Tyre pressures and other ruminations

[2volts]

I got asked a few times about what tyre pressures I ran for the Desert Raid on the F800GS, rather surprised to find upon checking this afternoon only 21 psi in the front. Had 32psi in the rear, which I expected because I fitted a new rear tyre before the trip.

Did tyre pressures matter? I don't know. Only went through one sandy section of note, on the David Carnegie Road, I don't think tyre pressure made much difference there. Was always gentle on the throttle in the rocky sections, of which there were plenty, got a dent in the RHS of the front rim anyway, but no idea where it happened, in fact it might not even have been on that trip. I did hit one rock on the way out to Wiluna that may have been the culprit.

What does all this prove? SFA! About the only thing to prepare for is "prepare for the unexpected" and you don't know what that might be anyway!

There is no excuse for being "caught out" by a rock ledge in a creek bed or a sandy corner. My riding rules are soft hands on the throttle, look well ahead and concentrate on the job at hand .

Thus endeth the post.

pete

[pejie]

My experience riding into carnegie was a few "skatey" sections just out of Wiluna then pretty good. When Dean & I headed out to the intersection of david Carnegie Rd & Gunbarrell for our day ride on the saturday there were a few corrugations & softer sections & we swapped bikes (both 650 dakars) to compare them. To me Deans rode the corrugations a lot better in the front & just felt softer/less twitchy. i was running 24psi in front & Dean has i think about 18psi. I dropped down to 20psi & bike felt totally different - in a good way. Bike was unladen. I've never really thought tyre pressure was all that critical but at least on the Dakar i have changed my mind. Rode out fully loaded up & 20psi in front & felt whole lot better. Could be improved riding, could be tyre pressure
pete

[boomer61]

I ran the XR600 on the factory tyre pressure of 22psi front and rear fully loaded. Tyres Perilli MT21. I checked for load deformation of the tyre at these pressuers as I was heavier than factory rated load. The tyre was not load deforming on the rear so I used the factory setting. I also checked for heat build up in the tyres, a good sign of under infaltion, the tyres where not overheating. The bike was riding well and steering well on all surfaces so contined to use those setting on all surfaces for the whole trip.
Set the pressure to the condtions and monitor.

[toni]

Blimey. I just rode my bike. I was even running on road tyres, not knobblies. So I dropped my bike in the sand - both on the way in and on the way out - it would have happened whether I had more/less air in the tyres anyway. Such is my riding skill. I do believe somebody let some air out of my tyres while we were at Carnegie....not sure what difference it made. But what would I know - I just got there and back in one piece and my bikes a mess!

[bully1]

dropped my pressures from 24 front and rear to 16 front and 18 rear. Bike seemed to run well but as the fuel level dropped front end appeared to skate and twitch on some of the loose ground, on the wet roads on the way out was a lot better and was stable to over 130kph. pumped tyres up again at Paynes Find after coming back to the blacktop. These are the pressures that I normally run off road

[beeb]

Just got me a new 1200gs with spokes and found that the tyre pressure hoses at gas stations are a bugger to use. How does one get the end of the tyre pressure gun to fit on your valve without bending the bugger and or letting more air out than getting air in?????
Regards
Beeb (who is new to spokes!!!)

[bully1]

you need to get yourself a 90 degree elbow valve that you carry and screw on when you want to pump your tyres, Don't leave the valve extension on as I've seen the centrifigal forces rip the valve assembly apart at the rim. The extensions are available from Auto Classics or perhaps Tyres For Bikes.

[beeb]

Thanks for your reply Bully

regards
Beeb