Always check your tyre pressures after a change

[halfabusa]

Just a reminder to all who assumes the shops will pump correct pressure on your new tyres... Always check them as soon as you can. I had numerous nails on my bald rear tyre (london streets does that) and got it changed today. I took the bike and rode it back to work where i checked the pressures. Even though they didn't change the front, they pumped around 36psi on both tyres! As far as i know on the burgman 400 the manual says 25 front 29 rear (one rider no pillion) so i readjusted. I doubt they check the gauge, they seem to just pump it up and let it go.

[halfabusa]

True on both accounts. I had my electric tyre inflator with me so i wanted to do a quick check when i got back to work. I'll be re-checking again from cold to make sure it's adjusted correctly. The rear tyre was actually not only bald but also punctured by numerous nails, so i had to carry the inflator with me to get me from home to the mechanic.

I stopped petrol station pumps when all of them became coin operated. I hate the idea of having to pay for air... Unless i'm diving, which is another topic

They are widely innacurate though so even if they were free, i'd still not use them...

[poldark]

Just to point out that the scooter manual has no idea what tyres you're fitting, so the only recommended pressures to use are those given by the specific tyre manufacturer. Unless you're doing an exact OEM tyre swap.

Not a scoot but recent example is just about every motorbike manual recommends 36/41 (solo), as my Street Triple does, but if you email Dunlop for required pressures for Roadsmart on my Triumph and they should be 33/36 (solo).

[halfabusa]

Yep, i always get the OEMs anyway. I think it's bridgestones that came off the bike and same ones went in.

[Dave Weller]

When I picked up my brand new SWing 125, the tyres where inflated much too high, it was really nasty to ride, I complained, mainly because if was a novice rider taking it away, knowing no better, it was dangerous.
So thanks Halfabusa for the timely reminder to everyone.

[MrGrumpy]

Also, I've sometimes found that even if you do make sure they set the tyre pressures correctly, the gauges that workshops use give wildly different readings to your own gauge! As far as I know, my gauges are accurate - I have 3 of them and they all give the same reading (unless all 3 are knacked...)

[Steve_D]

Had a new rear tyre fitted to my Sh300 today and checked the pressure. 58psi!!! Worse bit was, I fitted it myself and took it up to that pressure to pop the beads In my defence, I got sidetracked as I was also checking my rear drive oil and draining and refreshing my antifreeze at the same time. Wasn't until I was just going to leave work that one of the students asked me how I knew how much air I had to put in it. Oh the shame of it!

[Sylar]

You can buy a Pencil tyre gauge for less than £1, i found it as accurate as any other, as Meldrew says tyre pessures should be checked on cold tyres. I check mine once a week.

[michaelphillips]

Yep, i always get the OEMs anyway. I think it's bridgestones that came off the bike and same ones went in.

its the 4 psi rule... which means when your tyres warm up with friction they increase the pressure by 4 psi in the tyre.. that is if the front at 29 psi cold were to increase by 4 psi then 29 psi is the correct pressure