[Clem]

Do owners of the Classic model find that when you check tire pressure, it has lost some, and you have to add a little???
How often do you check your tire pressure?
How often do you add air?
Does anyone on the Forum use Nitrogen in your tires?
http://www.helium.com/items/100625-nitrogen-inflated-tires-pros-and-cons
How about Helium?
I'm serious. I know it sound crazy. Some think it makes a difference.

I have several Hondas with tube tires, and they always lose tire pressure. It isn't a valve stem issue, IMO, and new tubes don't change anything.
Maybe it's the kind of tubes. Natural rubber vs butyl. The thicker HeavyDuty tubes leak down quicker, and always needs to be checked.

BMW says;
Front: 2.5 bars Rear: 2.9 bars
That is 36 psi Front / 42 psi Rear set at 70F (21C)

 

[las]

I use nitrogen in the tires of my 2012 Classic- I check pressures on average once a week (that would be around 400-500 miles, typically, depending on what I do over the weekend) and don't see much loss week to week.

 

[Classic11]

I've only had one instance that the tire was low, when I picked it up. Since then I check regularly and add a few lbs here and there but feel like it's no more than previous bikes. As we all know the bike handles much better with the right pressures so I use that as inspiration.

 

[Hoshiko]

I used to check mine every weekend on my previous bike, now that the R has tire pressure monitor system built in, I'm lazy to take the "real" one to do the test. In the other hand, because of that marvelous R gadget, I can check it many times, and I do, right after I start any ride, somewhere in the ride, and before getting home

 

[Clem]

Thanks las. 500 miles a week? You ride the bike a lot!! Can you tell any difference with N fill tires? How about the cost, & where can you get it?

 

[yonderbob]

Do owners of the Classic model find that when you check tire pressure, it has lost some, and you have to add a little???
How often do you check your tire pressure?
How often do you add air?
Does anyone on the Forum use Nitrogen in your tires?
Nitrogen inflated tires: Pros and cons - by Leonard Konis - Helium
How about Helium?
I'm serious. I know it sound crazy. Some think it makes a difference.

I have several Hondas with tube tires, and they always lose tire pressure. It isn't a valve stem issue, IMO, and new tubes don't change anything.
Maybe it's the kind of tubes. Natural rubber vs butyl. The thicker HeavyDuty tubes leak down quicker, and always needs to be checked.

BMW says;
Front: 2.5 bars Rear: 2.9 bars
That is 36 psi Front / 42 psi Rear set at 70F (21C)

I check mine about once every 2 weeks and they fluctuate by 1 to 2 psi, depending on weather. Same as I had with all the other bikes I've had. Of course, mine's not a Classic, but I wouldn't expect much difference.

I keep 34 psi front and 38 psi rear. Don't know why BMW recommends such high pressures. I ran 38 front and 40 rear on an 850 pound cruiser. This bike weighs 300 pounds less and they want me to pump it up to the max pressure one might use with full luggage and a passenger?

Never used anything but good ol' fashioned air.

 

[MD11]

mine seems to hold pressure well over the past two months.. I've found that it's almost impossible to add just one or two psi, so I usually check it which causes some to drain out, and then I re-pump it back up to about the same figures in the book.

 

[las]

Thanks las. 500 miles a week? You ride the bike a lot!! Can you tell any difference with N fill tires? How about the cost, & where can you get it?

Hi Clem, the only difference I actually notice is the pressures stay constant in heat or cold and I don't seem to need to top off as often as when I used regular air. Some Mavis dealers- one in my neighborhood- have nitrogen. There's a Harley dealership in New Rochelle, NY, about 15 miles from where I live, that has it ( I sometimes go there for cleaning products- since Harley guys seem to spend way more time polishing chrome than they do riding, the selection of cleaning products is greater at a Harley dealership than I've found at any BMW dealership). Also, the Audi dealership where I bought my car has nitrogen.

