pressure tyres

[dowieze]

What is the required pressure for the front en rear tyre for a V11 le mans?  Front 120/70 en rear 180/55.   I get different advice.  Thanks

[audiomick]

Have a look here, a user's manual for a V11 Le Mans:

https://guzzitek.org/utilisation/gb/1100/V11LM_Nak_RC_082002_Util.pdf

Tyres are on page 140 of the document, but my document reader thinks it is page 154.

Click on "roues" in the index and step forward six pages from there.

 

The figures there are 2.2 and 2.4 Bar solo, and 2.3 and 2.5 Bar with a pillion.

[docc]

In my experience, I found those pressures resulted in undesirable wear.  I have had best outcomes with 2.4/2.8 bar , front/rear (35/40 psi).

Mind you, this is a short frame Sport 120/70 front, 160/60 rear always with the panniers loaded and ridden like a jack rabbit on hot lava.

YMMV!

[Scud]

I run 34 / 38 PSI, which is 2.35 / 2.62 Bar.  Tires are 120/70 and 180/55.

This is solo riding, no luggage, flogged mercilessly on mountain ascents and empty back-roads, but ridden with a modicum of respect for traffic laws elsewhere.

[LowRyter]

40 rear and 32 front  .... + or -  2

[GuzziMoto]

The manual has the original pressures, for the original tires. There should also be a sticker on the chassis that lists those stock pressures.

Reality is by now no one should have the original tires still on their V11. So, while the original pressures make for a good starting point many will find that they prefer slightly different pressures with their current tire of choice.

Generalities; less air pressure = more grip = more wear / more air pressure = less grip = less wear.  Also, I find handling is lighter with more air pressure. That can be a good thing to a point, but too much air pressure beyond that happy middle ground tends to lead to a lack of confidence with the bike feeling "flighty".

[p6x]

4 hours ago, dowieze said:

What is the required pressure for the front en rear tyre for a V11 le mans?  Front 120/70 en rear 180/55.   I get different advice.  Thanks

Motorcycle Tire (sorry, here we say tire, not tyre) guide published by the motorcycle industry council with the assistance of US Tire manufacturers.

It does not specify the air pressure for your Guzzi, but there are many other information that may be of interest.

Here's the Bridgestone's guide for proper inflation of motorcycle tires.. a nice read too.

[guzzler]

19 hours ago, Scud said:

I run 34 / 38 PSI, which is 2.35 / 2.62 Bar.  Tires are 120/70 and 180/55.

This is solo riding, no luggage, flogged mercilessly on mountain ascents and empty back-roads, but ridden with a modicum of respect for traffic laws elsewhere.

I also run 34/35 f and 37/38 r on my 01 Greenie with a 160/60 rear.

Accidently overfilled front once and HATED it so am quite anal about pressures.

When I get to get out for a ride even if it's only a commute I want to enjoy it and not ruin it by duff tyre pressures!

Same, always solo and a tank bag only on a weekend away.

Cheers and here's to back road misbehavior....

  

[p6x]

@dowieze

As much as the community tried to provide you with their best advice, tire/tyre pressure will remain one of these open debates, no matter which forum you turn to.

Since the English Grand Prix, Silverstone 2023, MotoGP has introduced a tyre/tire pressure rule. There is a unique tire/tyre supplier for all the MotoGP motorcycles, and there is a set pressure that has to remain within tolerance during the entire races. This rule was introduced for safety.

We have Aprilia, Ducati, Honda, KTM, Yamaha, and up to 2022, Suzuki. Different bikes, same tires/tyres, same pressure for everybody.

As @docc said, Moto Guzzi's recommendation were issued in the years 2000;

The tires initially listed were:

Bridgestone BT 020 (Still available today)

Michelin Pilot Road (Still available today as Pilot Road 4)

Metzeler Sportec (Still available today as Sportec M7)

With a single passenger, the front tire/tyre pressure indicated is 2.2 bars, rear is 2.4 bars; 2.5 bars if you have a passenger.

