRIDER]

HI

You can buy some in big C or Tesco, and they are not to bad, (dont buy the cheapest)

i have a foot pump with gauge and a gauge from Big C and they tell the same.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

Thanks for the replies again. yeah, i DID get mine at Bif C but in Chiang Mai! because in Bangkok i've been to two Big C's (the one beside Central Bangna and the one on Lad Phrao road) and neither one had it. Tesco i've also been to several and didn't find it (but i know they USED TO have them!)..... and then the places that one would expect to find something like that - HomePro in Central Bangna (they have a "car accessory" department!) and a number of motorbike accessory shops - no luck. I also have a foot pump but the gauge there 1) doesn't work at all and 2) the pump is too big to carry with me all the time. I wanted a regular one that fits in the toolbox in my bike.... now i've got one such. It even had a sticker on the package saying that "this is a precision instrument" (in Thai). It was the one that did cost the most, they had several there at Big C Chiang Mai, so i just bought it (like 690 Baht or so).

I wish i would have gotten one of those really small digital ones that can be used as a key chain - Tesco used to have them a couple of years ago but then i didn't need one. I have never seen them anywhere else.... in Germany, every supermarket and sure every car or motorbike accessory shop has them.

@PeaceBlondie i know about the chain lube - it was my grief before, but that shop close to my place finally managed to get a carton (he said he ordered them directly from "the factory in Taiwan" but the can says "Made in Thailand", of course) and i just bought the whole carton, six cans.... so i am supplied for a year About the tyre gauge, get it at Big C on Super Highway, they have them. Cool that i, as a "Bangkokian", can help you finding something where YOU live on the other end of the country By the ay if nothing goes wrong i'll be in Chiang Mai again over Songkhran

Best regards.....

Thanh