[Ducati] Tire Pressures

[Matt Lane]

When I replaced the Pilor Power tires on my "Italian Bike" with Conti Sport
Attacks (which are cheap and I am VERY happy the the handling...TBD on
longevity) the place which installed them put them at 32psi fr/rr like he
does with every tire he ever mounts.

I tried that for a couple hundred miles and liked the tires very much. I
also tried 33psi fr/rr according to the manual on my Pilots BTW. Worked
fine.

But I also contacted Continental and asked them what pressures they
recommend for me, my bike, and the new tires. After converting BAR to PSI (
14.7 to 1, yes?) I got about 37psi front and 43 rear on the road. Big
difference but I just tried it for about 50 miles, including some very
twisty sections. Not at all bad. Good, even. And I "assume" the higher
pressures will result in greater longevity, among other things.

Any thoughts/comments would be a fine thing.

Ride Well,

Gabriel


Tire pressures are tricky. The bike manufacturers and tire manufacturers 
give different pressures as recomendations. I always go with the bike 
manufacturers recommendations for street riding. I will adjust the pressure 
for track days and run less PSI. Less PSI in the tires means more grip on 
the track. You do not need to worry about that on the street and will only 
wear the tire out in the middle quicker. I do not know why but Ducati 
recommends less tire pressure front and rear than the other bikes I own. 
Most of my japanese bikes recommend 36 PSI front and 38-42 PSI rear. So, I 
would say to stick with bikes manufacturers suggested pressures. If anything 
run 2 or 3 PSI less not more.

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