Tyre pressure weirdness

Anything you like about motorbikes
Le_Fromage_Grande
Posts: 11236
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
Has thanked: 607 times
Been thanked: 4125 times

Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

I've had a new tyre out on the back wheel of my GSXS, so far so good, got it home and checked the pressure, 25psi, should be 42psi, no idea why the shop set it to 25, so I pumped it up to 42 and thought I'll check it to see if it goes down, so last night at 22:30 it was 41, this morning at 07:30 it was 42.5, tonight at 18:00 it was 39.5, the bike hasn't been ridden.
Could the pressure go up with lower temperatures?
Could it be the tyre mildly expanding as it gets warm lowering the pressure?
Honda Owner
User avatar
KungFooBob
Posts: 14225
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:04 pm
Location: The content of this post is not AI generated.
Has thanked: 539 times
Been thanked: 7543 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by KungFooBob »

What gauge you using?

I had a digital one that was all over the shop when the battery started to go flat.
Le_Fromage_Grande
Posts: 11236
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
Has thanked: 607 times
Been thanked: 4125 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

It's an old digital Halfords one of unknown vintage, that was another thought. I might have one of those slider things somewhere.

But tonight's 39.5 I checked 4 times (it's now down to 39 because I checked so many times)
Honda Owner
User avatar
KungFooBob
Posts: 14225
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:04 pm
Location: The content of this post is not AI generated.
Has thanked: 539 times
Been thanked: 7543 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by KungFooBob »

Split it open and it probably takes a CR2032 or similar.
User avatar
wull
Posts: 3067
Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:09 pm
Location: Alloa
Has thanked: 881 times
Been thanked: 1552 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by wull »

It’s your bikes way of telling you that 42 psi is too high.
Le_Fromage_Grande
Posts: 11236
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
Has thanked: 607 times
Been thanked: 4125 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

wull wrote: Tue May 17, 2022 7:21 pm It’s your bikes way of telling you that 42 psi is too high.
It's what Suzuki recomend, personally I think 35 would be about right
Honda Owner
User avatar
wull
Posts: 3067
Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:09 pm
Location: Alloa
Has thanked: 881 times
Been thanked: 1552 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by wull »

What tyres are fitted? Those are the bike manufacturers recommended pressures which have been the case for about 400 years, forget about them. I always have a look at what the recommendations are for the tyres that are fitted, and then fine tune it.
User avatar
wull
Posts: 3067
Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:09 pm
Location: Alloa
Has thanked: 881 times
Been thanked: 1552 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by wull »

with that being said if it works then go with it, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
User avatar
Skub
Posts: 12182
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:32 pm
Location: Norn Iron
Has thanked: 9845 times
Been thanked: 10157 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by Skub »

Temperature will definitely impact on psi readings. I prefer one of those Halfraud's pen type tester. They are simple and more reliable imo.
"Be kind to past versions of yourself that didn't know what you know now."
Walt Whitman
https://soundcloud.com/skub1955
Le_Fromage_Grande
Posts: 11236
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
Has thanked: 607 times
Been thanked: 4125 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Pretty sure it's temperature related, it's cooled down here and it's up by 1.5 psi.
Honda Owner
User avatar
Dodgy69
Posts: 5473
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:36 pm
Location: Shrewsbury
Has thanked: 1751 times
Been thanked: 2089 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by Dodgy69 »

How's the fluctuation compare to other tyre. ?
Yamaha rocket 3
Le_Fromage_Grande
Posts: 11236
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
Has thanked: 607 times
Been thanked: 4125 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Dodgy knees wrote: Tue May 17, 2022 8:32 pm How's the fluctuation compare to other tyre. ?
Dunno, the front is impossible to get at with my pressure guage.
Honda Owner
Mr. Dazzle
Posts: 13979
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:57 pm
Location: Milton Keynes
Has thanked: 2554 times
Been thanked: 6262 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by Mr. Dazzle »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Tue May 17, 2022 8:28 pm Pretty sure it's temperature related, it's cooled down here and it's up by 1.5 psi.
That is the reverse of what you'd expect, unless something very odd is going on.

