[ Tyred & Tested ] Too hard better than too soft
Know when to pop air into your tyres or let some out
Tyre pressure affects stability as well as grip, and the bike manufacturer’s recommendations are a balance of the two. For a trackday you might let air out, but not because a softer tyre grips more. Pressure climbs roughly 1psi for every 10˚C and fast, hard track use means tyres get hotter, so you need to start at a lower cold pressure. Don’t drop road pressures thinking the tyre will heat up for extra grip – yes, more movement in the carcass and tread generates heat, but you’ll get squidgy handling, increased wear and risk overheating. Tyre boffins reckon an over-inflated tyre is actually safer than under-inflated. Deformation from weight creates heat just like hard riding, so if you’re two-up with luggage pop more air in – it stops the tyre deforming and getting hot, and so prevents you ending up with too much pressure as well as stopping overheating and increased wear.