How often do you add air to your tires?

[greenhorn]

Hi. I had both tires replaced about 2.5 months ago. I am needing to put about 3-5 pounds of air in them after about 150 miles or so of riding. Is this normal? And if not, what are some possible reasons my tires may be losing air? It is becoming an inconvenience IMO.

Thoughts? Thanks!

Mary

[Water Warrior 2]

Motorcycle tires will loose a little pressure over time. It is just a fact of life with bikes. Do a pressure check every 2 weeks whether you ride or not.

[alantf]

First thing I'd do is get a valve key, then check that the valves are nipped up snug. I've found that when they put new tyres on, they sometimes don't tighten the valves quite tight enough.
My grandaughter's bicycle tyres kept going flat, & after I nipped up the valves an inperceptable amount, the problem went away.

[Easy Rider]

Hi. I had both tires replaced about 2.5 months ago. I am needing to put about 3-5 pounds of air in them after about 150 miles or so of riding. Is this normal?

With all due respect to WW.......the answer is a resounding NO.
Tires with tubes shouldn't lose that much air over 6 months....much less 150 miles.

Did they put new tubes in with the tires?
Did they put ANY tubes in the tires ??
Something is definitely wrong; take it back where you got the tires.

[jonathan180iq]

I check the air in my tires every fill up.

[Water Warrior 2]

Hi. I had both tires replaced about 2.5 months ago. I am needing to put about 3-5 pounds of air in them after about 150 miles or so of riding. Is this normal? And if not, what are some possible reasons my tires may be losing air? It is becoming an inconvenience IMO.

Thoughts? Thanks!

Mary

Mary, what was the time period for putting on 150 miles ? If it was over 2.5 months then I would consider that normal. Remember that temps will also increase or decrease tire pressures as the air expands and contracts. Always try to check the tires before a ride with the tires cold. And use a quality pressure guage too. They are not expensive, a local auto store will have a variety to choose from. Please refrain from going to the local Dollar Store, you will get what you pay for.
Just for fun and experience, check your tires after a ride with the tires warmed up and again a few hours later with the bike in a shady spot(no direct sunshine/heat) and you will notice a difference.
And yes, Easy and I differ in opinions but we both want you to be safe. Maybe my experience is with the Canadian Air, proximity to the North Pole or West Coast. LOL.

[Easy Rider]

Maybe my experience is with the Canadian Air, proximity to the North Pole or West Coast. LOL.

Yea, that's probably it! :whistle:

Honestly, I have gone a whole season and a thousand miles or so never having to add air.

If I start riding REALLY early in the season, I have actually let some air OUT of the tires when the heat of summer arrives.........and then if I ride late into the fall, I have to put it back again.
My cut-off these days seems to be about 65 F so that doesn't even apply anymore.
I put a gauge on them once a month just for good measure and give them a "kick" test before every ride.

[burkbuilds]

I've had my Vulcan for about 3 1/2 months and 3500 miles and I've only had to add air once, about 3-4 lbs. That seems like a normal amount to me. If you are having to put air in much more often than that it makes me think something is not exactly right. Might be bad valve stems or like somebody (Water Warrior I think) said they may not be tightened properly. Be careful though, it's easy to over tighten valve stem nuts and damage the tubes. I'd recommend taking it back to the dealer that installed the tires and have them check it out.

[alanmcorcoran]

Easy,
Can you expound on the "kick test"? I've found that checking the tire pressure = letting air out of the tire. The air pumps, if they have them at all, at the gas stations here are crap. You have to go inside, wait in line, ask them to turn them on, and some times feed them a quarter, you can't tell if air is going in or coming out of the tire and, the built-in gauge does not inspire much confidence (always seems to read "25") So... I generally avoid the process. I used to pump my bicycle tires (which have tubes!) prior to every single ride (and significantly - those puppies like 120 psi or more!) but I am basically hoping for the best with the motorcycles. If the kick test is a good rule of thumb, I'd like to know how to perform it.

