Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: jderienzo on March 15, 2015, 04:36:47 PM
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After seeing the cord on the rear tire of my Tenne Griso, I did some searching regarding what folks recommend for tires. OEM tires were the Metzler Roadtec Z8s. I was happy enough with the Metzlers but was curious enough, after many suggestions pointing to Michelin Pilot Road 4s, to give those a try.
I got 12,350 miles out of the Metzlers. I didn't think much of this because motorcycle tires certainly don't last like car tires so 12k wasn't a decent number to me but was about the time I would expect for a tire change. 10k has always been my expectation of tires. After bringing this up to my designated tire changer, I was hit with questions of, "How many sets of tires have you had?" "One." "Did you buy the bike used or new?" "New. Those are the tires I road off the dealer showroom with." "Do you keep your tires inflated?"
"Religiously."
I do a couple of things that seem out of the ordinary. One is my bike is my transportation to work. I generally don't ride on weekends but ride Monday through Friday so I don't get tires that have gone a week since being used or inflated to prosper pressure. Further, if it's been more than a couple of days since I have ridden the bike, I check and fill air, mainly because I know how quickly the air is lost in my bike tires. Apparently this makes a world of a difference. I keep air in the tires first for safety and second for gas mileage. The gentlemen I discussed with, a knowledgeable Guzzist to understate it, stated he has folks come in consistently with very low tire pressure. The MSF talks about tire pressure checks being a daily event. I don't have time for that rigor, but it appears that my rule of thumb of no more than two days of non-riding before a pressure check, may be worth considering if you want to increase the time between tire changes. YMMV...
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IMO, check before riding, when cold. Mine deflate much more quickly than my car. No real idea why. Valves (in the rims) have been sealed and the cores replaced at every tyre change. They are tubeless, so that probably leaves the bead/rim seal. I sometimes think that the rougher the road is, the more they leak but would not like to swear to it. Pre-ride checking is no burden for me.
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I use a TPMS so I can check all the time. Also interesting to watch the tire temperatures. ;)
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Checking tire pressure is part of my regular 'pre-flight' routine everytime I ride. I never was a kick the tire light the fire kind of guy. I got over 12k miles out of the last rear tire on my Jackal.
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I'm happy to get 6-7k from a motorcycle tire..
Uly (new PR4's last fall) down 6# front and a couple rear over the winter.. aired up and rode a bit Saturday..
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I give my tires a good kick. When I service or wash the bike I check tire pressure. :BEER:
Matt
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8-10 K for the rear. 42 psi and a heavy hand on the throttle.