I spent some time at one of my 5 local motorbike shops this morning talking tires.
I have a question for any of you who might care to comment.
Running tubeless tires with tubes on the AT is fine, very happy with that. However, what is your view about whether or not you need the same pressure of slightly less when running with a tubed tire?
Also, the manual recommends for a single rider 2.0 bar for front and 2.5 bar for rear. I would normally run 2.2 front and 2.9 rear (32 psi front and 40 to 42 psi rear - yes I still think in psi even though we have been metric for nearly 40 years).
I don't know about TT/TL pressure difference, I see contradictory reports on this, however the TT does loose pressure faster than the TL, that's for sure.
It's my first TT bike and what I'm experiencing, is that I think the Honda guidelines are too low and wear my tires faster, on lighter Yamahas I always used 2.3bars for front and 2.5bar for rear and rode as hard as now. I pushed to 2.2 for front and 2.6 for rear, not feeling much handling difference, so i'd be inclined to think Honda's guidelines are too low.
For comparison, I searched the recommended pressures on similar bikes, KTM 990 and Suz V-strom 1000, around same torque and weight, KTM having exactly the same rim sizes. Well KTM recommend 35/35psi and Suz 33/36, so the 29/36psi from Honda seem at least too low for front ! Even the Tiger 800 is 36/42psi and the F800GS 32/35, with less torque and weight.
Considering all that, I'd say I'll go with 34-35psi in front and 38psi in the rear, AKA 2.4/2.6bars !
Reading some forums I see weird things, some people go according to bigger Wheel equals to higher pressure, that seems pretty crazy like 42/36 for 21"/18", not sure about that logic !!!
Yes I tend to agree. I'm going to increase my pressure. I suspect the strange wear I had on my last TKC 70 was because of this low pressure on a long 4 day tarmac ride
I' ve ride few days (around 2 weeks - each day around 300kms) on hard roads , passes, some gravel, and rocks on French and Swiss alps this last summer; and no problem with the TKC with the above pressures .... Quietly all ride have been done with pillion and luggages ...
The fact is (IMHO) you can deflate easily with TT for off road use. Seems it is one reason involved by Honda to explain this choice . Yes I had 2.5 in the front on my previous Deros, but is not a problem to ride with "only" 2 now, perhaps it is more comfortable
and have less parasite returns in the handlebar... We had the same problem in MTB and have to inflate more to maintain tire on the wheel when TL arrived.
So not a problem for me for instance , but I keep an eye on this discussion and try to learn of you guys
I' ve ride few days (around 2 weeks - each day around 300kms) on hard roads , passes, some gravel, and rocks on French and Swiss alps this last summer; and no problem with the TKC with the above pressures .... Quietly all ride have been done with pillion and luggages ...
The fact is (IMHO) you can deflate easily with TT for off road use. Seems it is one reason involved by Honda to explain this choice . Yes I had 2.5 in the front on my previous Deros, but is not a problem to ride with "only" 2 now, perhaps it is more comfortable and have less parasite returns in the handlebar... We had the same problem in MTB and have to inflate more to maintain tire on the wheel when TL arrived.
So not a problem for me for instance , but I keep an eye on this discussion and try to learn of you guys
Well, after talking riding techniques, DCT/manual and tires on different forums, I now realise I'm quite a trail braker and been doing it since the beginnings with a lot of countersteering, this being in most cases done more on the front, giving more grip and pressure on it, I'd guess that my way of driving requires far more pressure in the front, than those 2.0bars or that the tire as I experienced it, will wear very fast !
I think also i was around 1.8 for a while so with the alpine roads, not good for the tire wear of course !
But that's not very Wise, to try and learn from us 2 that apparently don't really have a clue
, what's exactly working or not
!
have discussed hundreds of post on Dero's tires during the last 15 years ... and feeling on tires is something very personal . We had all done hundreds of thousands kilometers on Deros with different tires, and different feelings; and oftenly with the same tire, feelings were differents. We have in France different profiles, and somebody leaving near Paris or in Normandie have a square tire , no need to use the brake on flat roads
; we ride here on very narrow & twisty roads, and sure I'm not so heavy then David or Jyrky (to say about AT drivers
) so sure it also have an influence on tires's pression; (certainly same difference when you ride thru Denmark & Swiss) ; sure I'm not a pilot, riding cool; sure it influence also my feeling on my tires.
The only thing I take from magazines is that they have tested the tire.
I find the best advice is to go to a motorcycle shop and find someone who has worked in the parts bit of the shop for years and years and glean from them their views on the range of tires they have. Once I've struck up a personal relationship with the parts man I can get past the sales pitch and start getting to their views on what works better.
But at the end of the day I agree with zebulon - you have two very similar riders on the same bike with the same tires and they both have different views. At the end of the day you go with what works for you and your riding preferences.
By the way Djairouks, I'm riding through Switzerland in late June
The only thing I take from magazines is that they have tested the tire.
I find the best advice is to go to a motorcycle shop and find someone who has worked in the parts bit of the shop for years and years and glean from them their views on the range of tires they have. Once I've struck up a personal relationship with the parts man I can get past the sales pitch and start getting to their views on what works better.
But at the end of the day I agree with zebulon - you have two very similar riders on the same bike with the same tires and they both have different views. At the end of the day you go with what works for you and your riding preferences.
By the way Djairouks, I'm riding through Switzerland in late June
I'll normally be in Norway at the same time unfortunately, well the schedule is elastic, we'll see !
Anyone heard of or used Anlas Capra R tyres ?
Never heard of them.
+1 , Never heard about them
Interesting
just wondering who the 'big manufacturer ' is -- no doubt the answer will appear shortly . So as yet no reports on wear and more importantly on wet grip -- Cambrian list sizes for the AT -- I'm willing to try them for free if they offer
they've only got to ask.
Interesting just wondering who the 'big manufacturer ' is -- no doubt the answer will appear shortly . So as yet no reports on wear and more importantly on wet grip -- Cambrian list sizes for the AT -- I'm willing to try them for free if they offer they've only got to ask.
ha ha ha - shall we form a queue?