[Easy Rider]

Easy,
Can you expound on the "kick test"?

"Airing up" things can be a problem.
If you watch for sales, or maybe visit Harbor Freight, a decent little compressor can be had for about $50 or so.......and a WallyWorld has digital gauges for about $6.

The kick test consists of knowing how hard the tires feel when they have (close to) the right pressure in them. When you are a wuss rider like I am, a couple of pounds doesn't really make that much difference.

The problem, however, if you don't have a toe that has been educated by doing that for a LOT of years........is somehow getting it educated on short notice. That's where the compressor comes in.

You need to drop the pressure about 10 pounds and see what it feels like when you kick it........then put back the proper pressure and kick again. Some use the thumb pressure method in much the same way; if it feels hard when you press your thumb against the middle of the tread firmly, then it's good enough to ride.

For most folks, all that is just BS though and putting the digital gauge on them every couple of days is probably a MUCH better plan......or maybe every day. I often ride short distances without a helmet too. Neither practice is really recommended. :roll:

[dhgeyer]

As has been mentioned, always measure the tires cold, before riding, with a decent quality gauge.

Generally, tires will gain about a pound of pressure for every ten degrees (U.S.) increase in temp, and drop accordingly as the temp drops. Might this possibly be part of what you are noticing?

I check whenever there's a big temp change, in the morning, but if I know that the day will heat up I leave the pressure a couple of pounds low.

You can put in a lot more pressure than the GZ250 manual recommends. This will decrease traction a bit, affect handling to a minor degree, and dramatically increase tire life. You should never exceed the max pressure printed on the tire itself. The GZ manual recommends the lowest pressures I've ever seen in any manual - in the 20's. The max pressure allowed, as printed on my tires, is 36 pounds cold. I run 32 front, 34 rear. It's a trade off. Little bit harder ride, a bit less traction (not enough that I've ever noticed it), about another thousand or two miles before they need replacing. Maybe more, depending on how you ride.

Obviously I check my tires a lot. I have a bicycle pump that can make small adjustments quite quickly, much faster than firing up the compressor.

If your tires really are losing as much pressure as you say they are, something is not right. Unlikely that you picked up small nails or screws in both of them at the same time, so I would second alantf's idea, and get the little tool to make sure the valve cores are tight. I just had new tires put on my BMW, and the rear was losing about a pound a day. I noticed on my bill that they had replaced one of the valves, so the loose valve core was my first suspicion. I just tightened it up today, and it did seem a bit loose. I'll know tomorrow if that was the problem.

Hope this helps.

[Water Warrior 2]

A 12 volt compressor is cheap and easy. Scout around for an Airman 2 compressor. Compact and work quite well.

[alantf]

A 12 volt compressor is cheap and easy. Scout around for an Airman 2 compressor. Compact and work quite well.

Surely you're not all wimps? :whistle: I've got an old foot pump that I've had for over 40 years (that was before electric ones were even THOUGHT of) I even use it on the car tyres. I find that with car tyres, I need around 10 pumps for every 1lb/sq.ins, & with the bike tyres, even less. I agree that the guages on the petrol station air lines are mostly useless, so I use a digital guage that my wife got me at christmas (on the car) trouble is, it won't fit between the spokes on the bike wheel, so I use one of the pencil types. Again, it's around 40 years old, but I've checked it, & it's still accurate. :)

[jonathan180iq]

I second AlanTF. I use my bike pump on the scooter. Can't remember if I ever used it on the Gz, but I probably did.
It has a built in gauge so I know when to stop.

[burkbuilds]

I've got a built in compressor in my shop, but it's not worth the trouble of rolling out a 100' air hose just to add a few pounds of air to a bike tire so I use my trusty old bicycle pump to adjust the pressure. As Alan pointed out, it doesn't take very many pumps to add a few lbs to a motorcycle tire and yes Alan, I have actually used it to add 4-5 pounds to a car tire on a few occasions but it does take 50+ pumps to do that and if I had more than one tire to do, I'll drag out the air hose.

