Tire Pressure

Cheers! · Post by **Cheers!** » Tue Jul 23, 2013 8:06 pm

I routinely check the PSI for my scoot...and use the amounts listed in the owner's manual...22 front & 25 rear. I just noticed that there's a plate mounted on the scooter itself that says both the front and rear tires should have a psi of 30.

Any ideas on which is correct?

Cheers!

Tazio · Post by **Tazio** » Tue Jul 23, 2013 8:39 pm

22 and 25 seem low to me. I run 26 and 29 but I weigh in at 130.

SockyTX · Post by **SockyTX** » Tue Jul 23, 2013 8:49 pm

I rock 30 PSI on my Stella all day long

Cheers! · Post by **Cheers!** » Tue Jul 23, 2013 8:58 pm

I had searched before my initial post and came up with nothing. I just searched again and found another thread on this same topic...sorry for the double post! Thanks for your help!

Cheers!

Stilts · Post by **Stilts** » Tue Jul 23, 2013 9:10 pm

Mine was down to around 25 in both and it felt like there was something wrong. I pumped it up to 32 (max 36 acc. to sidewall) and it feels great. My mpg went back up to near normal, as well.

Do not underestimate the effect of proper tire pressure!

Tocsik · Post by **Tocsik** » Tue Jul 23, 2013 9:18 pm

I've played around with various pressures to find what I like.
I generally stay around 30 in the rear and 25 or so in the front.
For a while, I was running lower pressure in the rear with my oversize tire (130X70) but this has been fluctuating with my leaky tire plug

.
So, I re-did the plug last night and ran about 31 psi in the rear on the way to work this morning and I set the front at 30. Even though the ride was a little rougher, the overall effect was great. It may sound crazy but I think I actually felt the lower rolling-resistance.

Tire pressure is a little bit preference but also should be appropriate for any load the bike is carrying (cargo, extra passenger, heavy rider etc), riding style and roads traveled. I like a little higher pressure when carving twisties but lower pressure is more comfortable for longer distances and/or rough road surfaces.

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Wed Jul 24, 2013 5:42 pm

Tocsik wrote: I like a little higher pressure when carving twisties but lower pressure is more comfortable for longer distances and/or rough road surfaces.

Agreed! Also, we here in Denver like to patch our streets, so you know, riding over moguls all the time....

EvilNerdLord · Post by **EvilNerdLord** » Wed Jul 24, 2013 7:13 pm

Go with what the sidewall says, there should be small print next to the big maker's name.....
My stella came with dunlop maxi life listed at 35 psi both, the manual says 17 and 25...,

PeteH · Post by **PeteH** » Wed Jul 24, 2013 7:22 pm

Not so fast - on some tires, that sidewall number could be a maximum, not a recommendation. Continental, for example, says that the sidewall number is a maximum in their FAQ. Chronic overinflation will (quickly) lead to tread wear on the center circumference.

Tazio · Post by **Tazio** » Wed Jul 24, 2013 11:03 pm

Sidewall pressure is the maximum recommended. I run Vredestan Fortezza SE's on my bicycle and their sidewall number is 160psi. I go with 120 and that's hard but I also get over 10,000 miles life per tire.

EvilNerdLord · Post by **EvilNerdLord** » Thu Jul 25, 2013 8:32 am

Oh....didn't realize....
My bicycle gives a range of 60 to 75 psi.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Thu Jul 25, 2013 11:44 am

Typical bicycle tires are designed for much higher air pressure than scooter (or car) tires.

CapnK · Post by **CapnK** » Thu Jul 25, 2013 12:48 pm

I forget the actual physics involved, but there is some

, and it is basically that the smaller the tire/tube cross section of an inflatable tire, the higher the PSI it takes for best inflation. Ex: Road bikes are over 100-150 psi, while most Mtn bikes are maybe 35-50+psi optimal.

I've been running my Buddy at 30/30, as that is what it says on the Buddy itself. When I first picked it up it was @15/20 (I didn't know/check 'til at home), and running close to 50BMPH there were definite issues, enough to make me abort riding all the way home 20 miles or so on a 55MPH highway, even though I had an 'escort'. It was steering 'twitchy' and felt wobbly. "Duh", right?

Stilts · Post by **Stilts** » Thu Jul 25, 2013 1:13 pm

CapnK wrote:I forget the actual physics involved, but there is some , and it is basically that the smaller the tire/tube cross section of an inflatable tire, the higher the PSI it takes for best inflation. Ex: Road bikes are over 100-150 psi, while most Mtn bikes are maybe 35-50+psi optimal.

I've been running my Buddy at 30/30, as that is what it says on the Buddy itself. When I first picked it up it was @15/20 (I didn't know/check 'til at home), and running close to 50BMPH there were definite issues, enough to make me abort riding all the way home 20 miles or so on a 55MPH highway, even though I had an 'escort'. It was steering 'twitchy' and felt wobbly. "Duh", right?

That was the exact experience I was having on my Stella about a week ago. I pulled over at the nearest gas station offering free air (thankfully just a 1/4 mile from my house) and discovered I was running 17/20. Manual says 17/25. This was not working for me, perhaps because I'm a hefty 235# at present. Sidewall says max 36, I filled up to 32 and the wobbly problem went away.

mukaiboston · Post by **mukaiboston** » Fri Jul 26, 2013 12:45 am

Just curious, how often do you guys put air in your tires?

I usually keep them at 30psi and check every week, but it seems the past few weeks I've checked, the pressure has dropped to 25psi. The temps have been fluctuating a bit, but I didn't think that much. I would have thought to have had a leak except that both tires lose the same amount of air at the same time.

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Fri Jul 26, 2013 5:17 am

mukaiboston wrote:Just curious, how often do you guys put air in your tires?

Scooters that have tubes such as Stellas and many Buddys with whitewalls will generally lose air faster than tubeless Buddys. Our Buddy only needs the air topped off every 1-2 months.

Wolfhound · Post by **Wolfhound** » Fri Jul 26, 2013 10:33 am

Having read all this I increased my psi to 30 front and rear and the result
was much better ride, stability, and handling. The sticker of the 170i calls
for 30 front and rear.

wheelbender6 · Post by **wheelbender6** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:28 pm

My dealer also puts 30psi in front and rear, despite the recommendation in the manual. Perhaps its to prevent bending a rim on the older, cracked concrete roads in this area.

Wolfhound · Post by **Wolfhound** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:41 pm

The owners Manual pressure ratings could be a result of poor translations.
It is interesting to see that the recommended tire pressure on the info given
on the bike itself calls for 30/30. I keep the tire pressure at 30 psi on all 3
of the tires on my sidecar rig. Makes for better hsandling on it.