Tire pressure??

The other my friend and I rode down to San Diego from the L.A. area.
 
All is well until we headed back. Just before our last stop, Carlsbad, i noticed a bit of slip. Didn't really pay attention to it too much.
 
It's 7:00 and we had been riding since 10:00am ...i think at that point we were well over 200 miles, but still needed to get back. Both of us were tired, hence,  a Starbucks stop.
 
I got on the freeway and my tire slips, on the grated concrete, slips again. We pull over in the gas station we look over all possible scenarios, lack air, too much, hole, play in the axle. However, after riding for that long, the tire pressure was at 40lb which is kind of low considering the tires were hot. So, we put in another 4lbs...rode it home at about 65-70mph with keeping the bike as vertical so as to slip.
 
Early part of the day is perfect, no wind, 70 degrees and i finally got it over 100mph which as i mind set couldn't do. I don't need any lectures, please. So all is well and i'm super confident.
 
A coupe days go by and i check out my tire pressure...29 in front and 34 in rear. So, i bring it up 34-40 and take it on the freeway and the damn thing is floating, front and rear. Not cool.
 
I look at the manual it says 36-42. So, i put 38-44..because i'm thinking how is 2lbs going to make a difference...
 
Anyways, it improves, but it's hard to tell as this was the windiest day i've ever been on a bike...i was behind the screen and it was still pushing me over.
 
So, my question you...and i hope there are Socal boys around here...what are you running on the original tires? Bridgestone pilots?
Any other tire will be useless as it will have a different make up/compound. And specifically with that grated concrete? Asphalt it's fine.
 
Bythe way took it to Del Amo to the service manager...good guy and has been around forever. He claims that there is lots of meat left...at least 1 or 2k left on them. I might addthere is no ridge ... it is pretty even.
 
I have absolutely not confidence now.
 
Cheers

absolutely not confidence? wow.

what brand tires are you using? also how is the wear pattern?

Bridgestone pilots.
 
The pattern is even...there is no ridge. Plenty of meat before the wear bars come in effect.
 
I had a lengthy talk with a vet rider that kind of put some logic into it, which was good. However, it'll be baby steps until it "feels" right.

As a general rule, OEM tires suck.  Lower pressures give you more footprint.

what are bridgestone pilots?

Mich. pilot sports i suppose?

IIRC the f4i only came with either dunops or mich or oem tires.

either way, whatever pressure you use just dont go over the pressure listed as "MAX" on the sidewall of the tire.

Personally I run 30/30 on my tires and I still get about 5-6k out of my rear tires with some agressive riding thrown in.  As of late though all of my new tires start out at the track and then I run my own take offs in the street.

You added 4psi to a hot 40psi tire...Doesnt sound right..

I would start with 34~36 COLD on the FRONT and 34~36 on the rear ,adjust only when cold and go from there.

Stock dunlops i ran the stock pressures 36-42 ,bike felt ok..With my qualifiers i run 36f/34 r and it sticks great.. 5k so far out of them with lots of tread left.

Hmmm. Thanks guys...I would never think to go that low. Over the past week I've been experimenting with the tire pressures and I'm be decreasing the pressure as the week went on or depending where I was riding...canyons vs. Freeways.

quote:

ORIGINAL: traitorhound

what are bridgestone pilots?

Mich. pilot sports i suppose?

IIRC the f4i only came with either dunops or mich or oem tires.

either way, whatever pressure you use just dont go over the pressure listed as "MAX" on the sidewall of the tire.

Personally I run 30/30 on my tires and I still get about 5-6k out of my rear tires with some agressive riding thrown in.  As of late though all of my new tires start out at the track and then I run my own take offs in the street.

It's the factory set...yes, Bridgestone Pilots.
 
What does IIRC stand for?
Thanks

IIRC= If I recall corrrectly.  Internet jargon
 
When I had Dunlops, they worked pretty well with stock pressures IIRC.

Gotcha. Thanks.

I think I run either 38front 40back or 40front 42back, but I'm fat and need more pressure in the tire especially when riding 2up. Plus at that higher pressure I get better gas milage.


Mike

I can appreciate that. I've had three hockey injuries in a row and have gained 25lbs, so a little extra pressure never hurts.
As far as I'm concerned you are all right.
 
As far as asphalt... I'm a highway star, but it's been the rain grooves in the concrete that's thrown me off(not literally) and where the slippage first took place. So all week I played with the pressures.
 
First time i adjust the pressures and both tires float on the rain groove. The pressure is high. Not fun.
And I've been lowering it all week, where I'm at 34 -37
 
As I mentioned I spoke with this veteran rider and claims the higher the pressure the more it'll go in the grooves and follow it as it is hard. The softer will tend to go over it, but will wear the tire faster. He went on to tell me other factors, but that's the gist of it.
 
I went out on the canyons yesterday, but the confidence just isn't there so I've been taking these baby step.