[GZ250]

Any Tire (motorcycle, cycle, car) should not loose air that often. Only if you are not using the vehicle and it is parked even for 20 or 30 days, tires would loose air but if they are being used they should not loose that much air. If a vehicle is parked and tire is not in use only for 6 months, you can expect a lot of damage to the tire especially if it is under the sun and rain.

[greenhorn]

Just checking back & read all your responses. I suspect my tires are losing air too quickly but will get back to you all tomorrow after I check them when they are cold (just got back from a nice 50 mile ride). Here's how I can tell: When my tires are at or near the recommended pressure stated on the tire themselves, there is little vibration. When I lose 4-5 pounds pressure , which has generally been happening between rides that are normally only days apart, my head/ helmet starts bobbing 'round. Drives me nuts.

My husband understands the soapy water valve stem trick... we'll check that. If they are losing air & the valve stems are ok, do you think it could be that strip of rubber or something that normally goes around the tire? When I asked the guy at the shop who changed the tires, he first of all, had never changed a tube tire, & secondly, thought reusing whatever that strip stuff is would be ok. Now I'm not so sure & am wondering if that could be it & thus need to replace it.

Later & thanks for all your help.

Mary

[Easy Rider]

When my tires are at or near the recommended pressure stated on the tire themselves, there is little vibration. When I lose 4-5 pounds pressure , which has generally been happening between rides that are normally only days apart, my head/ helmet starts bobbing 'round. Drives me nuts.


Ah.....and now for the REST of the story!! :)

The pressure on the sidewall of the tires is NOT the recommended pressure for your particular model of bike.......or for any other expected use of the tire either. What it IS.....is the absolute maximum pressure that the tire maker deems it is safe to put in them. At that pressure, they will be hard as a ROCK.

In my opinion......backed up by 40+ years of riding......you FIRST need to put both tires back to the Suzuki recommended pressures, check the shock pre-load to be sure it is right (2 or 3 is a good place to start for 1-up) and then see how it rides. If it jumps or bucks, then they might not be balanced correctly or one might be out of round. Then you can check the pressure a couple of times cold and see where to go with the loosing air problem.

You are accomplishing nothing good by running way too much air in your tires. The traction will be slightly less and the ride comfort will be a LOT worse.

It is recommended that you put new spoke strips in when changing tires. Having too much pressure in the tube will make it just that more likely that the spoke heads will rub a hole through the protector strip and the tube itself.

AND lastly, if your tire changer has never done one with a tube before, he might have pinched the tube and put a pin-hole leak in it. Is this a bike shop or a car tire place ?? If the latter, he probably doesn't even have the right equipment to balance the tires.

There are several things "not right" with this picture.

[Water Warrior 2]

Ah, now we see a light at the end of the tunnel.

[Sarris]

I run nitrogen in mine. They feel more compliant, run cooler, and loose maybe 1 lb. of pressure every three months.

:)

[mrlmd1]

That's got to be one of the biggest hypes going, like bottled water. Atmospheric air is 80% nitrogen anyway. Do you really think removing O2, CO2, argon, zenon, etc, etc, at great expense makes the "air" last longer and leak out less and ride smoother? Like it's much more dense or something?
Sounds like a lot of crap to me. And nitrogen coming out of a tank fast as it expands can get REAL cold, (liquid nitrogen is a few hundred degrees below zero as it becomes gaseous), and I would wonder about doing real thermal damage to the rubber in the tube and tire putting it in if they did it too fast.

Don't forget, our bikes have tubes in them, The rim strips prevent the spoke ends from puncturing or abrading the tubes, You would not get a pinhole leak of air if the tube had a hole in it from a spoke. You would not get a pinhole leak of air if the tube had been pinched and torn in inserting it. You would not get a pinhole leak from a nail or screw in the tire puncturing the tube. It would leak pretty fast and go flat if any of those happened, Once you get a hole in a rubber tube, the elasticity or pull of the rubber and the pressure in the tube would make the hole larger and leak faster. It is not the same as a nail in a tire. The most likely place for a slow leak to occur is in the valve - either screw in in tighter or replace it with a new one and the leak should stop. Should be pretty simple.

