Steering Feel
Nov 19th, 2008 by Leo
Here’s a quick tip concerning your front tire pressure: The lower the psi in the front tire, the greater the amount of traction you get in that tire…because the contact patch is bigger. But…lower psi also increases how much the steering “pulls” during turns, and how much it is affected by abnormalities on the road surface. On the other hand if you want quicker, lighter steering then you increase the front tire pressure. When the front contact patch is smaller the tire maintains its shape better making for quicker and more precise steering.
People sometimes ask “What does is it mean when the bars seem to want-to fall into the turn once you lean over?” ..Especially around this time of year when the cold air makes tires particularly sensitive to change… It usually means your front tire is under-inflated. Some people like it that way, and as long as you have at least 28-29 psi (for sportbikes) it should be okay. This low psi setting means you get more traction, but slightly less maximum lean angle on your tires, and less responsive handling; the tradeoff is you get a lot more traction and road feel. But for higher speeds there will be even more weight put on the front during cornering or braking, and a greater need for control. The only way to get the right balance is to use trial and error using the manufacturers recommended tire pressure (probably around 36 psi) as the high number and 28-29 as the low number on typical sportbike type tires. Just remember to read the air pressure on cold tires only (warmed tires that have been driven can be up to 8 psi higher than the cold tire pressure).
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