Tyre PSI

[warnzie]

Hi all, went for a great ride on the weekend (have an EC200) but found I was slipping and sliding everywhere...to the point of been anxious about every corner i turned. The track was loose dust and maybe a little dirt but not loose enough for my bike to slipping and sliding the way it was. So i guess it comes down to my tyres as they were pretty hard. So what PSI do people use on their gassers and does anyone have a guide to what PSI should be used for the best traction in certain terrains?

Warnzie

 

[kim]

My mate is seldom running over 8PSI, but we are forever fixing his flats. We got it down to an art now, about 15min on the DRZ400, for the rear wheel.

As a rule the rockier it is, the higher pressure you need to avoid flats.
I normally start at about 12 and just keep reducing the pressure till I get traction.
Always carry a spare tube or two and the tools to remove the tire.

On a recent trip to Morocco (all big rocks or sand), we ran up to 25PSI to avoid punctures and while we were spinning the rear a fair bit, directional stability was quite good. This might have been the tire choice, tho.
In the sand, lower pressure was much better, but we had lots of flats, mainly due to the vale being pulled out. We were on KTM EXC450.

K

 

[DWreck]

12 psi everywhere. Ultra heavy duty tubes and slime. I tried 15 psi at a rocky race once and after the first loop went back to 12. All of a sudden it felt like I knew how to ride again.

 

[iancp5]

In run mousses which are supposed to be about 15 psi but I think once they've been used a bit it's more like 12 psi. Oh if only we had problems with it being dry and dusty! Rain, rain, rain, grey, grey, grey that's what we've had for months now.

Undoubtedly if you can run lower pressure you'll get more grip but have you checked riding style hasn't slipped? If I do a lot of trail riding I find I get lazy and then when I do an event I struggle to find grip as I'm not so used to caring about getting the most out of everything.

When I used to use tubes I would run down to 12 psi front and 10 psi rear if short of grip, but no lower and that assumed it either wasn't rocky or I had time to pick my way throught. I have run trials rears right down to 6 psi as they are much higher profile.

 

[JoshP]

10 in the front and rear with the heaviest MSR front tube and that heavy MICHELIN tube in the rear. I will knock on wood but it's been over a year since a flat and I'm riding at least once a week on nasty rocky crap. I have friends whom ride with 8 and swear by it, but I don't like buying new rims enough for that one.

 

[GMP]

Same here and same trails, except a Mitas trials rear most of the time with 7.5 PSI. Only flat all year was a front at Rattlesnake Enduro and that was from a faulty valve core. My long time A rider friend told me years ago "10 PSI and feel like a hero".

 

[CrazyTed]

Tire Balls, 8psi, no flats, better traction...

 

[SpeedyManiac]

Tire Balls, 8psi, no flats, better traction...

What he said. I'll never go back to tubes.

 

[kim]

Do you find tire balls better than mouses ? or just different ?

K

 

[bergerhag]

How did your tireballs hold up in the ISDE, SpeedyManiac? I read the Swedish riders had lots of cactus spikes penetrating their tires and into the mousse. No flat balls?

 

[SpeedyManiac]

One ball in the rear lost pressure, but it's not punctured (still holds air, just didn't have as much), none up front. I'm completely sold on them.