Tire pressure

[chappy99]

What tire pressure do you like to run,did a search but did not really see anything.
Mine are at the recommended pressure in the owners manual,can be a little bumpy

[TheMaverick]

The manual says 29psi for the front, and 33psi for the rear (no pillion) and 36psi for the rear (pillion). I've found these to be spot-on from necessity; if you go much lower then the rear tyre heats up and doesn't last as long due to the higher temp & extra friction - it also destabilises the tire more). If you go too high (40psi is the max for the stock tyre anyway) then you have less of a contact patch - so runs cooler, but you get more wear right in the centre and have to change the tyre more often because of that (I've done it both ways, so I learned the hard way - the tyre stays round on the inside, but gets flattened on the outside - and the two sides can "meet in the middle" with no apparent warning with a rapid deflation and all that that entails for a rider).

I've had a total of 4 flat tyres in 2 years - one due to a failed repair, but the other from just trying to run them for too long - so my hard limit is 10,000km for a rear and 15,000km for a front tyre now. One of the best things I've bought is a FOBO bluetooth pressure monitor - it gives me pressure readings and temp on my smartphone as often as I want it - along with alerts if the pressure drops or exceeds set limits - it's been a major peace-of-mind bit of kit - and the suppliers really impressed me by including international Fedex in the stated price as well as a couple of extra batteries, couple of other bits - and prompt replies to queries. Can't recommend highly enough. The units have been rock-solid in operation. Can be a real life-saver - LITERALLY (I've found the hard way that messing with bike tyres is a very bad idea).

My suggestion is to just set them to the recommended pressures - check them at least once a week - and give some serious thought to a FOBO: https://my-fobo.com/Product/FOBOBIKE (Happy to answer any questions about them) (and no, I'm not on commission!).

Hope this helps.

[chappy99]

Thanks for the reply,pretty well the same as a motorcycle,still have the stock tires.
After i get some wear on them will look at a upgrade.
That FOBO, looks interesting going to check it out,more toys:)

[Jge64]

Been using FOBO for a year or so.....excellent product. Run 30/34
Tip: wafer batt inside sensor lasted about 11 mo- ez replaced

[TheMaverick]

Thanks for the reply,pretty well the same as a motorcycle,still have the stock tires.
After i get some wear on them will look at a upgrade.
That FOBO, looks interesting going to check it out,more toys:)

No worries.

Yeah - the FOBO has proven to be a diamond in the rough; usually when I deal with companies on the net I'm left feeling somewhere between "underwhelmed" and "Just OK", but the nice surprises just kept coming with this transaction - and it actually works well to boot.

Ideally they like us to install them on metal stems rather than our rubber ones (they included a set of metal ones at no extra charge), but I've installed mine on the rubber stems until next time a tire is off, with no issues what-so-ever. In theory they're relatively easy to steal for anyone with a 6 inch crescent in their pocket, but if you were parking in a shady part of town it would be pretty easy to put the PCX on the centre stand and spin the wheels until they were "out of sight / out of mind". Plus, I don't think they'll work with anyone else's setup if stolen because I believe the individual IDs get mapped to your profile and they have to be released by the app if they're sold.

In practice when you crank up the app it takes about 5 seconds for the first tyre to update and about the same again for the other tyre to do the same - then it time and date stamps the readings on your phone. I was quite surprised how dynamic tyre pressures are - they can rise by about 5 PSI after a trip with a pillion on the back.

Just ask if you have any questions about them.

[chappy99]

Haha,now i have to have a set,toys and more toys,Ahh the joy of old age:)

[TheMaverick]

Haha,now i have to have a set,toys and more toys,Ahh the joy of old age:)

It has been said by wiser men than me that as men get older, we never grow up ... the toys just get more expensive.

[PCX150Rider]

Yup. . .tire pressure does make a difference.

I noticed a little "whirring" recently on my PCX when I was coming to stop signs at intersections from the front wheel. It's been on the "hot" days especially. The IRC OEM tires seem a little gummy and flexible to me and I usually just push in on the front or rear tire with my two thumbs to see if they seem proper. Not 100% accurate but enough to determine if I lost any significant pressure overnight and need to go on a spike finding mission with soap and water.

Anyhow, I actually needed to add a couple of pounds in my front to RTN and I upped the pressure on the back tire to 35.5 lbs.. I'm about 250 lbs. (18 stone) so that would be like two people in some places. Since we are pushing close to 90 degrees F. (over 30 C) I made sure the tires were cold (not ridden on) when I took the pressures.

Subsequently I went for about a 50 mile ride and "Wow" what a difference just a couple of pounds in the front and about 5 pounds in the back made. More confidence in cornering and tire "whirring" is almost non-existent. It seemed to free wheel with more ease also. When I took delivery back in May the tire pressures were spot on at 29 psi and 33 psi. Over almost two months there was some pressure loss but minimal. So I'd say my tires may lose about 1 psi per month and need to do a monthly "top off" from now on. Not sure what results other have with the other tire brands but that's my finding with the IRC OEMs.

[you you]

Haha,now i have to have a set,toys and more toys,Ahh the joy of old age:)

It has been said by wiser men than me that as men get older, we never grow up ... the toys just get more expensive.

The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys...

[Smaug]

I use stock pressure. I'm not too much heavier (175 lbs) than the typical Asian rider for which the bike was designed.

You could probably lower it a bit, but then the tires would wear faster due to heat, and your fuel economy would go down.

If you go higher, your contact patch gets smaller --> less traction for braking and cornering, and faster wear to the "going straight" part of the tire.

I just changed out my OEM Dunlop bias ply tires for Michelin CityGrip radials, and the ride is a little better, even at the same tire pressure.

The thing that makes the biggest difference to me is leaning forward and keeping my back straight while riding. This way, the shock of every bump doesn't go directly into the lower spine.

[PCX150Rider]

Riding posture is key to good control. Couldn't agree more. . ..

Plus you can take some of the unexpected jolts better by absorbing some of the shock with the legs instead of just the spine.

I've never been a fan of "highway pegs".

[fish]

Run stock psi in your tires....and rebuild the seat. You'd be amazed at how comfortable a scooter ride can be on all but the worst roads - with a comfortable seat.
Fish