Please help a newbe

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T.Rigger
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Please help a newbe

Post by T.Rigger »

Hello, I'm hoping someone can help.

How on earth am I meant to know what tyre pressures I should be running? I can't find the info anywhere and my biker mates just say they leave it up to the garage.
I've a L1, running Michelin Pilot Roads, they've done 11k miles but still got heaps of tread left. Been fine all summer but now the cold mornings are creeping in they feel a little.... floaty.

Thanks in advance.
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Re: Please help a newbe

Post by cargo »

5 views and not one response...............so thats 6 of you that dont know your tyre pressures


:ffs
thomp1983
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Re: Please help a newbe

Post by thomp1983 »

http://www.zxrworld.co.uk/zxr400/lmodel.html

and i run mine at 32/36

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banner001
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Re: Please help a newbe

Post by banner001 »

cargo wrote:5 views and not one response...............so thats 6 of you that dont know your tyre pressures


:ffs
nice of you to chip in with a constructive post, really helped the OP there.

i run my pirellis 32/36 as well...
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Re: Please help a newbe

Post by cargo »

I'd have given him the answer he needed soon enough..................he's ridden the bike all summer without checking his tyre presures one more night would have not hurt him

My point still stands when I posted 5 people viewed his question and none either knew the right pressures or bothered to reply


Modern tyres run at lower pressures.................32/36 is the orginal pressures reccommended by Kawasaki but I'd be very surprised if 32/36 is correct for modern tyres

I use 30/31 on mine................the current reccommend pressures for my tyres ranges from 27 to 31 for the rear and 31 for front

there is a rear Bridgestone that runs at 26psi..................

I'd check with the tyre manufacturer they will know what the tyre pressures should be

Also pressure guages are notoriously inaccurate.................so buy a good one and use it exclusively.
Do NOT rely on some hooky garage or mechanic to get it right


Now thats a full and comprehensive answer
cookiesol
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Re: Please help a newbe

Post by cookiesol »

cargo wrote:I'd have given him the answer he needed soon enough..................he's ridden the bike all summer without checking his tyre presures one more night would have not hurt him

My point still stands when I posted 5 people viewed his question and none either knew the right pressures or bothered to reply


Modern tyres run at lower pressures.................32/36 is the orginal pressures reccommended by Kawasaki but I'd be very surprised if 32/36 is correct for modern tyres

I use 30/31 on mine................the current reccommend pressures for my tyres ranges from 27 to 31 for the rear and 31 for front

there is a rear Bridgestone that runs at 26psi..................

I'd check with the tyre manufacturer they will know what the tyre pressures should be

Also pressure guages are notoriously inaccurate.................so buy a good one and use it exclusively.
Do NOT rely on some hooky garage or mechanic to get it right


Now thats a full and comprehensive answer
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Re: Please help a newbe

Post by banner001 »

cargo wrote:Modern tyres run at lower pressures.................32/36 is the orginal pressures reccommended by Kawasaki but I'd be very surprised if 32/36 is correct for modern tyres
pirelli website states 2.25bar front, 2.5bar rear for rosso II's...thats 32/36psi.
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
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Re: Please help a newbe

Post by cargo »

banner001 wrote:
cargo wrote:Modern tyres run at lower pressures.................32/36 is the orginal pressures reccommended by Kawasaki but I'd be very surprised if 32/36 is correct for modern tyres
pirelli website states 2.25bar front, 2.5bar rear for rosso II's...thats 32/36psi.

And your point is ?


FYI
I dont use Rosso II................... not fit for my purpose
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Re: Please help a newbe

Post by Robbie »

Remember and use pure nitrogen when blowing up your tyres.Its much better makes your bike lighter and is worth an extra 5bhp.
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Re: Please help a newbe

Post by banner001 »

cargo wrote:
banner001 wrote:
cargo wrote:Modern tyres run at lower pressures.................32/36 is the orginal pressures reccommended by Kawasaki but I'd be very surprised if 32/36 is correct for modern tyres
pirelli website states 2.25bar front, 2.5bar rear for rosso II's...thats 32/36psi.

And your point is ?


FYI
I dont use Rosso II................... not fit for my purpose
point being its a modern tyre...you said modern tyres would not use 32/36...yet it does...sweeping statements and all that.
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
cargo
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Re: Please help a newbe

Post by cargo »

I did not say that modern tyres would not use 32/36


I did say I would be surprised if modern tyres used 32/36

And as it happens the tyres I use run in the range I described
Deswilkie
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Re: Please help a newbe

Post by Deswilkie »

Robbie wrote:Remember and use pure nitrogen when blowing up your tyres.Its much better makes your bike lighter and is worth an extra 5bhp.
I've heard that too.... The inertia required to start rolling with standard weight air acts as a drag so replacing with nitrogen helps the bike accelerate, brake and turn quicker. Most effective if the tyres really cold though.
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Re: Please help a newbe

Post by Robbie »

Also remember leave off your valve caps off as the weight saved will make the bike quicker.
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banner001
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Re: Please help a newbe

Post by banner001 »

!

the amount of "extra" air in the tyre probably equates to ~50g if that...given that even a carbon fibre spoked tyre might be 5kg, the air content is at most 1%, and air is 71% nitrogen already...not gonna give you 5bhp...

the reason for using pure nitrogen is that the expansion is more controlled under temperature...although it will leak out of the tyre faster than "standard" air as molecules of N2 are physically smaller than O2 due to a triple bond being slightly shorter than a double bond in O2, also nitrogen has a smaller van der waals diameter.
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
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Re: Please help a newbe

Post by Robbie »

another tip for ya.Only buy Pirelli tyres as they are much lighter than the other brands.Got to be worth 2 bhp.
Remember all these tips will make your bike quicker..
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