14th October 2014

Whether you have famous brands such as Pirelli or Dunlop or more cost-effective tyres fitted, making sure they are at the best pressure for the driving conditions can save you money and help keep you safe.

Here we at We Want Your Motorbike look at everything you need to do to ensure your tyres are at the right levels.

Consult your Manual

The best way to find out what pressure you should have in your tyres is to check the values in your instruction manual. That being said, for most motorcycles a general guideline is to start with 2.0 atmosphere for the front and 2.5 atmosphere for the rear for most general driving conditions.

Consider the Use Of your Bike

Not everyone uses their motorbike in the same way and different circumstances are suited to different pressure levels. For high speeds, higher tyre pressure can give the best performance. The same applies to higher temperature operating conditions.

Obviously, the more weight any vehicle is carrying the higher the tyre pressures need to be too. Essentially a higher tyre pressure means a harder tyre.

Remember Pressure Affects Grip

Although the examples above may suggest higher pressures are better, this is not always the case. High internal tyre pressures can have disadvantages such as a loss of grip on the road and your bike may also have a tendency to bounce.

A relatively low tyre pressure means that you will have more grip on the road surface and this can give a more comfortable ride while also being best suited to riding in poor conditions (such as on icy roads) when you’ll need to increase grip as much as possible.

Decrease your Pressure When Going Off-Road

Off-road biking presents many challenges to riders, and you need to adjust your tyre pressure accordingly. Many bikers lower their usual tyre pressure to drive on a very soft surface (such as mud or sand) as it allows the profile of the tyres to distort to the maximum and gives the best connection.

Increase your Pressure for Motorway Driving

The constant stable surfaces and higher driving speeds used on motorways means that a higher tyre pressure is the best option. Not only does it give you a more stable ride with more feedback but it also uses less fuel.