Tire air pressure

Hey guys, wondering what tire pressures (front and back) you run on your WRR for trail riding. I go by the manual on the pavement, but experienced some lack of stability (felt squirrelly) when riding at those pressures off road (especially on long grass beside a farm field). Would appreciate any suggestions. I will be riding on packed dirt. Thanks

I feel that ones tires are the first priority for performance, after skill.

With tires, softer and more pliable = traction....stiffer and harder= stability and consistency.

Tread patterns aside, if you need more traction...see above.
If you need more stability and accuracy...see above.

No body can tell you what you feel and desire, better than yourself...experimentation will reveal all.

Myself, I'm luvin my big fat MT43's at 10 psi or less...so far, a great compromise for me.

Did I mention compromise?...the key to happiness.

10 psi both front and rear? Any concerns with pinch flats below a certain psi? Thanks

Keep in mind, my style of tire promotes a, lower than average, pressure.

Yes, snake bites are a concern, but so far, so good. For example, I can speed over those small boulders and obstacles like never before...while the whole time risking a pinch flat.
When those flats become a reality, my impression will surely change.
Again, driving hwy at 10 psi, gives up some stability...but I rim lock both wheels, and the decrease in stability, so far, hasnt been an issue....considering the hwy is just point A to B for me. When that becomes a real issue, my impression will surely change.
Safety is a big concern both on and off road...I'm trying to find the best compromise for me.
When my priorities change, so will my impression of what I need or should have, change.
I would love to have a different set of tires for each ride I take.
But my budget and resources will dictate a compromise every time.

Thanks mucker. You live in a nice part of the world. I am north also (Wisconsin) but not as far north as you. I will experiment a little with the pressure.

sensor419 wrote:

Thanks mucker. You live in a nice part of the world. I am north also (Wisconsin) but not as far north as you. I will experiment a little with the pressure.

np...if you find a sweet spot, let us know ;)

Will do. Thanks

I do 99% off road, and I run 15 front and rear. Seems the perfect compromise. I use tireballs to I can't change the pressure, but that PSI feels perfect on every surface except sand or snow, which I almost never see.

Thanks Gus. You read my mind as I plan to first try 15 psi front and back

And I run really agressive Michelin AC10 knobbies, and it works perfectly for my particular riding style and wieght. All tire pressures are a compromise anyway until they make the flatproof adjustable-while-riding innertube.

I can dream.

Gus, are your tires street legal? If so, how do they work on and off road vs the stock tires that I have on mine? I am guessing not as good on the road but better off road than stock. Am I right?

They are street legal.

Barely.

And they are not all thet good on the street. And if the street is wet you have to be verrrrry careful.

But off road, man, I have never ever had a tire with the kind of climbing grip these things have.

Here some more pics:

https://wr250rforum.forumotion.com/t8184-got-new-balls

Thanks Gus. By the way, how did the rubber taste (just to let you know I did look at the pics)? Bike is put away for winter but I will try 15 psi next spring. How do you think 15 psi will feel on pavement?

I've been running 14 front and 16rear psi for all around riding this last season and have been happy with the performance on and off road. I'm running D952 right now, changing next spring to a IRC Battle rally front and T-63 for the rear.

Hahaha! New tires taste gooood...

It depends what kind of tire. If you have a street tire it will feel too soft. If you have a dual sport tire (like the stock tire) it will feel ok, maybe even perfect depending on the road. If you have a knobby like mine you shouldn't be cornering hard enough on the street to notice much of a difference, that said, I can't really tell any difference between 15 psi and higher pressures on that tire on the street, but 15 PSI seems to give me the perfect balance of grip and bump absorption and rim protection off road (I don't need to worry about pinch flats anymore, but you still want to keep the rims from getting hit).

Thanks Gus and bassandgrass. I am already missing riding the WRR with our cold weather but look forward to experimenting with the lower pressures you ride on this spring. Appreciate you sharing your experience as it will greatly shorten my dial in time.

I just bought electric gloves and an electric vest. Nothing is stopping me. :)

http://www.ibaestore.com/products.asp?MainCatID=2&CategoryID=53&

Great stuff...

What have your temps been?

In the local mountains around Southern California I ride in some snow around 40-50 degrees.

To us that is way below freezing.

Wish I had mountains to ride in. Use to live in Colorado. Now live in Wisconsin an hour south of Green Bay. Gets pretty cold here so winterize the WRR and lift it off the ground. I go out to the shed every once in a while to look at it and think about getting back on it in the spring.

I feel your pain.

Then there's studs...those guys seem to have fun

Yea, I could have ridden a couple more weeks this year but here you never know when winter weather will hit and stay. I like to get the bike put up when I don't have to wade around in snow.