Bike tyres losing air

[Kenny202]

Have a little honda click scooter. Seem to have to top up the air in the tyres every week. Always ride 2 up with the missus. Been like that since new. Is that normal?

[4evermaat]

Is it the one with the tube inside? Could be the tube has a small puncture. You can have one of those local bike shops look at it and repair just the hole for ~30 baht or if it is too badly damaged, ~120-130 baht to replace. They should check the tire itself to ensure no nail or wood splinters are stuck in the tire. Otherwise the new tube will get damaged.

If it is tubeless, the tire itself may have a slow leak and needs repair. But the tubeless tires are much more resilient to small punctures.

With the tube tires, it's normal for the tube to break, even if the outside tire is undamaged. Be extra careful on unpaved roads.

Edited February 7, 2016 by 4evermaat

[Gsxrnz]

No. check the valves, probably need to be tightened or changed. Or if the rim is damaged and not sealing properly you can get a sealant applied that will effect a better seal on the rim - see your dealer, don't trust a side of the road numptie.

If it's not tubeless, you may have a pinhole leak in the tube.

Anyway, tighten or change the valves first.

Edited February 7, 2016 by Gsxrnz

[Don Mega]

If you believe the various threads on nitrogen it does not leak from tyres so you should use that instead of air.

[4evermaat]

If you believe the various threads on nitrogen it does not leak from tyres so you should use that instead of air.

Which shops use nitrogen? Never seen that advertised anywhere.

[Denim]

If you believe the various threads on nitrogen it does not leak from tyres so you should use that instead of air.

Which shops use nitrogen? Never seen that advertised anywhere.

I had nitrogen in my car tyres when they were new. Supposed to make the tyres run cooler and make them last longer. You usually have to pay for it and not many places have it so in reality it doesn't the novelty soon wears off and you start using air again.

[jvs]

Air has 78% nitrogen,if you are not on a racing circuit where parts of seconds count it is a waste of money.

Also if you fill up a tire and it goes down does not (in theory)the nitrogen remain?

Fill it up again and soon you will have a tire full of nitrogen(if only the oxygen leaks out like they claim.)

I changed my inner tubes to IRC brand and they are a lot better.

[Daffy D]

Wife has a Fino. Always loosing air I regularly top it up every week or so.

Over the years she has had several new tyres and tubes but they all loose air over time.

My truck has never lost air in the 4 years I've had it.

[Tomtomtom69]

I have the same issue with my Honda Sonic. I rarely drive it though. I did replace both the tubes and the tyres a little under a year ago. Some air leaking out over time is normal.

If I inflate the front tyre to say 35 psi (29 psi is considered the normal "cold" tyre pressure for the tyre type) assuming I haven't driven the bike, 1 week later it will be down to 25-28 psi or so. I consider this normal as the rim will not fully seal against air leaking out slowly. If I drive the bike regularly, the pressure 1 week later may still be up around 30 psi or so. It's a similar story for the rear tyre - if I inflate it to say 40 psi, one week later it may be down to around 33 psi if I haven't driven the bike in that period. A month or so of not driving will result in a tyre pressure of half the originally inflated pressure in both tyres.

My car fares better, because like most car tyres uses tubeless tyres. Even after not driving for a month (this only happens when I'm abroad for extended periods), the tyre pressure goes down by only 2-3 psi in this period.

[papa al]

One theory posits a reason tubes leak too much:

over-inflation [by Thai mechanics] induces persistent micro-leaks through the poor quality tubes.

Edited February 7, 2016 by papa al

[Briggsy]

Tubeless - should be good for weeks.

Inner Tube - need to inflate every 2 weeks or more often.

Simples.

[Don Mega]

Wife has a Fino. Always loosing air I regularly top it up every week or so.

Over the years she has had several new tyres and tubes but they all loose air over time.

My truck has never lost air in the 4 years I've had it.

In 4 years you have not had to put even one single PSI of air into your truck tyres..... I find that extremely hard to believe.

