[bob]

Just curiosity here what owners like to do.
Personally I like to keep my tire pressures at max for the rear tire and maybe a few lbs below that for the front. With my GW, ST, and now the CTX1300 the tire mfr for the respective tires on those bikes showed max pressure of 42 psi for all of them. I think my B650 was a little different but close. I know that many cage and mc companies like to recommend a pressure to ensure the rider doesn't over pressurize the tires but even more so there is a more comfortable ride (read: softer). I have found, starting with my GW that when I take it up to max pressure per the tire manufacturer two things happen... The ride is actually more solid (to me) and the tires last a lot longer. Oh, and I almost never had a problem with tread cupping (happened only when I had pressure at owner manual levels). I would usually get 20K+ miles on my GW tires, about 16k-18k miles on my ST, regardless what tire brand I put on. Of course it did vary a little due to brand but mostly they would last longer than I hear for others who stick to the owners manual recommendation. That said, I have 40 psi in my front tire and 42 psi in the rear. The max pressure for a tire is marked on the sidewall in smaller raised print. I shine a flashlight sideways across the printing to read it better. With the style of riding this bike instills in the rider I expect to get the same or similar miles on a set of tires as I did with my GW.

And while on this subject... What tire brands are owners getting?
Mine are Dunlop. I tried looking up the model number/name and they don't show them on the Dunlop web site yet. What else is new with this bike

 

[Davetac1]

The tires are radial tires,meaning,you'll get a better ride from em and they'll hold the road better.However,if they are "Z" rated,which I believe they are,don't be surprised if your expectations are shredded by short mileage.I have found,after umpteen tires on my Bird [also "Z" rated] the best tire for the front is the Avon Cobra [Z rated] but on the back, Dunlop's American Elite[V rated],but in a 55 aspect ratio verses the 50 that comes standard on it.But you neglected to say just what the recommended pressures for the CTX were.Dave!!!

 

[bob]

Oops, sorry about that. The owners manual calls for 36 psi in front and 42 psi in rear. The max load pressure from the mfr on the rear also says 42 so that is where I put it. I don't keep the front at what the manual says since I've always ended up with tread cupping so I bump that up to 40 psi. The max load pressure from the mfr on the front tire is 42 so I should be fine with wear and less cupping.

 

[Crableg]

Hey bob and sleepinbear, I run nitrogen in my vehicles tires. I get a very nice ride, tires last longer, tires don't get as hot and so on. What do you think about using it in motorcycle tires?

 

[bob]

Should be fine. I don't have an easy source for that so use cheap plain old air.

 

[Davetac1]

Due to the weight of the CTX,[advertised-731 lbs. Deluxe model]and as long as you're runnin one up [no passenger]I would drop those pressures by a couple of pounds on each tire,monitor the wear using a tire tread depth gauge,then adjust the pressures accordingly.Otherwise,I think you'll discover that your tires are gonna prematurely wear in the middle.It's called,trial and error. Dave!!!

 

[sleepngbear]

Due to the weight of the CTX,[advertised-731 lbs. Deluxe model]and as long as you're runnin one up [no passenger]I would drop those pressures by a couple of pounds on each tire,monitor the wear using a tire tread depth gauge,then adjust the pressures accordingly.Otherwise,I think you'll discover that your tires are gonna prematurely wear in the middle.It's called,trial and error. Dave!!!

That might soften up the harshness of the front end over the bumpies just a bit, too.

 

[Davetac1]

That might soften up the harshness of the front end over the bumpies just a bit, too.

Yup!! But the CTX is NOT a heavy machine,plus,as you'll soon discover,these radial tires don't last worth a dam.The bias tires last longer.They may hold the road better,if and when,you run it hard thru the corners,but that's where it ends as the bias tires will give ya better tire wear.

When I bought my Tbird,it came thru with radials,like many of the bikes come with these days.But after 3 1/2 years,and 67,000 miles,I have gone thru 20 tires,front and rear,and have spent an unholy fortune making these MC tire manufacturers richer and richer.The good news is,I do my own work so I save money. Dave!!!

 

[bob]

I haven't noticed any significant difference in the ride other than it seems to hold the line better with 40 psi in front and recommended psi in rear. I have done the trial and error thing on a few bikes. What I found with lower pressures is very little difference in where the wear happened but a LOT of difference in cupping and the lower pressures, in my very limited (only 16 yrs) experience, tended to shorten the life of my tires. I ran a front tire on my GW at 35-36 psi for most of its entire life once and replaced it way to soon for my preference (much heavier than the CTX). My Burgman 650 had radials and I kept the pressures up like I mentioned on those and was able to get at least 4K miles more than most other riders I spoke with (12k+ miles for me vs. only 8k miles for others). Same on my ST. Many ST riders seem to report getting 6k-10k on a set yet I would get 7k-10k MORE than that. My last set on my ST needed replacement due to running over a screw the wrong way and tore the belts in the rear, but I still had over 16k on those and had a few thousand left on the tread.
So those are my reasons. We'll just have to see what these tires on the CTX will do.

