Thanks

Jackdaw89

Hi all started biking about 3 weeks ago. All my questions had been asked and answered so I never registered but I'm just posting now to say this forum has been a great help getting me on the road and thanks to everyone who contributes to it.

Cienciano

Good luck with the bike, feel free to continue with the questions

Jackdaw89

Cienciano wrote: »

Good luck with the bike, feel free to continue with the questions

Thanks Cienciano, actually I have a question about tire pressure. I have Pirelli angel St on my bike should I put 33psi front and 36psi back like I was told during IBT or pump closer to manufacturer guidelines which is low to mid 40's max pressure!

frozenfrozen

you should go with what pirelli say your bike should be, (bike) manufacturer guidelines will be for the stock tyres

for what its worth if you were told 33 36 you must be fairly light, those are the pressures I run with my pilot road 4s because I'm light and my bike is awful with 36/36 or higher pressures so your IBT instructor could have been giving you good advice but always best to check what the tyre manufacturer say is right for your bike then tweak it from there yourself

Jackdaw89

frozenfrozen wrote: »

you should go with what pirelli say your bike should be, (bike) manufacturer guidelines will be for the stock tyres

for what its worth if you were told 33 36 you must be fairly light, those are the pressures I run with my pilot road 4s because I'm light and my bike is awful with 36/36 or higher pressures so your IBT instructor could have been giving you good advice but always best to check what the tyre manufacturer say is right for your bike then tweak it from there yourself

I'm touching 100kgs on the scales so I'm afraid it seems like the only thing light about me is my tire pressure. I'll play around with the pressures a bit like you said and find what feels best. Thanks frozen.

gonko

I run my rear around 40psi and the front around 35-38. I'm 93kg. Bike is a sv650s

Philipx

36/42 is the average for most.

Best of luck with the biking career, just remember that EVERY day is a school day and yes, EVERY other gob****e on the road IS trying to kill you!

Keep the questions coming.

Colm17RvB

I run 36/40 on the Diavel, and 33/36 on the Fazer. I'm approx 84kg (missus won't allow for a scales in the house :rolleyes:) but the Diavel is that bit heavier than the Fazer and it has bigger tyres. It's down to feel as well I think, but I'd never tell anyone to go below that, use your own judgement.

I do change out the air for winter air in the colder months.

Riva10

I run 38 and 42 on an FJR and 36 and 42 0n Super Tenere 1200. Two up mostly.

Jackdaw89

Thanks for the advice lads, I'm on a fazer 600 so between me and the bike I'm looking 300kgs, iv put it up 38/42 and had a quick spin and the front definitely felt better.
Would it be normal for my back tire to feel like its squirming slightly (not loosing traction) when I tip it into medium to fast bends.

You really are invisible to most people on the road Philipx iv already learned that kids seem to be the only ones to spot you. Iv a lot to learn yet still working on reading the road and my slow control is coming on well, sharp turns at junctions from a stop still need a bit of work to tighten up.

Philipx

Jackdaw89 wrote: »

Iv a lot to learn yet still working on reading the road and my slow control is coming on well, sharp turns at junctions from a stop still need a bit of work to tighten up.

The whole secret is look where you want to go, keep the head up and the eyes will follow, keep the eyes up & the bike will follow!

Biggest mistake is to be looking three feet in front of the front wheel.

If you're stopped at a junction, you've already sussed out the surface you'll be pulling out onto & decided your path, so as you move off (after checking for traffic :P) head up & look where you intend going and off she'll go.

frozenfrozen

and even if people look straight at you, they probably haven't seen you. I always slow down and expect them to pull out and I am just happy when they don't

a trick is to look at their wheels, their face might say *I see you and I'm not going to pull out* but the wheels are the first thing that will show whether they are actually moving out or not

XsApollo

I can’t remember what the exact PSI I used to run on my front tyre.
But I hated a rock solid front tyre.
I could feel it slipping along the surface going around bends, even worse in the wet and I hated it, gave me no confidence when it felt like that.
I think it was low 20,s on an R1 and Gixxer I used to own.
It felt much better for me and the front was definatley stickier when pushing on.

Edit: thinking back I never really had the back rock solid either.

Jackdaw89

Thanks lads, what I found really worked for me was pointing my nose where I wanted to go. It really helped me stop my eyes from wondering and locking on to things I'm trying to avoid.
Looking at the wheels is a great tip frozen thanks. I had a close shave on my first spin, while going down a long straight I had a jeep and trailer pull across the road then reverse back out across both lanes. I had to stop fairly hard for the jeep and I think he only seen my when I overtook him further down the road.
Im finding it hard to get some real time on the bike with work being busy and it looks like this weekend is bad weather wise too. I'm absolutely loving the hole thing, you can't beat that feeling when you nail a series of bends only to nearly drop it filling her with petrol to go again😂.

gonko

Jackdaw89 wrote: »

Thanks lads, what I found really worked for me was pointing my nose where I wanted to go. It really helped me stop my eyes from wondering and locking on to things I'm trying to avoid.
Looking at the wheels is a great tip frozen thanks. I had a close shave on my first spin, while going down a long straight I had a jeep and trailer pull across the road then reverse back out across both lanes. I had to stop fairly hard for the jeep and I think he only seen my when I overtook him further down the road.
Im finding it hard to get some real time on the bike with work being busy and it looks like this weekend is bad weather wise too. I'm absolutely loving the hole thing, you can't beat that feeling when you nail a series of bends only to nearly drop it filling her with petrol to go again😂.

