Car Tire Question

[jmann]

I currently run a yokohama 205-55-16 CT and have noticed that the center is very close to the wear bars with only 15k on it. I run 34-36psi and was wondering what tire pressure others are running to get an idea if I am running to high of a pressure. By all indications with the center showing such pronounced wear I would think it's over inflated but it rides very nice and handles fine. Any thoughts? Perhaps this is how this brand of tire wears?

[old2soon]

My general Altimax i had in 205-60-16 did the same thing. Upon further checking found out my Slime digital pressure guage was WAY off reading wise-to the tune of 20 P S I. Showing 34 P S I i actually had 54 P S I. Replaced the digital with a dial indicator guage and all is well now. Checked my other digital i keep in the cage and my new dial indicator with a master gauge at a friends tire shop. I now have a Falken Ziex 512 in 205-65-16 running at 34 P S I and showing EVEN wear now. If your gauge is accurate maybe come down a couple P S I at a time til you find YOUR sweetspot. RIDE SAFE.

[jmann]

My general Altimax i had in 205-60-16 did the same thing. Upon further checking found out my Slime digital pressure guage was WAY off reading wise-to the tune of 20 P S I. Showing 34 P S I i actually had 54 P S I. Replaced the digital with a dial indicator guage and all is well now. Checked my other digital i keep in the cage and my new dial indicator with a master gauge at a friends tire shop. I now have a Falken Ziex 512 in 205-65-16 running at 34 P S I and showing EVEN wear now. If your gauge is accurate maybe come down a couple P S I at a time til you find YOUR sweetspot. RIDE SAFE.

It's funny but I am using a slime brand digital guage myself. I'll have to check that and see if that is a problem. Thanks.

[JaysGone]

I currently run a yokohama 205-55-16 CT and have noticed that the center is very close to the wear bars with only 15k on it. I run 34-36psi and was wondering what tire pressure others are running to get an idea if I am running to high of a pressure. By all indications with the center showing such pronounced wear I would think it's over inflated but it rides very nice and handles fine. Any thoughts? Perhaps this is how this brand of tire wears?

I use 3 different gauges and take an average.
None agree with my local tire joints gauges.
I run my tire at 32 psi,,,,,,,more or less.

[MP]

I run 28#.  Otherwise, I wear the center off first too.

MP

[CajunRider]

Well... I ran 15K miles on a Yokohama Avis H4S, so here's my take...

The pressure you're running for that tire is spot on.  I ran about 36 usually... and had heavy center wear also.  Anything below 34 would make the sidewall flex too much and the back end would feel "squirrelly".

The tire only lasted about 15 - 20 K.  (I don't remember the exact mileage.)

Basically, the Yokohama doesn't last long, so you're just about on schedule and shouldn't change a thing (other than the tire once the wear bars are showing).

my $0.02       

[jmann]

Well... I ran 15K miles on a Yokohama Avis H4S, so here's my take...

The pressure you're running for that tire is spot on.  I ran about 36 usually... and had heavy center wear also.  Anything below 34 would make the sidewall flex too much and the back end would feel "squirrelly".

The tire only lasted about 15 - 20 K.  (I don't remember the exact mileage.)

Basically, the Yokohama doesn't last long, so you're just about on schedule and shouldn't change a thing (other than the tire once the wear bars are showing).

my $0.02       

Thank you very much for the responses. It's interesting to hear that my tire pressure is where someone else with the yoko ran it. I tried various pressures and the 34-36 range felt the best. I am thinking 20k will be it for this tire. As I have really liked the ride and I have really outlasted the miles of the avon I had before this I will be going CT again. Any suggestions for a good wearing and good feeling CT?  BTW old2soon, I checked my slime tire pressure gauge against another older gauge and they were both reading the same so I don't think I am over inflating. Might just be the tire.

[old2soon]

Glad yer gauge be okey-dokey. That Falken Ziex 512 is nice handling AND easy on the pocket book.  If memeory(yeah right )serves seems to me it was $84.00 delivered to my la casa. RIDE SAFE.

[Jess from VA]

Interesting... my Goodyear TT at 40psi constant, 37K, and very even wear across the tire when it came off.

[hubcapsc]

I use 3 different gauges and take an average.
None agree with my local tire joints gauges.

