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Showing results for tags 'psig'.
Found 2 results
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When the wife and I went for our first ride on the new bike, two things were apparent. I was not happy with low speed handling and she was not happy with the rear shock. For the second ride, I had discovered (through this site) that the rear shock was pneumatic and required pressure and I ordered the appropriate air pump. Since the range in the manual called for 0 - 57 psig. I decided to split the difference and go for 30 psig. It turned out to be a good decision because not only did it improve the low speed handling, it also greatly improved the ride. My question is, what is everyone else running from solo to fully loaded?
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I've owned this 84 Venture Std for almost a year now, and this spring she got a new set of tires. I searched this site for recommendations on tires and found as many opinions as members. I finally decided on Dunlop D404s because they are common to similarly sized bikes and priced right. One of the tires must have had a slow leak...which started this learning exercise. A week or so after installation, the bike began to have a really pronounce wobble from the rearend at any speed over 50, and worse as you speed up. I checked and found the rear tire to be quite hot and the pressure to be ~20 psig . Pressurized up to 50 psig and rode home. I'm guessing that the hot tire and elevated pressure finally seated the tire properly, because the leak has now disappeared. That's what I was hoping for. Lesson 1: The low pressure led to a weak sidewall, which allowed the tire to wobble around...increasing the pressure stiffened the sidewall and returned the ride to normal. Not too long after that, I got comfortable with the new tires and began to push the bike a bit. I then noticed a slight wobble from the rear, while in a sweeping turn at any speed over 75 mph . I played around with the rear tire pressure and found that 50 psig was a bit more stable than my usual 40 psig in those sweepers. That sent me on a search for an explanation of tire ratings. Lesson 2: The rear D404 is rated for 761 lb @ 41 psig, while the bike weighs ~1000 lb with me on it. I should have checked the load rating prior to purchase. My opinion now is that the load rating of the D404 is too low for a bike of this size. Based on my experience and riding style, I will not be putting another set of D404s on my 1st Gen. If you ride slow and take it easy, these tires will be fine...but I like to push it a little bit more. My next set of tires will have a stiffer sidewall and higher load rating. Just thought this might help someone out there that's trying to decide on new tires for a 1st Gen.
