Can we talk "AIR" for a minute?

[wonderment]

I just checked tire pressure in our Tri-glide. Just back from dealer. All tires have 36 lbs in them. The label on the Trike says the back should have 26 lbs.
26 lbs, then, must be right, but I wonder if they put that amount in the tires for another reason. Passenger, perhaps?

Also, I checked the suspension air pressure. It was 16 a week ago and a buddy pumped it to 22. This morning it was back to 16. I wonder if this is a leak, or do you just generally have to keep pumping air back into the suspension every week or so. Drive last night was harder/bumpier than usual, so I purchased a HD bike pump/pressure gauge and checked out the readings this morning.

Many thanks for the insights. We are at 2,000 miles now.

 

[greyfang]

36 front, 26 back. the ride must be pretty stiff with what your using in those back tires. I also lose a few pounds a month in my shocks. dont know if thats normal or not. try to keep it between 45 and 50 pounds. we ride two up most of the time.

 

[wonderment]

Ok, I'll take some back tire air out. I've got the suspension pumped to 22 right now. Have no idea what it is supposed to be to begin with. I didn't see an initial setting in the manual.

 

[10rhrk]

I wonder why Dealer's are telling Triglide buyer's to put 36 PSI in the back tires. We just bought a 2012 and the Salesman told us to put 36 PSI in the rear tires. I looked in the manual after I got home and it still says 26 PSI.

 

[iaff84]

I just got back from a trip, riding two up with all the luggage. I run only 25 in shocks and 22PSI in rear tires, seems to take a little of the harshness of road out of bike.
Dennis

 

[wonderment]

Quite a variance in everyone's shock pressure. If you put more air in, is the ride stiffer or softer? Sorry, still a noob and not great with vehicle specifications. My guess would be, "stiffer."

 

[Trent]

With my '11, we ride 2 up most of the time. I am 250 pounds of hot buttered love [ used to weigh 320! } and my wife will not tell me what she weighs, but I figure around 130 or so. I have found that 28 to 30 pounds in the back tires, 36 in the front, and around 40 in the shocks seems to work really well for us with a good smooth ride. I do not like the rear tires to look like they dont have enough air, and 28 seems to be a good number for that. The shocks do lose air very very slowly, and I always check them before we go on a long ride. I will continue to lose weight, but it is tuff when you Live to Ride and Ride to Eat.

 

[Gorilla]

Suggest you vary the pressure in the rear tires until you like the ride. You can go down to around 20 if you like it. This allows the sidewalls to flex and give you a smoother ride. You will generate a little more heat in the tires though. I ride at 22. The shocks I ride at 45. The shock air pressure just addes a pre-load to the shock. It will therefor ride at little stiifer over the bumps, but will be less likely to bottom out. I ride 1 up at 220 lbs.

 

[msocko3]

I wonder why Dealer's are telling Triglide buyer's to put 36 PSI in the back tires. We just bought a 2012 and the Salesman told us to put 36 PSI in the rear tires. I looked in the manual after I got home and it still says 26 PSI.

You should go back and ask the Salesman where he got 36 psi at. I ran 26 in the rear for a little while, I now run 24 for a little softer ride.

 

[1550vt]

I air my tires and shocks depending on where I ride. Mushy tires and shocks mean mushy cornering. Tighter rear tires means much better handling. 36 psi in the rears would beat both me and the wife to death after a while, but it can really take a curve. I think they may be recommending 36 to make it handle better until you get use to it...then you can adjust your air pressures to suit yourself.

I do know that in some cases, you need 36 psi and over to seat the bead of a tire. If you are suffering slow pressure loss....pump the rascal up to around 40 and let it sit for a few hours and then drop the pressure. This will also work for suspensions that have a creeping drop in pressure. I usually run around 26-27 as a good in-between pressure. I think anything below 24 is going to give you a roll in the serious curves, but it depends on how aggressive you are.

 

[wonderment]

All good tips here. I did try to let out the air to 26 last night. Took a 20 mile ride. The rear did feel a bit more "mushy." I am going to continue to play with this. At least I'll have some sort of a baseline to start with. Our family has "terrible" luck with tires. We replace them continually on the cars, so I am hoping to get these tires set right so we don't continually mess them up, regarding wear...overinflation...underinflation etc.

 

[10rhrk]

You should go back and ask the Salesman where he got 36 psi at. I ran 26 in the rear for a little while, I now run 24 for a little softer ride.

I plan to do just that today. I'm going over to pickup a set of chrome axle cover's. One of mine fell off after leaving the Dealer. They put a chrome front end on and obviously didn't have one of the axle cover's tight enough. I didn't take him serious as the book calls for 26 in the rear tires. I will play around with pressure riding two up until I get what I want.

 

[iaff84]

With my '11, we ride 2 up most of the time. I am 250 pounds of hot buttered love [ used to weigh 320! } and my wife will not tell me what she weighs, but I figure around 130 or so. I have found that 28 to 30 pounds in the back tires, 36 in the front, and around 40 in the shocks seems to work really well for us with a good smooth ride. I do not like the rear tires to look like they dont have enough air, and 28 seems to be a good number for that.

On my numbers, guess weight of riders is important. I go at 170 and wife 125.
So under 300 for rider load.
As far as me running the lower 22 PSI in rear tires: It may feel mushier to others who ride harder than I, I do not push the three wheels, guess I never really pushed my two wheelers either.
Just cruising and doing as many miles as I can.
Ride as far as you can see, then you can see further.
Dennis

 

[wonderment]

iaff84, I see you are from Muncie. We are, too.

 

[iaff84]

iaff84, I see you are from Muncie. We are, too.

Sent you a private message.
Dennis