Motorcycle Tyre Pressures: What is the correct way?

Sticking to the manufacturer recommended tyre pressure is the key to longer tyre life and increased safety on the road

Every manufacturer of automobile hands over the manual to you which displays the recommended pressure you should keep in your vehicle tyres. It is important because the overall performance, fuel efficiency, road grip and handling of the motorcycle boasted by its makers is directly dependent on the black circles rolling underneath your bike. You have to follow the recommended tyre pressure and there are no two ways about it.

Why It’s Needed?

In contrast to popular belief, the tyre pressure has more to do with the heat then providing the cushioning effect. To make sure the tyre performs to its optimum level wherein it wears low and provides high road grip, it needs to warm up to a certain temperature. And to reach that temperature, the tyres need to be inflated to a certain pressure.  

Misconception Over Low Tyre Pressure

Often, we see riders keeping their bike tyres to low pressures than recommended. They are of the view that it enhances their road-gripping capacity due to larger contact patch and similarly, offers increased ride comfort.

Contrarily, this could be dangerous. Keeping tyre pressure low even by a small margin can increase the heat levels irrespective of the distance covered. With load, the low pressure can hamper the performance and stability of the bike. Above all, it tends to affect the tyre compound forcing it to wear faster. Just like low tyre pressure, higher tyre pressure is also not recommended. Though it increases the load-carrying capacity of the motorcycle, the centre of the contact patch wears faster.    

Frequent Tyre Pressure Checks

Whenever you visit fuel pumps in every 15-20 days, it is better to get the tyres checked for their pressure. It’s highly recommended to get it thoroughly inspected before you head for a long tour. However, fuel pumps in India also do not have 100 per cent correct devices. Instead of relying on them, it’s better to keep a pressure monitoring gauge in your toolkit so you always know the correct pressure in your bike’s tyres. Avoid digital gauges as they may malfunction or their battery might die-down when you require their services.

Recommended Read: How Does Tyre Pressure Affect The Handling Of The Vehicle