TW200 Forum banner
  • Hey Everyone! Vote for the Site Favourite BOTM winner for the year of 2022 HERE!

Tire Pressure

11K views 10 replies 10 participants last post by  Maxpower 
#1 ·
Hey there Forum Folks,

I'm just trying to wrap my head around the tire pressure for the TW200. The owners manual says standard cold temp pressure is 18psi front/real, with max load at 22psi rear, 25psi front.

On the actual tire, it states max 33psi ... now I know for trail riding 18 or less is probably best, and it'll be bouncing around like crazy even at 22/25. Mine came from the dealer with 30/31psi front, and 32/33ish rear. It has been bumpy on any trails I've taken, but feels like on the road.

I guess I am just confused that the sticker on the front fender and owners manual states such a drastic difference in tire pressure than the printed area on the actual tires. I have been riding on the streets in the city, and finding fun paths, construction sites, farms to ride on, so I am jumping very quickly to street and direct/etc.

If I am going to be riding at 55ish mpg on the roads, what do you guys recommend I set my tire pressure to? The 30psi range seems to high in general, but that is what the dealer set it to. Any information would be greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance!

Also, I did do a general search for this in the forums, and didn't see anything obviously answering my questions. Thanks again.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Hi Tyler and welcome to the forum!

I can see why you are confused, but try not to overthink this. Tire pressures are pretty much a matter of personal preference, much like the choice of motor oil to use (don't even go there, please!), and everyone has their own opinion. So here's mine - for on the road, I usually run somewhere between 18 and 20psi for both the front and rear tires. For off road - this will depend upon the type of trails that I am riding, but I will typically air down to around 10 or 11psi, but may go as low as 6-8psi for the gnarly stuff.

Since the TW is a dualsport bike you will soon find that owning it involves making choices and compromises (i.e., tires, air pressures, gearing, mods, etc.) depending on how you intend to use your bike. No one size fits all of us on this forum, and the TW is a very forgiving bike so you can't get yourself into too much trouble.

Just get out and ride it and see what feels best for you.

Brian
 
#4 · (Edited)
Good advice here. Some folks carry a pump if they go from road to dirt and back a lot. I’ve never had a pinch flat but that is the biggest risk running very low pressures IMO.

Also, no offense to Yamaha dealers but it’s a good idea to look over their setup like clutch springs and such.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the advice all. I tend to be a professional over thinker :)

I'll likely set it around 20 or so for a good mix of the type of stuff I am doing. There are a few adventure parks near by that I'll air down for when I ride those based on your feedback and what I have read elsewhere as well.

There isn't much public land in Texas, so any riding I do outside of the parks will be unofficial/unplanned/adventure/discovery. Thanks again!
 
#7 ·
I'd use 18/18 if I'm going long distances solo on pavement, which I never do. If I had a huge load or a pillion rider, maybe 22/23. Usually, for only going 6 miles on a 60 mph road to the dirt, I use 14/16 or less, maybe 12/14 if I know the dirt will be rutted or washboarded or soft.

However, I have to deal with very rocky trails most of the time, where 12/14 provides a smoother ride. The manual pressures are ridiculously high for most riding. However, there is a penalty in gas mileage at the lower pressures....If riding 50 miles on pavement at 12/14 I will drop to 55 mpg, whereas at 18/18 I will get 70 mpg. It all depends on your mix of conditions.
 
#8 ·
The difference between recommended pressure vs. Max listed on the tire is common. The tires on my Suburban list the max load at 80psi. The Suburban lists 50 front 60 rear on the door. Then there's an amendment stating that for best ride quality use 40/50 with no more than the weight of the occupants.

Tire shops have an annoying habit of inflating to max pressures
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top