Or the temperature is effecting your gauge!
Le_Fromage_Grande
Posts: 11236
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
Has thanked: 607 times
Been thanked: 4125 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Tue May 17, 2022 9:03 pm
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Tue May 17, 2022 8:28 pm Pretty sure it's temperature related, it's cooled down here and it's up by 1.5 psi.
That is the reverse of what you'd expect, unless something very odd is going on.

Or the temperature is effecting your gauge!
Is it though, the tyre is changing temperature because the outside air temperature is changing, meaning the tyre is expanding when warm, lowering the pressure of the air inside and contracting when cold , raising the pressure, this is different to when you ride on a tyre, when I assume the air inside gets got and expands quicker than the tyre, but I'm not sure of my logic on this one.

Or as you say the temperature effects the guage or the way I'm measuring it.
Last edited by Le_Fromage_Grande on Tue May 17, 2022 9:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Honda Owner
User avatar
wull
Posts: 3067
Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:09 pm
Location: Alloa
Has thanked: 881 times
Been thanked: 1552 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by wull »

What tyres do you have fitted
Le_Fromage_Grande
Posts: 11236
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
Has thanked: 607 times
Been thanked: 4125 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

wull wrote: Tue May 17, 2022 9:10 pm What tyres do you have fitted
Pirelli Angel STs.
Honda Owner
The Spin Doctor
Posts: 4096
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:17 pm
Has thanked: 2636 times
Been thanked: 1523 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by The Spin Doctor »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Tue May 17, 2022 9:08 pm
Mr. Dazzle wrote: Tue May 17, 2022 9:03 pm
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Tue May 17, 2022 8:28 pm Pretty sure it's temperature related, it's cooled down here and it's up by 1.5 psi.
That is the reverse of what you'd expect, unless something very odd is going on.

Or the temperature is effecting your gauge!
Is it though, the tyre is changing temperature because the outside air temperature is changing, meaning the tyre is expanding when warm, lowering the pressure of the air inside and contracting when cold , raising the pressure, this is different to when you ride on a tyre, when I assume the air inside gets got and expands quicker than the tyre, but I'm not sure of my logic on this one.

Or as you say the temperature effects the guage or the way I'm measuring it.
Nope, the static tyre itself won't expand when warm - at least, not that I have ever heard - but the air inside it will, which means the pressure goes up. Not by much, mind. Across a typical 10c night to 20c day, my calculations (Gay-Lussac's Gas Law) suggest that the variation would be around 1.5 PSI.
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer." Henry David Thoreau
www.ko-fi.com/survivalskills www.survivalskillsridertraining.co.uk www.facebook.com/survivalskills
User avatar
Count Steer
Posts: 11839
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2021 4:59 pm
Has thanked: 6382 times
Been thanked: 4770 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by Count Steer »

Coefficient of thermal expansion of air is way higher than rubber. I'd try another gauge.
Doubt is not a pleasant condition.
But certainty is an absurd one
.
Voltaire
Mr. Dazzle
Posts: 13979
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:57 pm
Location: Milton Keynes
Has thanked: 2554 times
Been thanked: 6262 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by Mr. Dazzle »

The tyre itself will expand, s'just that the air inside it will expand alot more.

I'd be more inclined to believe the temperature effects the battery voltage in the sensor or something like that.

How good are cheapo sensors anyway?
Le_Fromage_Grande
Posts: 11236
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
Has thanked: 607 times
Been thanked: 4125 times

Re: Tyre pressure weirdness

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

I did say it was weird, it probably is the guage, that would make more sense, it's not exactly a scientific instrument.

But it is interesting from a perspective of those people who say they can feel the difference in 0.5 psi tyre pressure, I know I can't feel the difference 5 psi makes.
Honda Owner