I got a dial gauge at NAPA about four years ago. They let
me take several out into the parking lot, and they all agreed with
one anther. It also agrees with the 40 or 50 year old stick gauge
of my father's that I keep in the Mini. Which also agrees with Frank
Smoak's digital gauge. If someone with good eyes tested them
and said they only agreed within a pound or two, I wouldn't argue
with them... 

I've used some cheap stick gauges that would double for random
number generators 

-Mike

[Jess from VA]

Got an electronic Acutire gauge some years back, and checked all my stick gauges against it.  2/3 of them went in the trash.  Got a second Acutaire gauge, and threw the rest of them out.  My two good quality dial gauges are right on with my Acutire gauges.

[Led]

My stock bike tire was bald in the center at 7,500 miles........

So....TWICE the tire mileage, for the bucks spent, does not sound like a bad deal to me!!

Yes, my CT requires tire pressure on the high end, or the bike WILL become a "white knuckle" ride!  VERY squirrely at 60+ in the corners!  I like 40 pounds in mine.  Douglas GTH performance tire, which is a fairly "square" tire.  I am wondering if the "edges" will wear faster than the center, in my case!

[amungus]

If I dont want to alter the inside brackets anything wrong with going to a 195/65??
Is it that much narrower than the 205?

[valky1500]

If I dont want to alter the inside brackets anything wrong with going to a 195/65??
Is it that much narrower than the 205?

Depending on what you want in a tire the 195 is not only 1/2" thinner, it's also 1/2" smaller in diameter than the 205.
It is also wider and shorter than the OEM size tire. 

[hubcapsc]

If I dont want to alter the inside brackets anything wrong with going to a 195/65??
Is it that much narrower than the 205?

Frank Smoak uses some kind of Falken... he goes fast in the corners and didn't
have to do the nut-cage mod...

-Mike

[JaysGone]

I use a Conti Vanco ll Light truck tire in 195-65-16 on both bikes.
Hard to get in the USA as nothing uses it is made here.
Great Darkside tire.
No mods on the Valk what so ever with it.
Its so hard to get.
I keep a spare new one at home.
Thats a new Metz under it.
Just in case I cant get the CT mounted when I need to.

[DarkSideR]

If you dont have enough info - I run my Goodyear Triple Tread @ 36psi. I have 16k on it and even wear.

[JaysGone]

I have spoken too soon.
This thread made me look before Id normally do it.
Because I bought 1 of their last Vancos as a spare.
It was 2 years between shipments of Contis.
Only been a year for these.
Thhhhhhhhhhhhhhere are baaaaaaaaack!!!

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?dsco=135&sowigan=&Breite=195&Quer=65&Felge=16&Speed=&kategorie=6&LoadRange=&Marke=&ranzahl=4&suchen=View+tires

Great price and actually a very good tire.
Its on my Valk now.

[Hoser]

Well... I ran 15K miles on a Yokohama Avis H4S, so here's my take...

The pressure you're running for that tire is spot on.  I ran about 36 usually... and had heavy center wear also.  Anything below 34 would make the sidewall flex too much and the back end would feel "squirrelly".

The tire only lasted about 15 - 20 K.  (I don't remember the exact mileage.)

Basically, the Yokohama doesn't last long, so you're just about on schedule and shouldn't change a thing (other than the tire once the wear bars are showing).

my $0.02        

Thank you very much for the responses. It's interesting to hear that my tire pressure is where someone else with the yoko ran it. I tried various pressures and the 34-36 range felt the best. I am thinking 20k will be it for this tire. As I have really liked the ride and I have really outlasted the miles of the avon I had before this I will be going CT again. Any suggestions for a good wearing and good feeling CT?  BTW old2soon, I checked my slime tire pressure gauge against another older gauge and they were both reading the same so I don't think I am over inflating. Might just be the tire.

If you like that tire, use it again. 20k is better than most mc tires, and you need to do maintenance on the drive unit by then anyway.  JMHO  Hoser  

[CajunRider]

If I dont want to alter the inside brackets anything wrong with going to a 195/65??
Is it that much narrower than the 205?

195/65 is going to be hard to find. 

However, run a search on the Austone Taxi tire.  It fits without alterations (including a belly tank).