The operator's manual suggest to add 0.1 bar to front and rear for use at high speed or continuous highway.

All pressures to be measured with cold tires/tyres.

As with all the suggestions above, run your own tests. With the tires/tyres which equip your motorcycle. Find the sweet spot, variegate pressures and find what suits you most. There is no unique recipe, based on your tyre/tire brand and model, and your expectations and preferences. 

If you don't want to dwell upon it, just go with what pressures Moto Guzzi says, and you should be fine.

[docc]

9 minutes ago, p6x said:

 

As @docc said, Moto Guzzi's recommendation were issued in the years 2000;

The tires initially listed were:

Bridgestone BT 020 (Still available today)

Michelin Pilot Road (Still available today as Pilot Road 4)

Metzeler Sportec (Still available today as Sportec M7)

With a single passenger, the front tire/tyre pressure indicated is 2.2 bars, rear is 2.4 bars; 2.5 bars if you have a passenger.

The operator's manual suggest to add 0.1 bar to front and rear for use at high speed or continuous highway.

All pressures to be measured with cold tires/tyres.

As with all the suggestions above, run your own tests. With the tires/tyres which equip your motorcycle. Find the sweet spot, variegate pressures and find what suits you most. There is no unique recipe, based on your tyre/tire brand and model, and your expectations and preferences. 

If you don't want to dwell upon it, just go with what pressures Moto Guzzi says, and you should be fine.

The early Sport (1999-2001) were delivered with Pirelli Dragon Corsa. Very soft, sport-oriented tires with a rather triangular profile (especially with the rear 170 pinched onto the 4.5" rim.

With the rather soft 2.4/2.6 bar, this made for very short tire life of the original Pirelli !

 . . . and squirrely handling at speed with a cross wind, like passing large trucks on the freeway.  That squirming weave at ninety miles per hour beside the front bumper of a tractor-trailer rig made for some "pucker-moments!"

[audiomick]

1 hour ago, p6x said:

Different bikes, same tires/tyres, same pressure for everybody.

The riders are different weights, but as far as I can tell, there is a minimum weight limit for the bikes. You can bet your granny that they will all be bang on that. So the same pressure for everyone in the same tyre is going to be more or less ok.

 

 

[p6x]

14 hours ago, docc said:

The early Sport (1999-2001) were delivered with Pirelli Dragon Corsa. Very soft, sport-oriented tires with a rather triangular profile (especially with the rear 170 pinched onto the 4.5" rim.

With the rather soft 2.4/2.6 bar, this made for very short tire life of the original Pirelli !

 . . . and squirrely handling at speed with a cross wind, like passing large trucks on the freeway.  That squirming weave at ninety miles per hour beside the front bumper of a tractor-trailer rig made for some "pucker-moments!"

Most likely why they went from Dragon to Angel?

It is also interesting to note that tires/tyres brand vary according to where the motorcycle gets exported. I am guessing because there is no motorcycle tire company in the USA, you got the tires that were the cheapest to get for Moto Guzzi?

[p6x]

12 hours ago, audiomick said:

The riders are different weights, but as far as I can tell, there is a minimum weight limit for the bikes. You can bet your granny that they will all be bang on that. So the same pressure for everyone in the same tyre is going to be more or less ok.

 

 

that weight is mentioned in the operator's manual: 214 kg maximum (from memory), passengers, luggage, accessories, pets... of which distribution should not exceed: front 48kg and rear 166 kg

You need to make sure the missus does not indulge in culinary products....

 

[dowieze]

Thanks for the advice.  I have the bridgestone battlax BT 023 on my bike.  Pressure front tyre 2,3 en rear 2,5.  It seems to quite good.  

[p6x]

@dowieze

I finally got some guidelines directly from a tyre/tire manufacturer: Michelin from the French site.

"Usage Courant" means standard use. It is .1 bar more than what Guzzi recommends.

33.35 psig front; 36.26 psig rear. If you round up, 34 and 37; 0.1 bar is 1.5 psig