[music man]

I run nitrogen in mine. They feel more compliant, run cooler, and loose maybe 1 lb. of pressure every three months.

:)


Damn Sarris, so rich you don't even ride on normal air like the rest of us anymore. :neener:

[Easy Rider]

I run nitrogen in mine. They feel more compliant, run cooler, and loose maybe 1 lb. of pressure every three months.

:)


Damn Sarris, so rich you don't even ride on normal air like the rest of us anymore. :neener:

Yea he's "rich" alright.......and full of.......nitrogen !! :shocked:

:crackup

[greenhorn]

Should be pretty simple. Famous last words. I am a mechanical idiot. By choice or default depending on how you look at it. :biggrin: Attentive husband of 33 yrs. I'll get to the tires but first:

1) I really appreciate your help & especially your civility & pleasant banter toward one another. I think if my questions regarding FLASH (my GZ) inspired arguing I would not post. I get a heck of a kick out of how you tease one another & I read every word your say... you are my experts!!!

2) Now, a little about myself & FLASH. I bought my GZ for $900 off of E bay last Aug.. It is oh so easy to push that " buy it now" button. It is a 2001 & now has 10, 146 miles on it. I have put 3,000 or so of those on myself this year. Now, considering I am a Minnesotan, that means that those miles were put on in 7 months. I am having a blast. Most of my riding is in the rural area around my place. I have commuted with it but find the whole clothes changing thing detracts from the fun.

* My husband of 33 years was very, very, very pissed off at me when I bought FLASH. This rarely happens (that many very' s) .

* He got over it. This happens all the time.

* At first he refused ( his name is Dan BTW... doesn't ride, probably never will) to even look at FLASH & made it clear to me he would do no maintenance on her. I believed him & have found other resources: this forum & a local bike (motorcycle, atv, snowmobile) shop.

* Last week Dan asked for the manual & last weekend we changed the oil together :2tup:

* Other than knowing that the chain was tightened/ lubed by the guy who owned it ( 3rd owner) I have no knowledge of Flashes maintenance history.

Maybe more than you all want to know, but I have been lurking, have gotten some great advice personally from some of you already & am ready to "come out". Can I say that here????

I want to be safe, want to keep FLASH in good condition & figure who best to ask than you . Soooooooooooooooo. I'll check my tire pressure today ( I mean I WILL... Dan still resists but I understand) & get back to you.

I will drop the pressure ( cold) to front tire 25 pounds/ back 29 which is what is recommended by the manual. I can hardly believe FLASH will handle well. I have been riding on no less than 33 lbs. I'll take it easy ( lower speeds) & get back to you. I may need to take her in to get the tires balanced or whatever. OH. And WTH is pre load? I am not quite sure where the settings are for that. I looked quickly last night at the manual ( on line) but guess will have to look closer.

I have Chin sings. I am positive they are the right size.

Later,

Mary

ps. I normally am not as long winded as this. :whistle: Really. :roll:

[dhgeyer]

If you run nitrous oxide in them, do they feel "funny"?

[Sarris]

As I said, with nitrogen, you can feel the difference in the ride (REALLY, NO SHIT) and they don't loose an pressure for months. I use it in my car and both bikes.

I have a pal with a tire store and get it for free, so why not??

:2tup:

[Easy Rider]

I have a pal with a tire store and get it for free, so why not??


OK, that statement I can agree with 100%.
The rest of it......not so much.

[Easy Rider]

I get a heck of a kick out of how you tease one another & I read every word your say... you are my experts!!!

OH. And WTH is pre load? I am not quite sure where the settings are for that.

Most of the time, "we" make a good team. It has not been without a few rough spots, however.

Mature adults can argue without getting mad.

