I have to say I'm surprised we're having to explain this. I assumed everyone on here would already know the basics on tyre pressures.
Seems that is not the case? I am going to try my suspension changes but i am hemmed in at the moment with this damn stupid cycle ride which is blocking my way out until 2.45pm !!!
Having just checked both Pirelli and Bridgestone websites the tyre pressures for Fireblade fitment are all 2.5(36psi) 2.9(42psi) bar front/rear. There is obviously a valid reason that both of these manufacturers give these pressures, It is because that is the pressure at which the tyres work the way they are designed to do on the road.
Like I said before the reason they give those pressures is to provide a tyre which works for more than one person in more than one environment. They are to suit someone who rides solo or with a pillion in rain or dry in temperatures just above freezing to 35degrees on a hot sunny day. They are designed to get the maximum mileage, best fuel economy and wear with a sacrifice for maximum grip or warm up. It's a compromise to fit all situations - not the situations most of us recreational bikers actually ride in. For a sportsbike rider on twisty roads riding solo on a dry day those pressures are not ideal. 34f 36r is good rule of thumb for fast road riding.
Right i have had a good ahrd ride and now the front suspension is nigh on perfect given the set up, increasing the oil height by 3mm has stopped the front from diving into bends which has made the bike more stable and does now feel vey planted when exiting corners with power. The rear is still a little unstable but is more controlled now. So i will try a few more changes with the rear to see if i can balance this out.
The specs i am running in the forks is 5 weight Silkoline synthetic oil, fluid level is 90mm from top which equates to 535ml.
Yes, i now have set the front to 30mm sag with rider, rear was possistion 3 on the shock which equates to 31mm of sag. Damping is as i quoted initially as my notes are in the garage and i have painted my floor so cannot retieve them now.
Ok cheers I went up 1 ramp to position 5 on the rear to get 30mm and have 35mm on the front. I can go softer on The front as Im not using all the travel.
I weigh 13.5 stone with kit so i found it better to use the lower rear peg setting as the rear shock cannot respond well to compression settings, giving a hard and un controllable rebound rate which upsets the front. So i am running a slightly softer rear end to compensate for the balance between the two.
Did you not read Flatstick's post then? Which road? What are the weather conditions? Is this with a passenger or not? etc etc Also, do you find it strange that all the bike and tyre manufacturers will tell you exactly the same pressures?
Dunlop now tell you their tyres are designed for lower pressures for grip and performance OR 'normal' higher pressures for twos up riding, milage etc etc For example I have a ford focus and the owners manual has about 5 different advised pressures for the same car depending on how many passengers, baggage in the boot, exceeding 90mph for a pronged period. Each situation has a different preferred tyre pressure. The bike manual recommending 36 42 is tryingto cover all bases but not the ones I want covered which is why I run 34 36
I couldn't agree more, I'm just in this thread for the theory and educational value! You have to admit those supermarket car park speed bumps really do upset the suspension though
What a bizarre thing to come out with. If you don't want to improve things or get the best out of them you should just crack on with the standard concrete Dunlop qualifiers with 42 pound in the rear. it's not about knocking time of my trip to tesco. It's about wanting as much grip/confidence out of the bike on a given road condition.
Flatstick, you seem to have forgotten to mention that he is the one buying BSTs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://1000rr.co.uk/mods-upgrades-accessories-products/1004.htm
Well he will knock 0.6s of his trip to tesco then inthat case Better save your club card points as they're expensive though
lol. Personally, i've got better things to do than calibrate the air temp, road temp, traffic density and humidity in order to re-set the values of my tyre pressures every 20 minutes. I just get on the thing and ride it.