I can appreciate that. I've had three hockey injuries in a row and have gained 25lbs, so a little extra pressure never hurts.
As far as I'm concerned you are all right.
 
As far as asphalt... I'm a highway star, but it's been the rain grooves in the concrete that's thrown me off(not literally) and where the slippage first took place. So all week I played with the pressures.
 
First time i adjust the pressures and both tires float on the rain groove. The pressure is high. Not fun.
And I've been lowering it all week, where I'm at 34 -37
 
As I mentioned I spoke with this veteran rider and claims the higher the pressure the more it'll go in the grooves and follow it as it is hard. The softer will tend to go over it, but will wear the tire faster. He went on to tell me other factors, but that's the gist of it.
 
I went out on the canyons yesterday, but the confidence just isn't there so I've been taking these baby step.

quote:

ORIGINAL: HockeyFan

I can appreciate that. I've had three hockey injuries in a row and have gained 25lbs, so a little extra pressure never hurts.
As far as I'm concerned you are all right.

As far as asphalt... I'm a highway star, but it's been the rain grooves in the concrete that's thrown me off(not literally) and where the slippage first took place. So all week I played with the pressures.

First time, i adjusted the pressures and both tires float on the rain groove. The pressure is high. Not fun.
And I've been lowering it all week, where I'm at 34 -37

As I mentioned I spoke with this veteran rider and claims the higher the pressure the more it'll go in the grooves, and follow it, as it is hard. The softer will tend to go over it, but will wear the tire faster. He went on to tell me other factors, but that's the gist of it.

I went out on the canyons yesterday, but the confidence just isn't there so I've been taking these baby steps.

Weight should only matter on 2up air pressure..

Have the suspension setup correctly and the rest will fall into place..IM not "fat" but im 255 before gear. Before suspension my bike always didnt feel 100%..After suspension it feels great ..I run 36 on the front and 34 on the rear (cold ) on average..Tires wear perfect and ive gotten 7k out of the stock dunlop 207's and a 5k so far (with a good bit of tread left)out of my qualifiers running those pressures.

I hear ya. You got 30lbs on me, but those setting/pressures are fairly close to mine. So, i'm probably in the right ball park.
 
I have 4100 miles on the bike and got it with 2200miles with Bridgestone pilots, which no one has heard of, but i'm assuming they are the originals with the bike.
 
The suspension settings are stock. Did you adjust your shock any, considering the weight?

Ive adjusted the sag,shocks settings and change the springs to match my weight.Just changing the shock settings is not gonna make that big of a difference.Its getting proper sag that is the key..

Night and day difference in the ride..

hmmm, interesting...what do you mean by sagging?
 
You converted everything...was that because of your weight or did you just want to get more out of your ride?

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh I get it now. I was a little confused at first. I do not think that what you're feeling is the tire slipping, I think you're just feeling it following the grooves. It's like when I ride over those bridges that go up and down and up and down so boats can float underneath them or whatever they do and the bridge surface is a sort of grate, the bike just feels weird because sometimes it skips over and doesn't want to go in a straight line. It's perfectly normal I just wouldn't full throttle while going around a corner in 1st on that pavement. Maybe I'm wrong but that's what I think is happening to you.


Sag, simply put, is how much the bike squishes down when the rider sits on it. There are some really good messages on this forum about how to set up your sag and such if you just search for them. I would do it for you but, well, I'm just lazy and fat.

Here's the just of it though

http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0006_sag/index.html

Mike

quote:

ORIGINAL: snowboarding82

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh I get it now. I was a little confused at first. I do not think that what you're feeling is the tire slipping, I think you're just feeling it following the grooves. It's like when I ride over those bridges that go up and down and up and down so boats can float underneath them or whatever they do and the bridge surface is a sort of grate, the bike just feels weird because sometimes it skips over and doesn't want to go in a straight line. It's perfectly normal I just wouldn't full throttle while going around a corner in 1st on that pavement. Maybe I'm wrong but that's what I think is happening to you.


Sag, simply put, is how much the bike squishes down when the rider sits on it. There are some really good messages on this forum about how to set up your sag and such if you just search for them. I would do it for you but, well, I'm just lazy and fat.

Here's the just of it though

http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0006_sag/index.html

Mike

 
Exactly!!!! Thank you.
 
The thing is that earlier the day I was pushing it...and all was good, if you know what i mean. Then later that day, it would slip...continually.
However, my Vet friend said that those rain grooves sometimes are deeper/wider, so...
 
Thanks for the info on the sag...I'll check that stuff out. It couldn't hurt.
 
You're not fat and lazy ...My acting coach said one time...he's looking at a student...boxer with six packs abs...then looks at me...with a bit of gut. And he says..."that's discipline" One has the discipline to do sit ups/core work...the other drinks every weekend. Both are disciplined.