BEWARE THE TIRE PRESSURE GAUGE

[kawbuc]

If you are using a cheap tire pressure gauge, you could be running your tires too low / or too high on pressure. I have three on my work bench soon to go in the garbage. I was trying to find a decent one to put in my saddle bags. One of them actually shows i have 52 psi in my front tire. I gauge my tires (when i am at home ) with a fairly expensive tire pressure gauge. I always run 36 psi in my front tire. Three tire pressure gauges bought from different stores are all bad, not accurate. As we all know , if we run our tires too low we lose tread faster , tires get hotter etc.
Better check your gauges.

I think 36 psi is too low for good tire mileage. It's better for traction in the twisties though. If you run 40 psi in the front tire it will last much longer.

BTW, I too had a defective tire gauge recently, and was running my tires too soft because of that. That stupid $5 gauge probably cost me $50 worth of rubber.

[kawbuc]

Do you run 40psi in front and rear both? Only had the Nomad a short while. Dont have much to base it on so i listen to you guys. What did you get out of your last stock tire at 40psi?
I ran 36 in the front on my 800 and got around 10,000 miles.

[MarkG]

I found the same inaccuracy problem with the digital tire gauges. Some of them have been off over five pounds. I finally went back to the analog dial gauge.

[kawbuc]

The gauge i keep in my garage is made by MILTON.made in the US and is about 13" long and has a straight end on it. it is designed to check semi inside tires. Works realy good for reaching the hard to reach valve stems. And accurate. i had it checked with a master gauge. I think i bought it at NAPA. Going to get another one for the saddle bags.

[doctorgski]

I use a Digital gauge I got at NAPA. I too had problems with the cheaper gauges so I went into Napa and ask for the most accurate gauge they had... I think it was about $35, but I also use it on the motor coach so I needed one that could check over 120psi

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by kawbuc

Do you run 40psi in front and rear both? Only had the Nomad a short while. Dont have much to base it on so i listen to you guys. What did you get out of your last stock tire at 40psi?
I ran 36 in the front on my 800 and got around 10,000 miles.

I just had ME-880's installed on my bike a couple of weeks ago. When I picked it up from the dealer, I asked the mechanic what pressure I should should run them at. He said he'd put 40 in both, I was going to leave it that way.

I bought a Progressive, zero-loss air pump for the rear air shocks on the Nomad. It has a gauge built in. Although my regular slide-type air gauge reads true, if I'm ever in doubt, I use the Progressive's gauge. It's always right on.

I run 40 psi front & rear now. My last front tire went about 22,000 miles, but got very noisy. I typically ran 38 psi in it. 40 would have been better.

I do tend to run the pressure a little lower if the weather is very wet & I'm going to be riding on wet roads.

[burkazoid]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

I just had ME-880's installed on my bike a couple of weeks ago. When I picked it up from the dealer, I asked the mechanic what pressure I should should run them at. He said he'd put 40 in both, I was going to leave it that way.

Same here. Dealer said they installed them both at 40psi. I've checked both tired with four different gauges and get different readings. Three of the gauges actually say 30psi, and one says 50. I bought a digital one, and it says the same thing, 30psi.

I'm willing to go buy another gauge, a good one, but have no idea which brand to get.

[markusmaximus]

Can anyone make a recomendation on a good no-loss guage? And what retailers sell them? NAPA?

[kawbuc]

I am doing some research. Will let you know what i come up with. The MILTON i have at home,i cant find now. I am talking to some people i know in the tire industry. Waiting on them to get back with me.

[flightdoc]

I run pressures suggested in owners manual. My first set of tires went 14k miles. I now have 28k and am going to order my next set. I still run the oem tire too. I drive fast on the highways an am pretty aggressive on the turns.

vin

[dogdoc]

I bought a zero-loss pump with gauge off e-bay for $31(total) from bkrider. A few others have done the same and it works great. great/fast service from him. :-)

[jayc]

Many years ago, I believe it was Motorcyclist did a scientific test of pencil guages and found the Syaracuse brand to be accurate.