Dont focus on nailing bends etc. Concentrate more on basic road skills and control. Do not start pushing through twisties yet. Practise braking in emergency. Practise your observations, what did you see, what didnt you see and what should you have done differently.
Watch YouTube vlogs of riders etc. As they are riding, you get to listen to insights plus observe with them from the safety of your armchair.

Jackdaw89

gonko wrote: »

Dont focus on nailing bends etc. Concentrate more on basic road skills and control. Do not start pushing through twisties yet. Practise braking in emergency. Practise your observations, what did you see, what didnt you see and what should you have done differently.
Watch YouTube vlogs of riders etc. As they are riding, you get to listen to insights plus observe with them from the safety of your armchair.

Ha when I said nail the bends I didnt mean fast (just ask the cyclists behind me) I just meant correct entry line, gear and exit.
Iv watch road craft Nottingham on YouTube would you recommend anyone else? Anyone on here vlog?

Thank gonko

rustynutz

On tyre pressures, as a general rule of thumb, the less pressure you have, the quicker the tyre heats up, and the larger your contact patch, the trade off is the tyre wears faster. So drop a couple of PSI for cold winter riding, obviously keep the PSI within the manufacturers recommend range. Over inflated tyres can cause the symptoms you describe, almost feels like the tyre is bouncing over the surface of the road, as opposed to the tyre squirming if underinflated. Don't be afraid to experiment, everyone has different preferences.

I would recommend reading Twist of the Wrist 2 by Kieth Code if starting out, its an old book, but he covers a lot of the basics of machine control, natural reactions and how to overcome them etc.

Like with anything in life, focus on technique first, and speed will naturally come, when you try and focus on speed before technique, usually ends in tears

(or in hospital!)

Synthol

Jackdaw89 wrote: »

Ha when I said nail the bends I didnt mean fast (just ask the cyclists behind me) I just meant correct entry line, gear and exit.
Iv watch road craft Nottingham on YouTube would you recommend anyone else? Anyone on here vlog?

Thank gonko

No, nothing else. The best way to learn is with experience, now stop being a pussy and go ride.

Jackdaw89

Synthol wrote: »

No, nothing else. The best way to learn is with experience, now stop being a pussy and go ride.

Thanks synthol I agree the best way learn to ride is to ride but asking more experienced riders for advice is not being a pussy it's the only way to learn things the easy way. Pussys can't put their hands up and ask for a little help for time to time.

Jackdaw89

rustynutz wrote: »

On tyre pressures, as a general rule of thumb, the less pressure you have, the quicker the tyre heats up, and the larger your contact patch, the trade off is the tyre wears faster. So drop a couple of PSI for cold winter riding, obviously keep the PSI within the manufacturers recommend range. Over inflated tyres can cause the symptoms you describe, almost feels like the tyre is bouncing over the surface of the road, as opposed to the tyre squirming if underinflated. Don't be afraid to experiment, everyone has different preferences.

I would recommend reading Twist of the Wrist 2 by Kieth Code if starting out, its an old book, but he covers a lot of the basics of machine control, natural reactions and how to overcome them etc.

Like with anything in life, focus on technique first, and speed will naturally come, when you try and focus on speed before technique, usually ends in tears

(or in hospital!)

Thanks rustynutz Iv just ordered a copy of twist of the wrist online. Was out today for about four hours and things are really starting to come together now. I think Iv tires exactly where I want them.
Bought a neck warmer today's lads and it's probably the best thing Iv ever bought:)

Philipx

Open face balaclava is also a good job this time of year, with the added bonus of keeping the helmet liner cleaner

landmarkjohn

Jackdaw89 wrote: »

Bought a neck warmer today's lads and it's probably the best thing Iv ever bought:)

Well if you like your neck warmer you will love a kidney belt. As well as keeping the middle bit warm I find it does a good job of support (think weightlifter), especially if on the bike for long periods. Aldi and Lidl will do them around March April for about €10 from memory. Good luck and safe riding.

Jackdaw89

Open face balaclava and kidney belt on the shopping list thanks lads should be sorted for the real cold now:) I picked a great time of year to start ha

Lorddrakul

@Jackdaw89: welcome mate, and well done!

As regards TotW, very good book and still taking in its wisdom after 25 years riding.

As for the tyre pressures, I had a Ducati ST4s and for Pirelli Diablo tyres the OE recommendation was 33 f 36 r.

I now have a Fazer thou' and 36 38 works really well for me commuting.

Start with the OE recommendation and then reduce front and rear by 2 PSI at a time and see how it works. Be methodical and don't change anything else at the same time.

But it can vary from tyre manufacturer to manufacturer as they use different carcass strengths.

And. enjoy!