Quebec FJR
Member
I have noticed that I lose approx. 1-2 lbs of pressure on both of my tires per week. I have since changed tires to Dunlop and still having same problem. Is it normal to loose a few lbs per week.
Loss of tire pressure
- Thread starter Quebec FJR
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bramfrank
BramFrank
Yes.
Check your tire pressure every time you ride. Use a good gauge - not all are accurate nor repeatable.
Perhaps if you inflated with Nitrogen the losses would be reduced.
Check your tire pressure every time you ride. Use a good gauge - not all are accurate nor repeatable.
Perhaps if you inflated with Nitrogen the losses would be reduced.
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El Toro
Innocent Bystander
I think that rate of loss is pretty normal. I check my pressure maybe 2 to 3 times per month, and I usually have to add a couple of psi.
C&C
Well-known member
A few (if you mean 3 lbs) is probably a little on the high side of normal. I'm thinking one to two would be a more normal number. Also, are you taking into consideration the effect of ambient outside temperature; I see you live in the northern climes so don't forget you lose 1 psi per 10 degrees F decrease.
It's not abnormal to lose pressure and depends on a bunch of variables including (but not limited to) bead area seal (most comm... affected by schmutz), rim porosity (yep they sometimes can leak slowly due to defective casting), seasonal changes in temperature (that people then think they're losing air), and FOD (sometimes people have punctures and don't even realize it).
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Not really relevant but back in the day of inner tubes (I'm talking 70s here, when I worked at a bike shop), BMWs would lose 1-2 lbs/week, Japanese bikes practically nothing.
The difference - BMW used natural rubber compound inner tubes, Japanese bikes used tubes with much more synthetic.
Supposedly the natural rubber was much more tear resistant than the others, much less likely to have a catastrophic failure.
I'm about to put away my bike for the winter but I check pressure once a week and bought a little $65 compressor at Walmart to make filling it up easy.
The difference - BMW used natural rubber compound inner tubes, Japanese bikes used tubes with much more synthetic.
Supposedly the natural rubber was much more tear resistant than the others, much less likely to have a catastrophic failure.
I'm about to put away my bike for the winter but I check pressure once a week and bought a little $65 compressor at Walmart to make filling it up easy.
I use the following proprietary gas mix for inflation of tires:
Substance % by volume
Nitrogen, N2 78.08
Oxygen, O2 20.95
Argon, Ar 0.93
Carbon dioxide, CO2 0.033
Neon, Ne 0.0018
Helium, He 0.00052
Methane, CH4 0.0002
Krypton, Kr 0.00011
Nitrogen(I) oxide, N2O 0.00005
Hydrogen, H2 0.00005
Xenon, Xe 0.0000087
Ozone, O3 0.000001
BTW - The key to proper inflation is the Ozone
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FJRScorpion
Well-known member
I've found that the integrated pressure gauges on my compressors are notorious for reading incorrectly. For the bike tires, I always use a separate gauge. I also notice that I lose about 1/2 pound or so when taking the measurement itself! 
v65
ouch
chrisflock
FJR nose gunner
El Toro
Innocent Bystander
You forgot the Bozone. And of course the water vapor.
The guys who recommend Nitrogen often comment about how it is dry compared to the proprietary mix listed above. However, if you stick a dryer on your shop air line, the proprietary mixture is dry too. You can buy a little dryer (drier?) unit to plug into your line from the guys who run automotive paint and body supply stores. They're not too expensive. Or you could just not worry about it. I drain my compressed air tank a few times each year, and I've never noticed moisture as an issue in a motorcycle tire's air.
bramfrank
BramFrank
The reason to use nitrogen is not that it is 'dry' air, but rather that Nitrogen molecules are larger than Oxygen and don't migrate through the rubber and through small spaces as easily as compressed air.
El Toro
Innocent Bystander
Sort of like skinning a gnat for its tallow? The tires on my BMW loose about 1 psi a month. The 02 migration compared to the N2 migration can't be a major issue compared to the sealing issues.
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That may be quite true for the Helium fraction of air, but Oxygen and Nitrogen (being right next to each other on the table) are nearly the same size. I think the real reason they tell you to use nitrogen is that it is almost free and it sure makes the N2 purveyors richer.
El Toro
Innocent Bystander
+1
That may be quite true for the Helium fraction of air, but Oxygen and Nitrogen (being right next to each other on the table) are nearly the same size. I think the real reason they tell you to use nitrogen is that it is almost free and it sure makes the N2 purveyors richer.
wheatonFJR
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vtcornercarver
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Hi, my '04 rear Avon Storm was loosing air and I called Avon and they informed me that over 95% of leaks are due to corrosion on the inside of the rim where it meets the bead of the tire. The other leaks are puncture related. I had my tire mounted at a reputable Yamaha dealer and it was leaking. I took it in and when they removed the tire, the rim was loaded with corrosion, some areas really raised up and pitted. It took a lot of stiff wire bruching and cleaning to get the surface smooth. Moral of the story is make sure to have the tire installer thoroughly inspect the inside of the rim and to wire brush and clean any pitting. These technicians work fast and don't necessarily expect pitting on a fairly new totally clean bike that is stored in a gagage in the summer and a warm basement in the winter....BTW I had to pay for a second mount and balance even though they did the tire mount a few months earlier. Make them do it right the first time. Remind them to inspect and clean the rim. Now it looses ZERO air, the way it should be. VT
