Contact Patch: Motorcycle Tire Temp = Tire Pressure

The correct temperature of your motorcycle tires will provide you with the best grip and the best wear. Consequently you'll get the most life out of them as well. Tire pressure determines tire temperature at speed. What's yours?

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[imburnetechnicaladvisors]

this guy is amazing in person! highly recommended!!

[alanrodriguez]

Dave Moss is cool 😎. Dave Moss can help you.
He allows me to ask the question about air pressure and suspension and importantly to read the tires too.
Al

[joilsongomes]

Dave thank for the videos I tracked my tire wear and they got hot at 22.5 in the rear and 25.5 in the front bike was flying down the turns!!!!

[justaguyreal]

Wow just wow the thought and science that goes into the tires is incredible

[Cheese_Boi]

thanks for the vid man happy there was no charge :)

[allanh]

I am curious about a few things with irregular tyre wear.

1. Is it only the heat that determines tyre wear or is it the hardness of the tyre or both?
e.g If heat wasn't an issue would high preasure or low preasure cause irregular tyre wear?
I would have thought that the higher preasure would keep the tyres shape better and therefore the wear would be more even but lower preasure would increase the contact patch giving better grip but increased wear from the tyre changing shape.

2. If you had the means of measureing the temperature of the tyres what would be the optimal temperature or temperature range?

3. I don't know if this is true but from my past experience on road bikes I have found that a tyre that has many sipes across the tyre, therefore has many small blocks of rubber with a pattern like a brick wall, is more prone to irregular wear than a tyre that has few sipes.

I have read from tyre manufacturers and road authorities that hard cornering and braking will cause cupping and that it is impossible to eliminate cupping on a motorcycle so you should keep the speed down.

In my younger days when braking hard in through a turn then instantly on the throttle to exit while scrapping everything on the bike didn't bother me, I was getting nice even tyre wear all round the tyre, with the exception of heavy smooth wear on the outer edges. I tended to wear out the sides of the tyres before the center was worn out.
I don't ride like that now that I'm 30 plus years older, well at least not as much. I like to know that I can still do it although I now tend to coast in the middle of the corner where i didn't before. I can't get rid of the cupping, could this be due to coasting?.
So is it true that you can never get rid of cupping unless you keep your speed and hard braking to a minimum or is that just propaganda to keep your speed down?

[matthewmosca]

Glossy with black dots suggests tire is not getting to temperature. However, I have also seen in these videos that oil can leak out of the tire during a hot tear and form a glossy film on the tire. How do you tell the difference?

[justaguyreal]

Iis there a way to find out what the ideal temp is for best tire performance and traction? Like a manufacturers recommendation or spces for ideal tire temp for maximum traction??

[justaguyreal]

1:20 what is ideal tire temp? Too hot to hold and keep hand on it?

[realsstates]

Would like to see video or explanation about what to do with track riding later in the year when the temperature has dropped, or just riding in general. What if it's 40 F in the morning and 60 F peak in the afternoon? Are stock tires better in the colder conditions? Are they chosen to be all around all-season tires? Is it better to avoid track riding all together if the temperature drop below a certain number? Thanks.

[justaguyreal]

My first bike was a 2002 Honda Superhawk vtr1000 and i put Bridgestone Battlax BT023's on it which weren't confidence inspiring, although I wasn't very confident at all being new, esp in turns and corners anyway. Sometimes I could feel the rear wheel slip in turns. Eventually bike was stolen. FF about 4 years later and I got a 2007 cbr1000rr such had a relatively new set of Michelin Pilot Per Power 2 on it which felt sticky and was confidence inspiring, although I don't know if it were my experience getting better, the tires actually being much better, or it being a better bike. To the question, the PP2's are relatively old being from 2010ish, yet they're still made and sold, or sold anyway. Are they still exactly the same or do they update the compounds with the new stuff? And if i liked them so much (and they still get great reviews) does it still made sense to get them, or should i look into a different set? Bc as it's said, they're yesterday's technology. And i was thinking going to the PP2CT's this time.

[impc]

Ideally what are optimal tire temps while riding? And how do you feel about the tire pressure monitor systems that fit on the valve stems?

[unclesesi]

Hi Dave. You know how we spray tire guard on car tires to protect the side walls from harmful sunlight UV rays, especially during hot summers? What's your opinion when it comes to spraying the same stuff on bike tires? Any insights?

[petergixxer]

What Temperature were the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP's on the Panigale set to cold?

[reddpill]

I'm new to understanding tyres and this information has been great! However after taking my bike into the hills, both the front and back tyres have a band of about 1 cm on the outside of very many and very small pitted holes. Is this too related to the fact the tire is not getting to temp?

[MarcoCapuzzo]

Ciao Dave, how to set the right pression after reading the temperature? If the tire is too cold we need to increase o decrease the pressure or viceversa?

[cschacker]

Dave, think I asked this in the FB page, but... Is there a universal temp range or is the range specific to each tire / manufacturer? Also, would it make sense to just put a thermometer on the tire just after exiting the track as a poor man's way to measure temp?

[djnardo]

Dave im in some need of help with my Honda CBR 250R 2012...When cornering the tires feel verrrry slippery..What should i do/check??

[cbrad]

dave would you say that most tires should have the same type of balling or ware ? and if so basically if I have it flaking off you are suggesting to drop tire pressure correct ?

[theblackcountrybandit]

hi dave moss tuning
firstly I ride a bandit 1250sa with Michelin pilot road 4s , I use 36 front and 42 rear ...is this a good pressure for grip for medium to fast road riding and some times aggressive riding or would you drop it a little ?
also on a warm morning even before riding some times the pressure might be up a little, let's say 37 ish front and 43 ish rear, would you leave the pressures at this or drop them to the 36/42 ? or what ever pressure you recommend for grip..
thanks dave