OZ ATV :: The Australian ATV Forum

[Dazz]

my book for my raptor says use like 4 psi per tire
my mate says 12 in the front and 10 in the rear
i ride trails ..... what do you guys think

[Dino]

Play around with your tyre pressures Dazz. Find something that works for you and your tyres and your riding.
Mine was at 10psi all round when I got it. Gravel roads were like they were concrete covered in marbles.
Dropped to what the book said and it was much better.
_________________
Remember. We elect politicians, but we have to deal with bureaucracy.
Notice that crazy in the bureaucrats.

[shan660]

Dazz wrote:

my book for my raptor says use like 4 psi per tire my mate says 12 in the front and 10 in the rear i ride trails ..... what do you guys think

hey dazz this mate of yours sounds like he knows his stuff, wouldnt take any notice of what the book says, its supposed to stop breaking the bead on your tyres because of the low pressures.
and dazz your not a small man anymore so 4 psi might have you riding on your rims lol.

[Earthmover]

I thot 4psi was a minimum requirement It. I stick i think 3.7 in my little girls OZARK to absorb sum of the bumps and reduce wheel spin as it is very hard sprung (She has put a couple of dints in the rim because of it) rims i can replace my daughter is not so easy. It all depends on what you call trails and what the "trail" runs over ROCKS/DIRT/SAND/lots of TREE ROOTS and STICKS .
Check out the terrain in these VIDEOs you will find a big difference in terrain. http://www.ozatv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13434&highlight=
I have just 6 or 7 psi Dino can tall you what he has in his. Same bike same tire very different terrain Here's a other thred on PSI
http://www.ozatv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12197&highlight=
_________________
If its got wheels I'll drive it!

http://www.youtube.com/user/MrEarthmover

[Prokiwi]

I weigh 120kg and I run 5psi in the rear and 7 in the front. Never had a beed pop or ruined a tyre. Dont forget the air expands as it heats up anyway.

Anything more will see you spinning the tyres and wrecking the tread quicker than needed.
_________________
It's time too ride !!!!!!!

[t&l performance]

Prokiwi wrote:

I weigh 120kg and I run 5psi in the rear and 7 in the front. Never had a beed pop or ruined a tyre. Dont forget the air expands as it heats up anyway. Anything more will see you spinning the tyres and wrecking the tread quicker than needed.

agreed here im abit heavier than u an a kfx700 with mid 70rwhp and run same pressure nevr failed me

[phrozin]

on 20"we run 4 1/2 psi in the rear and 5 in the front on 4 plys and 4 1/2 in front and 4psi in the rear on 6 ply (razr 2's) 18" 2 ply we run 6 to 6 1/2 psi in the rear (maxxis mx). never had a tyre do a bead never had a issue and we do a fair bit of 5th gear corners were all around the 90 to 100kg

[Dazz]

by the sounds of it i think my mates trying to slow me down through the bumps n stuff .....

[dangerman4]

i wont run over 6, and my rear tyres get a real workout.
10 or over is just wheel spin city, forget it.

[shan660]

this is interesting to hear these views does it matter what tyres you have to what pressure you run. i am running itp 22 x 7 x 10 holeshots fronts and 20 x 11 x 9 maxxi razors rear.
after having 4 psi in these all round , and riding all day in trails i find the next day the beads have come off the front tyres.
i made some inquiries about this and it was suggested that i should run between 10 to 12 psi front and 8 to 10 rear.
no more bead troubles but a hell of a lot of wheel spin on take off, hence what most of you guys are saying.

[Dino]

shan660 wrote:

this is interesting to hear these views does it matter what tyres you have to what pressure you run. i am running itp 22 x 7 x 10 holeshots fronts and 20 x 11 x 9 maxxi razors rear. after having 4 psi in these all round , and riding all day in trails i find the next day the beads have come off the front tyres. i made some inquiries about this and it was suggested that i should run between 10 to 12 psi front and 8 to 10 rear. no more bead troubles but a hell of a lot of wheel spin on take off, hence what most of you guys are saying.

The de-crapped version of it does matter what tyres you run. Different tyres have different characteristics
And that's linked to how YOU ride. Different riders, different styles, wieghts and sizes mate.
And thats linked to the conditions your riding in. Manor Park is fairly rocky, other places are sandy, muddy,etc.
Hence my answer to Dazz. Play around with your tyre pressures to suit yourself, the tyres and the conditions.
Something that hasn't been mentioned is checking them. I normally check mine AGAIN just before I put my helmet on. And using a hand or thumb pressure to give you a "feel" for the tyre pressures, won't hurt your awareness of things. A tyre gauge is better, of course.
Because these tyre pressures are so low to start with, they can be nearly flat and look ok. It's probably better to find you've got a soft tyre at the trailer than at the "worst possible time and worse possible place".
_________________
Remember. We elect politicians, but we have to deal with bureaucracy.
Notice that crazy in the bureaucrats.