 

[Clem]

Ah yes las, the fringe benefits of living in a populated area of civilization.
Closest dealer to me that has N is a two hour ride one way. 4 hours to set tire pressure? The fuel cost alone is twenty US dollars, and tolls another 20. He told me if I bought a set of Mtz Z8s,
the N would be free. Ha-Ha. I'd wear out the tires just going to set the pressure.

 

[Clem]

H-D dealers???The H-D dealer I went into last visit home was more of a clothes boutique than a bike showroom. My son like Plexus to polish his bike. Have you used Plexus? What else is good? Japanese BMW dealer wants $45USD for a small bottle. Think I will wait and try to find some online. Hey, Thanks for the feedback on the N in tires. The Metzler & Pirelli reps had a seminar on Z8 & Diablo Rosso SuperCorsa tires here recently at the BMW shop. They both "talked-up" using N and had a few racers there who were probably paid to say they used it,too. Benefits sound enticing, to be sure. It's a convenience problem for me. Too far away to be worthwhile. Just like electric plug-in cars, not enough stations yet to make a grid.

 

[adude]

Do owners of the Classic model find that when you check tire pressure, it has lost some, and you have to add a little???
How often do you check your tire pressure?
How often do you add air?
Does anyone on the Forum use Nitrogen in your tires?
Nitrogen inflated tires: Pros and cons - by Leonard Konis - Helium
How about Helium?
I'm serious. I know it sound crazy. Some think it makes a difference.

I have several Hondas with tube tires, and they always lose tire pressure. It isn't a valve stem issue, IMO, and new tubes don't change anything.
Maybe it's the kind of tubes. Natural rubber vs butyl. The thicker HeavyDuty tubes leak down quicker, and always needs to be checked.

BMW says;
Front: 2.5 bars Rear: 2.9 bars
That is 36 psi Front / 42 psi Rear set at 70F (21C)

I know I'm very late to this thread, but I do have something to add. I too was discovering my front tire was losing pressure very quickly. Especially compared to my F800, which of course did not have spoked wheels. I was preparing for a long day trip and went to add air to the front tire again when I realized that the valve stem core was leaking! I could hear and feel air coming out of it. Apparently the only thing keeping any pressure in it was the cap. I ran out to an Auto parts store and bought a valve stem tool for about $5.00. The stem core was really loose. I tightened it and checked the rear. which was ok. They still loose pressure more quickly than I remember any of me previous bikes but are much improved once I got the valve stem core sorted. The tool is small and is now in my tool roll. I also added a set of Wunderlich aluminum valve stem caps with o rings for added insurance.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Air is 76% nitrogen, about 21% oxygen, a few percent CO2, and trace inert gases.

If air were a molecule it would have a molecular weight around 29, based on content. Nitrogen's molecular weight is 28.
Nitrogen is odorless and colorless and according to international standards is stored in black cylinders. It is close enough to air for me.

Helium is a pretty "slippery" gas and has been used in anesthesia to allow oxygen to get more easily into the nooks and crannies of compromised lungs. Could this mean it could leak through valve stems more readily than air? I don't know. Way lighter than air at a molecular weight of 4, it would provide some lift, but would that be significant? One could weigh an air inflated tire vs a helium inflated one and see what the difference is, and that would be rotating weight. Rotating weight is more important than riding with extra pounds around your gut.

If it were a very critical application, maybe N2 may have benefit, but for a regular rider, checking tires every week or so and inflating to the proper pressure with air will be fine, imho, cheaper, and more conscientious than 99% of drivers on the road. Personally, I would not pay anything extra for nitrogen inflated tires, but ymmv, or you may have more disposable cash than me.

And, truth be told, if I had helium around my house I would more likely use it to amuse my grandchildren, and myself, by inhaling and having that squeaky chipmunk voice.

I've used Plexus and it is pretty good stuff, but not miraculous. I bought it at a Honda motorcyle store for $11.95 for a spray can that has lasted well over a year with my sporadic use.

John

 

[Hoshiko]

And, truth be told, if I had helium around my house I would more likely use it to amuse my grandchildren, and myself, by inhaling and having that squeaky chipmunk voice.


John

:iagree::dizzy: