A two-wheeler coming in contact with the road has only tyres. This means that hi-tech components of the bike can transfer on the road through their tyres. For your two-wheeler tyres to perform well, the rubber must be in good condition. Maintaining your bike tyres is essential if you want a worry-free ride.
Make sure your bike tyres are properly inflated. At least once or twice a month, it is advisable to check the tyre pressure. Tyres running with insufficient air pressure have more wear and tear than tyres running with insufficient air pressure. A smooth ride may require a tyre replacement, increasing maintenance costs.
Let’s have a look, check and check how to maintain tyre pressure on your two-wheeler:
Inspection of Tyre Pressure
When you inspect your tyres in a well-lit area, look for any puncture evidence. A small nail or glass can cause a blow or loss of pressure. A lack of air pressure in the tyre can also cause a crack or bulge. Be sure to rock your bike back and forth to inspect the entire surface of the tyre.
Checking Tyre Pressure
The amount of air in your bike tyres is significant as it impacts how your bike operates and rides. If the tyres are not filled correctly, the tyres will start to wear out faster. Therefore, it is important to check tyre pressure frequently. Before you start riding while the tyres are still cold, check the tyre pressure. Since the tyres are cold, now is the ideal time to check the air pressure. As the motorcycle moves, the temperature of the tyres heats up, changing the pressure and density of the air inside.
So how often should you check the motorcycle tyre pressure?
If you drive your motorcycle frequently and keep the tyre pressure within 1 psi (0.07 bar) of the manufacturer’s recommendations, you should get it checked every two weeks. It takes less than a minute to check the pressure in each tyre, yet doing so could save your life.
For suggested PSI levels, always consult your owner’s manual. If your motorcycle has non-standard tyre sizes, use the pressure values indicated on the sidewalls.
How To Check Motorcycle Tyre Pressure
One of the most straightforward motorcycle maintenance tips is checking tyre pressure, which should be possible for everyone. Following are the procedures for testing tyre pressure:
- Remove the valve stem cap. The little black cap on top of the little stem comes out of the center of the tyre.
- You should immediately push down and hold the pressure gauge mouth on the valve stem for some time. It may show false pressure readings If pushing the valve stem slowly.
- Remove the pressure gauge from the valve stem and check the number on it when the number stick stops moving under the pressure gauge.
- Repeat this process twice to ensure you get the same reading. If you keep getting a different number, your gauge is broken. (Check If the pressure is too low; add air with a compressor or pump until the gauge reads the proper pressure and If the pressure is too high, press the small nipple on the inside of the valve stem to release some air).
- The process is similar to a digital gauge (here, instead of a number stick from the bottom of the gauge, there is only a digital number on the screen that displays the tyre pressure).
- Reinstall the valve stem cap to prevent any road debris.
Before checking your tyre pressure, heed the following advice: Ensure to check motorcycle tyre pressure before a long ride when the tyres aren’t hot. You may get a false sense of pressure as the rubber heats up and overheats the air inside the tyre. After a long ride, the internal temperature of the tyre will return to normal, and the pressure will drop slightly. Also, get to know about the best double silencer bike available in India.
Adding Air Pressure to Tyres When Necessary
After adequately inspecting the tyres, blow them out with compressed air at the prescribed pressure. Refrain from inflating them too much. Simply releasing the extra air will return the over-inflated tyres to the proper pressure.
After a few hours of riding, inspect the tyres. You should know that your tyres are working too hard if you detect a more than 10% pressure increase. If this happens, stop and lighten your load while riding.
Besides checking the tyre pressure, you should also pay attention to the tread that keeps the bike from skidding in bad weather. If the tyre is worn out or is less than a quarter inch apart, consider replacing the tyres.
Dangers Of Driving on Incorrect Tyre Pressure
For the best grip, tyres are designed to be inflated to a certain psi so that a particular tread pattern engages the pavement. If your tyre is placed too low, your tyre will contact the pavement with the wrong tread pattern, reducing traction. The risks of riding with the wrong tyre pressure are listed below.
- Biting puts your tyres at risk of running with insufficient air pressure. Motorcycle wheels have sharp edges; if the tyre is too low, the wheel can cut a groove in the rubber, causing a jolt.
- Too little pressure can be extremely harmful and cause a slow death wave.
- Too much pressure can potentially cause death. Over-inflated tyres harden where even the slightest bump or fault in the road can cause a wobble. It is essential to maintain proper tyre pressure.
- Too little pressure causes the tyre to roll or slip. This is when your tyre needs to be correctly placed on the rim and pushed slightly to the left before falling sharply to the right or vice versa. This sliding or rolling motion poses a danger because it can jerk your handlebars to the right or left and result in a collision.
- Inflating your tyres too much or too little can be equally harmful. Tyre buoyancy occurs when tyres overfill, and even minor rocks or bumps in the road can lift the tyre completely off the ground and cause it to bounce back like a basketball.
