Post by mtmKeith ...
Let's rephrase that, huh? People who don't agree with You should be
neutered. That'd be about half the male population.
emore & odinn ......
If you guys got your heads out your ass, or just Simply read the
previous posts, you'd see the bike(s) we/I were talking about (not to
disclude others with the same problem) is the Nighthawk and the Magna.
The Nighthawks suggested pressure F&R are/is 33 lbs. For someone who
does/has a diverse type of riding conditions, that _may_be okay.
They_may_end up with a Reasonably acceptable wear pattern and/or mileage
on their tires.
Let me begin by saying my post is not an arguement, but a discussion.
While the recommended front tire pressure is 33lbs, the recommended pressure for the
rear tire is 33 psi for up to a 200 lb load and 41 psi for the max load of 355 per my
1992 Nighthawk manual. This makes sense in that the front tire won't experience much
of a load change between min and max while the rear will. I have33 front and rear in
mine, but am not happy with the handling since I put new tires on it.
I've had different style autos and driven them differently over the years, and have
adjusted the air pressure to suit myself. I needed higher pressures in the front for
cornering in the hot rod, lower pressures for the back end of an unloaded pickup for
traction and to reduce center tread wear, and adjusted the mini-van for comfort.
I'm sure one can do the same for bikes.
Post by mtmFor those (the majority) who don't get a chance to use their bikes in a
more diverse manner, the tread wear pattern starts to show premature
signs of wear (center section of tread) suggesting overinflation. For
them (myself included) 33 lbs IS overinflation, and a 5-10% drop in
pressure will give them a better 'footprint', and much better, and more
even tread wear pattrern, plus longer tire life.
This is a little redundant, but it's my perspective.
I have read that over-inflation can make a bike a little too responsive to road and
rider imperfections, but I think underinflation can create handling problems as well.
True? Another pressure consideration might be suspension. The Nighthawk's suspension
has been described as weak and I have bottomed the forks out hitting a frost heave in
the road. I was only doing 50 mph but the dip ended in a pretty steep rise back to
normal elevation. The tires have to take up the slack when you bottom out, so it may
be that the Nighthawk needs that extra psi.
Post by mtmNow, if you wanna argue that, be my guest. What I've said holds.
We've already had more than just two (that's if you jokers have been
payin' attention) folks who Own those Hondas and post here complain
about premature, and 'unusal' tire wear. For those folks, my suggestion
is the answer. It worked for others I know, and it worked for me.
Wanna argue that? Again, be my guest.
I wouldn't worry about a 5% pressure drop (1.65 psi is not much), but I'm not sure I'd
go 10%. Given the pressure differences displayed between different gauges, one could
end up being 15% low with the wrong gauge.
All things in moderation I suppose. I wouldn't say that tread wear defines
over-inflation for arced treads, but I believe there's room to vary pressure a little
to suit one's environment. Someone who works for Honda used some method to pick a
number, but I'm sure there are rider positions, road conditions, and rider styles that
would allow a little personal tweaking. Maybe they recommend pressures strictly by
load? I want maximum traction and handling without sacrificing safety to complement
my skill level (that means I want as much help as I can get), and would sacrifice
tread wear to get the others.
If the tread wear is unusual, what do you supposed is the cause? The tire
manufacturer might be the best place to find out what pressure supports a particular
load. Perhaps the Nighthawk's characteristics require an inflation pressure that
increases what would otherwise be the normal amount of center tread wear? Lowering
the pressure might or might not hurt the tire and the bike's performance, but Honda
has told you what they think.
Is 11k miles too short a tire life for the Dunlops? Do they have exceptionally soft
rubber? FWIW, my skinnier front tire wears much more evenly than my fatter rear.
Robert