But back to the original question...
What psi do you current (and those who will be) owners prefer in your tires on the CTX?

 

[Davetac1]

Since I don't own a CTX,and haven't been able to even find one to look at,lol,I don't know just what tires come on it.I do know that the rear tire is the same size as the rear on my BIRD, and both machines use Z rated radials.The "Z" stands for "speeds up to 168 mph",which I just know everyone will drive their CTX's at.lol lol

The OM for my Bird, recommends 38 front and 42 rear.Of course, when the machine was new,and me being unfamiliar with radial tires on motorcycles [this is the first bike I've owned that came thru with radials on it],I followed those recommendations only to discover a disappointing and VERY SHORT tire life.SOOOOO!! What I did was play with pressures,[trial and error]experimenting for both handling and tire wear,and have come up with 35psi front,and 34 psi,rear,and discovered that the handling has really NOT CHANGED,but the tires are lasting a lot LONGER.Now the CTX weighs in at 724lbs.[Standard model] and 731lbs.[Deluxe model] but is about 50 lbs. lighter then my TBird,which is the SE model.[the SE model weighs in at 780 lbs.The standard model weighs in at 750 lbs.] So the weight of the machine would also figure into the air pressure settings. Dave!!!

 

[bob]

I'm sure it also depends how you ride the bike. ST owners generally tend to be very aggressive riders and wear out the sidewalls as well as the center rather early. I can ride the same bike with the same tires, even at the same psi as they, and the tires will last 50% longer for me but not wear out the sidewalls very much if at all.

GW GL1500= about 860lbs wet
Burgman 650= about 640lbs wet (not so light weight really, but even lower CG than the CTX)
ST1100= 700lbs wet
CTX1300A= 739lbs wet (per owner manual)

 

[csdexter]

(...) and both machines use Z rated radials.The "Z" stands for "speeds up to 168 mph",which I just know everyone will drive their CTX's at.lol lol(...)

The manual quotes "V", not "Z" for the CTX1300. Just sayin' ...

Also, since you asked, the manual quotes Dunlop D423F/D423 or Bridgestone G853 Radial F/G852 Radial F for the recommended tyre type.

 

[Davetac1]

Like I said,I haven't even seen one of these machines yet.None of the Stealers around this area have one of these phantom machines yet.lol But the info I read on line about the CTX , said the tires were Z rated.So I guess they were in error.My appologies.Dave!!!

 

[bob]

Actually isn't "W" for up to 168 mph?
The chart I saw showed "Z" as only "over 149 mph" (max over that is undefined) and "V" is 149 mph. Since the CTX1300 is only rated for a top speed near 130 mph I would think "V" is plenty. I'll have to look if I can get out to the parking lot.

 

[Davetac1]

I just looked at the specs again on line and all they said was "R" for radial.But I could have sworn I read that they were "Z" rated somewheres on here.So take a look at the sidewall on your bike and see what it says.Fair enough? Then we can solve the mystery.lol Thanks. Dave!!!

 

[bob]

Just ran out to the parking lot to check what the tire sidewalls show on my CTX.
Front= Dunlop D423F 130/70-R18 63V (63=600lbs V=149mph)
Rear= Dunlop D423 200/50-R17 75V (75=853lbs V=149mph)

I do know there have been one or two relatively recent mag reviews with way off base specs on this bike. I don't remember reading the speed rating in any though.

 

[Davetac1]

In case anyone is interested,the speed ratings listed on the tires are as follows: "S"- 112 MPH, "H"-129 MPH,"V"-149 MPH,"Z"-168 MPH,and there used to be a "W"-186 and up MPH.And from what I have read,Suzuki's Hyabusa can reach speeds in excess of 200 MPH.PHEW! I can't even imagine traveling that fast on two wheels.Infact,I can't imagine traveling that fast,PERIOD!! lol lol Dave!!!

 

[Davetac1]

OK! It looks like the "V" rating wins the Cupie doll.Very good Bob.The mystery has now been solved.Thank you sir. Dave!!!

 

[cheeken]

good info

 

[Davetac1]

BTW Bob; Those other numbers on the tire,the 63 on the front,and the 75 on the rear,are the sidewall ratings.The higher the number,the stronger the sidewall is,AKA,load capacity.For example,my front tire has load rating of 62,which means the tire you have can carry more weight.But my rear tire has a 78 rating which means,my tire can carry more weight then yours.Follow me?? Or,nan na nan na naan na! Mine's bigger then yours is.lol lol Remember that when you were little??? lol lol lol Dave!!!