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Old 06-Sep-2006, 11:30   #1
yellow916 yellow916 is offline
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Tyre question...
What tyre pressures do people run on their 8xx bikes? As I read the manual for my SP3, it suggests 32f/36r which seems a bit low? Also, the tyres are coming up to needing replacement. Any favourites out there?

Thanks

Andrew
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Old 06-Sep-2006, 12:37   #2
Rob B Rob B is offline
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The above works for mine OK.
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Old 06-Sep-2006, 13:01   #3
DSC Member Jools Jools is offline
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I run 32f/34r which is fine.

Diablos are the tyre of choice for me, standard ones, 'cos I've never gone fast enough even in the fast group or on 'enthusiastic' ride outs to give them any real bother, so I don't think I'd bother to go for Diablo Corsas


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Old 06-Sep-2006, 13:17   #4
yellow916 yellow916 is offline
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Thanks for the replies. I was comparing the pressures with those for the late unlamented R1, which were 36f/42r.

Andrew
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Old 06-Sep-2006, 13:49   #5
Loz Loz is offline
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Jap sports bikes allows seem to have an extra 4-6 psi specified for their tyres, compared to the equivalent Ducati.
I have no idea why that is, love to have it explained to me!
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Old 06-Sep-2006, 18:51   #6
DSC Member Shazaam! Shazaam! is offline
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Loz

As you know, a tire that is inflated to a lower pressure than recommended will have a tire profile that will sag slightly in the middle. This sagging profile results in increased rolling friction and causes the tires to run hotter. This will reduce tire life but it will also increase tire traction or grip. Depending upon racing conditions and the overall setup of the bike the increased grip may be necessary to be competitive even at the cost of tire life.

A tire manufacturer will recommend a pressure that is a balance between tire life and grip. When a bike manufacturer is developing a new model their test riders will determine what pressures in their opinion, best suit the new model. The recommended pressures are the best for general street (not track) riding, so you can increase grip somewhat by reducing pressures.

But to answer your question about higher recommended tire pressures for Japanese in-line fours versus Ducati twins - in-line fours heat up their tires more than a twin so a higher starting pressure is needed to prevent overheating the tires, particularly the rear tire.

Years ago, superbike racers discovered that it was easier to modulate the power to prevent wheelspin on the Ducati V-twins than it was to do the same on the Japanese inline-fours. This is because there is a longer interval (in terms of both time and crankshaft rotation) between cylinders firing, which gives the rear tire a "break" - time to recover traction and match its speed to that of the motorcycle.

More recently, more sophisticated traction control systems have been tried to reduce tire temperatures, improve tire life and lap times.
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Old 06-Sep-2006, 18:59   #7
Loz Loz is offline
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Ah, understood. Many thanks.

I should have figured this out for myself - I remember the discussion in racing a couple of years back concerning the development of "big bang" configurations for multi-cylinder units with a view to improving traction and grip. Simple when pointed out! Cheers.
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Old 07-Sep-2006, 10:31   #8
loony888 loony888 is offline
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i run michelin pilot powers and on the street they are 35/38. on the track i usually set them at around 30/30. it's been a while since i did a track day though and haven't used powers on the track yet.
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