[dangerman4]

shan660 wrote:

after having 4 psi in these all round , and riding all day in trails i find the next day the beads have come off the front tyres.

what do u mean the beads have come off?
if there off there off, and u will be on your rims while riding.

or u mean they shrink overnight as they cool down and just relax from the bead a bit?

[shan660]

dangerman4 wrote:

shan660 wrote: after having 4 psi in these all round , and riding all day in trails i find the next day the beads have come off the front tyres. what do u mean the beads have come off? if there off there off, and u will be on your rims while riding. or u mean they shrink overnight as they cool down and just relax from the bead a bit?

that must be what happens because its not until the next day i notice this has happened, is this a common thing running at low pressures, because running at 10 to 12 psi in the fronts has fixed this problem.

[Prokiwi]

Shaun660 , With your Rzr Maxxis on the rear , run them at no less than 4 and no more than 6psi . Those Rzrs tyres are brilliant when the tread pattern is flat on the bottom under load. What tends to happen with them specificially is that if you dont have enough air in them the centre of the tread pattern dips under load and only the inside and outside edge of the tyre is actually touching the ground. I picked this up while dynoing mine one day and noticed the tyres flexxed in the middle of the tread .

Essentially you want the whole tyre to be working when under load. Maxxis are great tyres and will get you out of most situations. ( I proved this one day when i was on a big trail ride in NZ and I was the only bike to climb out of a big gully while it was pouring down with rain). All the rest had to be helicoptored out. I have never forgotten it.

7psi on the front will allow the front to dig in and help the turn instead of pushing / or sledging as it is known.
_________________
It's time too ride !!!!!!!

[shan660]

thanks very much buddy for the advice, i am up for new tyres front and rears, because of the tyre pressures i have been running , centre of fronts are wearing and my rears are nearly worn out from wheels spinning. i was seriously think about changing tyre brands , but after what you have said i'll be staying with them, the fronts arent too bad but the backs are down to about 5-10mm tread.
you have been very helpful thanks buddy.

[phrozin]

this what dunlop recommend 1 would think they know some thing about it http://www.dunlopatv.com/safety.html

[Dazz]

ive put mine back to 4.5 psi all round and it felt way better sucks up the bumps more should the pressures be harder for MX and lower for trails ....

[Earthmover]

One thing ? Has any one found good tire pressure gauges that do such
L
o
w
pressures
_________________
If its got wheels I'll drive it!

http://www.youtube.com/user/MrEarthmover

[Dazz]

Earthmover wrote:

One thing ? Has any one found good tire pressure gauges that do such L o w pressures

the only one i have found that read my tire's half decent is the yamaha one that came with my raptor it reads upto 0 - 7psi

im thinking with the lower pressure in the tire i should have better hook up with the ground thus increasing my speed... would this be correct

[shan660]

Dazz wrote:

Earthmover wrote: One thing ? Has any one found good tire pressure gauges that do such L o w pressures the only one i have found that read my tire's half decent is the yamaha one that came with my raptor it reads upto 0 - 7psi im thinking with the lower pressure in the tire i should have better hook up with the ground thus increasing my speed... would this be correct

nope need a 660 for that dazz,lol

[Clarkie]

Earthmover wrote:

One thing ? Has any one found good tire pressure gauges that do such L o w pressures

Go Kart tyre pressure gauges go from 0 - 10PSI and have a very large face so there easy to read
_________________
Has turned to the Dark Side!

[Earthmover]

I'm in to tractors too after growing up on farms and i know that to get the best traction and this may sound funny funny not funny You should have 8% wheel spin and the only other fella i have herd say something similar to this was VICTOR BRAY. I know what I'm talking about and i think he dose to
_________________
If its got wheels I'll drive it!

http://www.youtube.com/user/MrEarthmover

[Prokiwi]

Thats correct Dazz , the more surface area that contacts the ground the better traction you have. There is a limit to it though ....too little air and you will roll the tyre off the rim and probabally wreck your day )
_________________
It's time too ride !!!!!!!

[IRS 525]

Clarkie wrote:

Go Kart tyre pressure gauges go from 0 - 10PSI and have a very large face so there easy to read

That what I use.

Willow.
_________________
09 Polaris 525 IRS
Honda TRX 450R

[Earthmover]

yes i have a few of them not Yamaha but they are all the same but our Honda one only gos to 5psi (would have cost us another $20 if it went to 7psi) they give me three different readings if I'm not careful
_________________
If its got wheels I'll drive it!

http://www.youtube.com/user/MrEarthmover

Last edited by Earthmover on Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:53 pm; edited 1 time in total