A different look at setting the correct tire pressure

[EdMat]

OK, so have been holding this for a bit waiting for a tire pressure thread. Didn't get one so let's add some fuel to the fire or for others some food for thought if you can think a bit outside the box.

We just purchased 2 new trailers (specialty chemical hauling) that have all the latest bells and whistles. All you folks from the land down under will love this. A company from your neck of the woods has patented a process of forming an inner tank that has no seams or welds (think of a bleach bottle) and wrapping it with carbon fiber all fused into an almost single mass. Think 30+ years of useful life barring accidents. Shipped stateside and fitted to a stainless steel chassis.

It also features axle heat sensors, gps, 3 camera systems and multiple telemetry items (sent to the cloud), air actuated valves, specialty lighting, onboard weight system, onboard tire pressure adjustment, air ride system, and a host of other gizmos and gadgets.

The pertinent part for this post is the tire pressure adjustment. By combining the ability to check the weight and the ability to adjust tire pressure picture the following. When unloaded the tire pressure will self adjust to 80 PSI. When loaded the tire pressure will self adjust to 100 PSI. WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT? Think about it.

 

[Br549rick]

apples and oranges systems for 30,000/80,000 lb loads are not needed or wanted on my spyder. but thanks for the insight. rife safe.

 

[2dogs]

I have a small utility trailer I pull with my spyder. It weighs approx 100 lbs empty. I load the tires with 20 psi. to start with. Ambient temp is approx 80 degrees. As they heat up from use they self adjust to about 23/24 psi. and read out at approx 100/105 degrees. That's what I think about.

 

[EdMat]

apples and oranges systems for 30,000/80,000 lb loads are not needed or wanted on my spyder. but thanks for the insight. rife safe.

Actually it has a lot of application to many of the discussions you see on here about the correct tire pressure.

 

[Albec]

What this has to do with the Spyder, I have no idea.

Are you suggesting that BRP implement a system such as this on the Spyder?

BRP? The company that can't supply an OEM TPMS on a $25k+ bike?

 

[2dogs]

What this has to do with the Spyder, I have no idea.

Are you suggesting that BRP implement a system such as this on the Spyder?

BRP? The company that can't supply an OEM TPMS on a $25k+ bike?

:agree: However, if BURP did include TPMS on their machines that still wouldn't solve the PSI issues some folks have problems with. JMHO If we all agreed on the same PSI there'd be no need for this site.:roflblack:

 

[canamjhb]

My take on this post is that Tire Pressure needs/should be adjusted based upon the load they are subjected to. I can't count the number of trailers I've owned over the years... way too many to remember. Without exception they all came with instructions to keep Tire Pressure at the pressures stated on the tires, regardless of the load. Many years ago, I bought a trailer in order to transport my Goldwing cross country. Trailer manufacturer said to inflate tires to the max. stated on the sidewall. After a few hundred miles I noticed the tires seemed to be riding only in the middle of the tread and were hard as a rock. My total load was only about half the capacity of the tires rating. I called the tire manufacturer, not the trailer manufacturer, and I was told that I should reduce the tire pressure significantly based upon my load. I did, and this made a tremendous difference in the way the trailer handled.

Spyders are no different when it comes to Tire Pressure adjusting according to load. Wouldn't it be nice if we all had real-time automatic Tire Pressure adjustments based upon tire load. Maybe someday.....

 

[AndysF3S]

I am happy that my 22 F3S does not have TPMS, my 22 GM Sierra 1500 At4 does, and the window does not allow for adjusting the pressure lower than the app allows without taking it to the dealer. It is higher than an empty pickup requires with aftermarket tires. I get constant reminders on my monthly maintenance app that tire pressure are too low by a couple of pounds. For those of you who have changed from Kendas to car tires, that would be a real problem IMO!

 

[chunkmonk]

OK, so have been holding this for a bit waiting for a tire pressure thread. Didn't get one so let's add some fuel to the fire or for others some food for thought if you can think a bit outside the box.

We just purchased 2 new trailers (specialty chemical hauling) that have all the latest bells and whistles. All you folks from the land down under will love this. A company from your neck of the woods has patented a process of forming an inner tank that has no seams or welds (think of a bleach bottle) and wrapping it with carbon fiber all fused into an almost single mass. Think 30+ years of useful life barring accidents. Shipped stateside and fitted to a stainless steel chassis.

It also features axle heat sensors, gps, 3 camera systems and multiple telemetry items (sent to the cloud), air actuated valves, specialty lighting, onboard weight system, onboard tire pressure adjustment, air ride system, and a host of other gizmos and gadgets.

The pertinent part for this post is the tire pressure adjustment. By combining the ability to check the weight and the ability to adjust tire pressure picture the following. When unloaded the tire pressure will self adjust to 80 PSI. When loaded the tire pressure will self adjust to 100 PSI. WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT? Think about it.

WOW! That's quite a system. Is it a multi-axle trailer? If you don't mind my asking, how much did you give for those trailers? The auto-adjusting air pressure would be a fantastic component to add to a bike.

 

[EdMat]

WOW! That's quite a system. Is it a multi-axle trailer? If you don't mind my asking, how much did you give for those trailers? The auto-adjusting air pressure would be a fantastic component to add to a bike.

Two axles. $200,000 +.

 

[Steve W.]

In a former life, I was in the trucking industry, so I have an idea where you are headed with this.

The trailers we pulled were less than 10,000 pounds, we would load them up to over 40,000. Should the tire pressures have changed? Probably. Did they? Not intentionally. MY point here is that the weight went up by a factor of FOUR, so pressures should have been adjusted accordingly.

On a Spyder, what is the percentage of weight change? The Spyder weighs about 1100 pounds. Depending on their "gravitational attraction", the two riders/passengers could weigh anywhere from 300 to 500 (+?) pounds. Does not really matter, because they will be there for EVERY mile. OK, one of them will be there for every mile, the other one for part, of not all of them. So, the only weight that might change enough to adjust tire pressure for would be what is carried in the luggage. I don't remember what all the limit stickers say, but I think 50 pounds would be rather generous.

Bottom line: Do the tire pressures need to be adjusted when the overall weight changes from 1500 to 1550 pounds? I don't think so, either.

Congrats on the new trailers and all the nice toys they have, but that still does not determine proper pressures for after-market tires on the Spyders.

.

 

[EdMat]

Steve, you are closer than most. It was just to show using the changing of weight to determine the changing of air pressure. Something some people have a hard time grasping when you put car tires that normally use 30+ PSI on a light weight spyder and can't get it that they only need 20 PSI or less.