Tire Pressure Changes

[phil]

When you ride from, say, 1700 ft. to 6000 ft. elevation, is there any significant change in tire pressures?

 

[shuswaper]

Not significantly. :glare:

 

[C&C]

The only thing I remember about the STP gas laws is that I used to know how to calculate them (but that was a long time ago). I think the difference in air pressure, at different altitudes, would be inconsequential to the differnece in air temperature (each ten degrees will affect the tire pressure by 1 psi).

 

[Hit the Road Jack]

I participated in implementing a mod to the Space Shuttle many years ago involving tire pressure transducers and temperature sensors on each wheel.

I recall observing that as the orbiter ascended from sea level to orbit that the tire pressure indications would always increase by 14.7 psia due to the elimination of the surrounding ambient air pressure.

Therefore, as you ride your motorcycle to a higher elevation, tire pressure increases somewhat due to the decrease in the outside air pressure. This increase is so miniscule as to be lost in the noise!

More noticeable is the change in temperature due to an increase in elevation. Ambient air temperature generally decreases by 4 degF per 1000 ft of elevation. This change in ambient air temperature will likely have more effect on decreasing tire pressure than outside air pressure increasing it, but it too is so miniscule as to be insignificant.

In summary: once you are rolling and your tires are working, the actual tire pressure should not vary by more than +/- 1 psi from what you put in to it.

Truthfully, I'm just pulling the summary out of my ***, but that's my opinion and it makes sense to me. Thanks for asking!

 

[Bearly Flying]

I think I would Stop and check the pressure's every 500 ft of Altitude , Just to be sure.... :dribble:

 

[FJRottie]

A significant change in tire pressure...NO. Nothing to worry about.

This could be a NEPRT. The more critical issue is temperature IMO.

Here is link to read and there are many which say basically the same - Clicky

 

[Bustanut joker]

Boy this post could go anal real fast..... To bad it's Sunday :lol:

:jester:

 

[markjenn]

All the tire cares about is the difference between the internal pressure and the ambient atmospheric pressure. As you go up in altitude, yes, atmospheric pressure decreases, but it's not terribly large. In your example, atmospheric pressure would drop about 2 psi, so it would be the same as adding 2 psi to your tire pressures. But if it is colder at altitude (as it typically is), so this might compensate back the other way.

At a high altitude track day, I'd certainly adjust, but otherwise, wouldn't bother.

More info:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires-techpage-1/167.shtml

- Mark