The shock pre-load.....that a lot of people call the rear spring adjustment....is a 5 notch adjustment on the rear springs that, for sake of simplicity, changes how firmly they support the load on the rear shocks. It's in the manual somewhere.

[Water Warrior 2]

Hi Mary. The pressure reduced to the manual specs should make a difference. If the bike still bounces or rides rough the tires probably need balancing. The preload is referring to the settings on the rear shocks. There are little steps built into the ring around the shock. Both should be at the same setting and can be adjusted using the factory tool kit. The non working end of the screw driver shaft is round and fits nicely.

General info: Costco in Canada sell massive amounts of tires and uses nitrogen when installing them. Works for them and all their customers. Proven less leakage by replacing the smaller molecules with the larger nitrogen molecules.

[Easy Rider]

General info: Costco in Canada sell massive amounts of tires and uses nitrogen when installing them. Works for them and all their customers. Proven less leakage by replacing the smaller molecules with the larger nitrogen molecules.

Have we had this discussion before on this forum?? :??:

So, what advantage am I theoretically supposed to gain if I have no "leakage" with plain air ??

I have a bike, two cars, a truck and a tractor. Except for the front tires on the tractor, which take some punishment....NONE of my vehicles require ANY air more than once a year and that is accomplished coincident with the seasonal adjustments for temperature. NONE. That has been typical of most of my tires over the years.

I know that you honestly believe that "nitrogen" is better somehow but I think you have been mislead. First plain air is about 78% nitrogen already. Of the remaining 22%, a significant portion of what is left has larger molecules than N.

Moreover, obtaining pure nitrogen is not a simple process; it is somewhat complicated and expensive. I have my doubts that cost conscious Costco or the many tire places in the US that claim it, REALLY go to the expense of getting or making "real" pure nitrogen.

The real advantage to the so-called nitrogen is that it is DRY; almost totally void of water vapor. Air that has lots of water vapor varies in pressure more than dry air. It also tends to make things rust.......like rims where they seal to a tubless tire.

I would like to find someone who really knows what these places actually use and call it nitrogen. Dry air is fairly easy to make and, being 78% nitrogen already, could be called nitrogen without really lying. I suspect that they actually have a dryer attached to the air compressor and that produces their "nitrogen".

Anyhow, to recap, I think it's mostly hype and certainly not worth paying extra for.
And yes, race teams use real dry nitrogen because they need to control their pressures to the tenth of a pound. Consumer vehicles have no such need.

[Sarris]

Say what you want, but I've been riding for 35+ years, and I can feel the difference. It's not a placebo effect, or a need to be different, it really does feel different.

Before you make up that one way street of a mind you have, I suggest you try it. The nitrogen is concentrated from normal air in a process very similar to the oxygen concentrator used by old people who need oxygen.

It's 99.5% pure and it does lower the operating temperature of the tire by as much as 20%. That's why it's used in drag racers tires.

My Harley has tubless tires and would normally loose 5psi every two to three weeks, but now hasn't lost 1 lb in three months. No loss in the GZ in 9 months.

My pal (the tire dealer) sells it for $2.50/tire and will top you up for free (if you ever need it). I could care less whether you or anyone else believe me. All I know is it has worked for me.

:skull:

[Water Warrior 2]

Sarris, good to hear you have experience with both tube and tubeless tires.

[5th_bike]

I used to have to add air to my rear tire every two or three months. There was a small nail in the tire (I found out after it caught a big nail, causing a larger leak).

After a new inner tube was mounted in the rear wheel, I have not added any air. About four months and 1,000 miles ago.

I'd take it back.

[greenhorn]

Back from a great ride at the recommended pressure & everything felt fine. So settings for rear shocks are fine. Riding at the recommended pressure is fine.

Now I just have to determine whether or not I am losing air at an unacceptable rate. If I am, I have everything I need to know to resolve that issue thanks to your input... thanks so much!!! This problem is now resolved. :rawk:

Mary