[pod8460]

I think it's quite normal to lose presure in tubed motorcycle tires , best thing I did was buy a pump and a gauge this way you can keep tires topped up. If your running two up the rear should be inflated with a few extra psi. If you let the presures fall to mush the tire run hot and the tubes tend to move ,causing flats by ripping the tube at the valve. Imho

[Lampang2]

Have a little honda click scooter. Seem to have to top up the air in the tyres every week. Always ride 2 up with the missus. Been like that since new. Is that normal?

In Thailand yes.

I know from personal experience.

Other countries no.

I had my tubes replaced for "higher quality" , made no difference whatsoever.

Bring tubes and air nipples from outside Thailand for a solution.

[Daffy D]

Wife has a Fino. Always loosing air I regularly top it up every week or so.

Over the years she has had several new tyres and tubes but they all loose air over time.

My truck has never lost air in the 4 years I've had it.

In 4 years you have not had to put even one single PSI of air into your truck tyres..... I find that extremely hard to believe.

Ok you got me

When the car has gone in for it's regular services I'm sure when they rotate the tyres they check the pressures.

In between services I occasionally check the tyres and have never noted a drop in pressure.

Possibly they add some air if necessary as part of the normal service, but I have never added any air to the tyres myself. So in the context of the original post about motorcycle tyres needing top up every week or so, in the 4 years I have never added air to my truck tyres.

That is my story and I'm sticking with it - M'lord

[Familyonthemove]

I've had three motorcycles in Thailand - one tubed and two tubeless - and all needed the tyres inflating every week to keep them at the right pressure.

I like to have bike tyres at the right pressure - as the pressure has a bigger impact on handling than with car tyres - so I check them at least once a week.

Usually find they've dropped 2-3 PSI in a week.

When I rode in the UK I would check them before each ride (bigger bike so tyre pressure even more critical) and the pressure really only changed with the seasons - dropped a little in the winter as the air cooled - so only pumped them up a bit every few months. In India it was similar to UK - only pumped the tyres on the Bullet every few months - and that was tubed.

In Thailand I keep a floor pump with pressure gauge next to the bike - makes it simple to keep them at the right pressure.

I'm guessing that the quality of the tyres may be an issue?

[paulchiangmai]

Tubeless - should be good for weeks.

Inner Tube - need to inflate every 2 weeks or more often.

Simples.

'Simples', nothing simples about it. I have had seven Honda waves and a PCX in the past 18 years, all the waves with tubes required topping up every week or so, the PCX is tubeless, does it make any difference? None what so ever. Three new rear tyres and two new front tyres and still must pump up every week or so. My various car tyres have only ever been checked at service time, no problems at all with the car tyres. Motor cycle tyres and tubes are clearly sub standard for what ever reason, regardless of price it seems.

[Namplik]

My Click from late sept last year, just adjusted down a few psi after a week or so. Bought a gauge so I could check myself from time to time. After that I just topped up 2-3 psi last week. So after 4 months or so with almost daily use of the bike my tires have a very stable air pressure.

[kelboy]

Had same problem with my bikes, in the end when I was in the UK I bought about 20 valves, never had a problem since,

[Gsxrnz]

My Click from late sept last year, just adjusted down a few psi after a week or so. Bought a gauge so I could check myself from time to time. After that I just topped up 2-3 psi last week. So after 4 months or so with almost daily use of the bike my tires have a very stable air pressure.

Similar experience. Bought a click almost a year ago. Checked the pressure immediately because it was riding extremely hard, had to drop from (wait for it) 52 psi in the front and 48 psi in the front. And that was from the dealer!!!

I have my own gauge and know it is accurate - besides, ridden and raced proper bikes all my life so I can feel a few pounds differential.

The tyres are tubeless and the originals, so now a year later I've had cause to put air in on 3 occasions, and the pressures were only down 4 4psi each time.

If anybody just trusts what the numptie at the bike repair shop on the side of the road gives you, you're asking for trouble. They will over inflate it for sure. The bike will ride hard, handle like a pig, reduce your braking efficiency and induce front wheel lock-up and slide, and reduce grip efficiency - particularly in the wet.

