Tyre pressures & wheel weights

[redbeeza]

Whist I'm waiting to resolve the magneto issue, can some of you let me know what pressures you have in your tyres? I have TT100's fitted and I've searched around for suitable pressures without success.

Also I'd like to balance my front wheel prior to the first ride. What do you guys use? I've noticed stick-on weights are available in various sizes. Are these any good? And what size of balance weights would we be talking about for an A10 steel rim?

Cheers,
Terry

[iansoady]

The recommended pressures do seem low (18 and 24 psi IIRC) and I believe that for modern tyres higher pressures work better (I used around 24 and 32 on my Velo Venom). But I'm not sure TT100s count as modern....

I use the old fashioned acorn type weights and in fact have just balanced the front wheel of my Flash after rebuilding the wheel and refitting the tyre. A 30 gram weight balanced the valve stem etc perfectly.

If you don;t have any weights, use some flattened lead pipe taped to the spokes or similar to work out what you need then you can get hold of the right ones.

[bsa-bill]

I run both front and rear at 30, Avon speedmaster and Roadrunner? I think they call the Roadrunner AM9 now, anyway 1960 tread pattern but different manufacturing and materials mean more pliable side-wall so more pressure needed.
Plus of course the one unknown factor is the riders weight, and I bet the average weight these days is up a good bit compared to when our bikes were made

[A10Boy]

Mine certainly is......... 

TT100's want 26 front 28 rear for solo riding, 30 for a pillion.

[chaterlea25]

Hi All,
Balance weights either stick on as used in moden alloy car wheels should be widely available 
The weights that clamp around the spokes can be got from CWC
I Agree with replies about tyre pressure and run around 28, and 30 on my SR

As an aside when fitting tyres how many of you line up the DOT or red circle with the valve?
Many many years ago I was taught to do this to minimise the amount or balancing that would be needed
I have since always lined the tyres up like this and have not had any balance issues ???? ???? ???? ????

Cheers
John O R

[BSA_54A10]

Tyre pressures are a personal thing.
Soft and the bike wallows but keeps a good straight line.
Hard & it becomes twitchy.
Some of us like lightning fast steering
Others like lazy steering.
It is up to you.
I run 30 F & 35 R.
When I was a full time motorcycle courier I ran 40 F & 45 R.
This was really quick steering but it protected the alloy rims on the SR 500 when I jumped gutters and reduced the amount of crud ( nails, glass, screws, etc,etc ) that the tyres picked up and thus reducing the number of flat tyres.

[redbeeza]

Thanks for the replies and useful info chaps. I've certainly put on a bit of weight since my bike was made: we were conceived round about the same time.

[Butch (cb)]

Yes original quoted pressures are shockingly low - presumably down to tyre construction of the time. Some time back I popped around a pals to have a go of his recently restored B31. The tyres looked flat and I refused to take it out until they were pumped. He produced an original handbook talking sub 20 psi, which is exactly what he'd pumped them to.

I like mine pretty hard (ducky); probably late 20s for the front, early 30s for the back.

[iansoady]

As an aside when fitting tyres how many of you line up the DOT or red circle with the valve?
Many many years ago I was taught to do this to minimise the amount or balancing that would be needed
I have since always lined the tyres up like this and have not had any balance issues ???? ???? ???? ????

Cheers
John O R

It's not always a red dot; sometimes it's yellow and the red dot indicates the "high point" of the tyre.

Although there is some disagreement, and I believe different manufacturers use varied systems.

This post is quite helpful.

[brackenfel]

Have some new AM26's but can't find a red or yellow dot on them..  The word "DOT" is there but I thought that referred to the Dept of Transport ref.. Am I wrong here??, should I be lining this up?

Thanks,

Adrian

[iansoady]

It's The US DoT not ours - and you're right it has nothing to do with balancing. The coloured dots / circles are added after manufacturing, when I assume they can find the high / light / heavy spots.

This site has more about tyres (or should it be tires) than you ever want to know, but interestingly doesn't mention coloured dots.