Back to the tyres again.

I was expecting things to feel a bit different having gone from 120/65
& 190/50 to 120/70 & 190/55, but not /that/ different. I think someone
was running along behind me holding the back wheel off the ground -
most bizarre.

Oh well, all suspension settings[1] put back to standard medium ready
for some serious tweaking at the weekend. Please let it be dry...

[1] Apart from rear ride height, which I've dropped to 3mm above
standard from the previous 7mm above. Exciting stuff eh?

 

Moving on from this subject to tyre pressures in warmer climates...

How much would you drop the pressure by for a 10c increase in ground
temperature? I'm thinking it would be sensible to drop 3 or 4 psi
from each tyre once we get over to Italy and start acting the **** on
some of the mountain passes where we're expecting to be really pushing
tyres to their limits on hot roads.

I'd always lower my tyre pressures for a trackday and I'd drop them a
bit more if it was a hot day so I'm thinking it would make sense to
carry a pressure gauge and **** with the tyre pressures according to
the ambient temperature and how I was planning to ride.

 

Haha.

 

I've emailed Andrea Goggi (MV designer & allround good egg) to ask him
pretty much the same question. I figure they've probably done a lot of
testing in that area given how close the factory is, so probably know
what works best for MVs.

I normally use 33/36 F/R on the road & 27/30 on the track, but the 2CTs
feel a bit stiffer than the Pilots, M1s or Diablos did, so I'm thinking
the track pressures may work well.

Yep, that's my plan. I'll be taking a pencil guage, so no need for you
to take one too unless you really want to.

 

@mid.individual.net:

will your front tyre expand at altitude and foul the mudguard?

You'd better ask MV if there is a safe altitude ceiling.

 

I drop the pressures on the CBR from the road-going 36R/32F to 29R/31F.
Yes, I have got that right, the rear is softer than the front for the
track and it works very well.

 

I think it's quite likely. It's *very* close with the new tyre.

They'll just tell me to stick a 65 back on, the bastards.

 

Some of the track addicts on the MV group do the same, typically
26R/29F. I might add it to the list of things to try on Sunday if the
weather forecast is right. I feel another trip to Fish Hill may be on
the cards...

 

there are plenty of alternative routes, through tunnels, should you have a
problem. We won't be there to witness the stunning sound of your screams,
so, if you could be so kind, would you record them?

 

<shrugs>

I'll be changing from higher than standard pressures when riding the
bike fully loaded to lower ones when it's unloaded and being ridden
fast in a warmer climate. What everyone else chooses to do is up to
them.

 

Good plan, I could do with adding a longer tunnel to the one I've
already got on YouTube. I really can't be arsed to take my old Hi-8 cam
though, so you'll have to make do with video mode on the Lumix.

 

I'll just be leaving them at a stock 36 front 42 rear, because it
doesn't matter when you've an inch of chicken strip on each side.

 

Given that we'll be riding up and down mountains, so ambient air
pressure will vary considerably, we'll be riding with luggage six days
out of eight, and nobody'll be carrying a foot pump, I'm sceptical.

 

It's only the motorway stuff I'll put the pressures up for and I'll
just take a few psi out on the Sunday morning. I've got a small
pressure gauge so I can check how much I've dropped them and then
leave them until I'm on the way home from Verdun to put them back up
again.

For the sake of a couple of minutes work I reckon it's worth doing and
the only time my plan could backfire is if we had a day when it pissed
down with rain but if that happens when we're not changing hotels I'll
have one of my obligatory beer sessions.

 

I don't think we'll need a pump. We can drop the pressures a bit at
Ace's before hitting the mountains, then pump them up a bit before
leaving Landeck[1]. I'm sure they'll have pumps there.

[1] I always want to type that with two L's. Bloody Welsh.