You are better to be 3psi under than 10psi over. If you just got your tyres inflated at the road side, they will be at 20psi over.

[Namplik]

Stopped at a Shell gas station last time I needed some fuel, and they had a nice air pressure unit. You can set the pressure you need on the unit digitally, and push the start button and it stops automatically when reaching the desired pressure.

[Familyonthemove]

I don't trust those garage forecourt gauges - they get thrown around and run over on a regular basis and I doubt they are calibrated.

I find my 'track pump' (that's really designed for a bicycle) agrees with my hand-held electronic pressure gauge and one of those mechanical gauges with a pop out thingy - so I reckon they must be about right.

But it's interesting that some people have tyres that don't go flat - and others need to pump them up every week.

Thinking about it - my current bike's front wheel needs pumping up every week - but the back seems to hold it's a pressure. Just a couple of PSI down in a week - so not like a puncture. The pressures should be 32 rear 28 front - not sure if that makes a difference - but I would have thought the higher pressure (and fatter) back would lose more air?

Perhaps poor quality control for tyres, tubes, wheels or valves - so some work fine and others are porous?

[Gsxrnz]

Stopped at a Shell gas station last time I needed some fuel, and they had a nice air pressure unit. You can set the pressure you need on the unit digitally, and push the start button and it stops automatically when reaching the desired pressure.

And was the pressure accurate................

You know the answer Trans.

They may be accurate on the day of installation but it's all down hill from there. Although they're more "reliable" than the cheap old fashioned handpiece with a rotary gauge from years ago.

I always set them to 10psi more than what I want, then let out enough air based on my gauge reading. Occasionally I have to add a bit more as some of them are dreadfully inaccurate.

The worse experience is when you know the tyre/s are low based on feel and look, and then the electronic meter tells you you're 2psi over before you start.

Edited February 8, 2016 by Gsxrnz

[Namplik]

Stopped at a Shell gas station last time I needed some fuel, and they had a nice air pressure unit. You can set the pressure you need on the unit digitally, and push the start button and it stops automatically when reaching the desired pressure.

And was the pressure accurate................

Yes indeed, I checked with my mechanical gauge after.

[Gsxrnz]

Stopped at a Shell gas station last time I needed some fuel, and they had a nice air pressure unit. You can set the pressure you need on the unit digitally, and push the start button and it stops automatically when reaching the desired pressure.

And was the pressure accurate................

You know the answer Trans.

They may be accurate on the day of installation but it's all down hill from there. Although they're more "reliable" than the cheap old fashioned handpiece with a rotary gauge from years ago.

I always set them to 10psi more than what I want, then let out enough air based on my gauge reading. Occasionally I have to add a bit more as some of them are dreadfully inaccurate.

The trick is to buy TWO gauges......All becomes clear...

Trans, I have tables and tables of cold pressure, hot pressure, ambient temperature, track temperature, bike tyre temperature left/rightcentre front/rear, dry weather, wet weather,by brand, by track, by bike, by suspension settings, by laps raced and tyre wear for over 40 bikes and 15 different tracks I've raced at over the years.

Believe me that when I say I trust my tyre gauge, it's the one I used at the time, knowing it was accurate to within 3/8 of bugger all. We had the gauges and the thermometers regularly calibrated and found that the temp sensors were more prone to deviation than the pressure gauges. A quality gauge that wasn't mistreated would often last for years before it even lost less than half a pound.

Back home I've got an old pencil gauge that my old man gave me as a kid, so it's over 40 years old. It was my garage hack tool that I always used for anything from kids pushbikes to wheelbarrow tyres. Occasionally in later life I'd get it checked along with the others at the start of a season. Last checked it about 8 years ago and it was only under reading by a bit over 1psi, hardly discernible on the shaft despite the fact that the chrome had worn off and the entire shaft was back to brass. They made 'em to last back in those days.

Not gonna go to that much trouble for my Vigo or my Click here in Thailand - give or take a few psi's they both drive like pigs anyway.