Motorcycle tyre pressure guide

It is essential to check your motorcycle tyre pressure every two weeks and before any long journey when the tyres are cold (i.e. a tyre that has not run for at least two hours or has run for less than 3 km at a reduced speed). Ensure that you make adjustments if you take the pressure after riding, i.e. with "hot" tyres. In this instance, refer to the manufacturer's recommendations.

• Never deflate a hot tyre

• Don't forget to replace the valve caps after your checks are complete

• Tyres filled with nitrogen must still be checked regularly and adjusted with nitrogen only

• Stick to the motorcycle tyre pressures recommended by the manufacturer
  

These recommendations are applicable for tyres used on the road.

There are additional recommendations for off road and track pressure.

Off road motorcycle tyre pressure recommendations are only suitable for limited durations, speeds and loads on sealed high speed surfaces such as roads.  Increased tyre pressures are advised for unavoidable road use, prolonged road use should be avoided altogether.  

These are the motorcycle tyre pressures recommended by Michelin depending on the terrain, the weather conditions, the power of the bike and the type of control:

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The design of Trial tyres makes them tricky to mount. You run the risk of breaking bead wires if you press too hard.  Carefully adhere to the fitting instructions for insertion of the rim hooks (lubricate, firmly hold the bead on the opposite side in the rim hollow - do not exert excessive force on the bead).  To inflate, position a rubber ring between the tyre bead and rim or use a firmly tightened strap on the tyre crown to enable initial pressurizing pressurising.

The tread provides most of the tyre's grip on the ground. With wear, the tyre's grip decreases. So remember to regularly check your tyres for signs of wear: visually check the depth of the tread and the uniformity of the wear. Tyre pressure also has a direct impact on wear.

Careful! There are two classifications for the same tyre dimension.

• Old classification: MICHELIN Enduro, Desert Race > size designation based on the width of the tyre measured at the tread level

• New classification: MICHELIN StarCross, Tracker, AC10, Trial > size designation based on the width of the tyre measured at sidewall level

For example : a 140/80-18 Enduro tyre corresponds to a 120/90-18 Motocross tyre (see our table below).

Correct pressure enables optimum performance levels to be achieved.
The pressure should be set at ambient temperature and depends on the tyres you have chosen to mount on your motorcycle:

1) Pressure taken with tyre and rim at ambient temperature, just before the first ride or just before installing the tyre warmers.
(2) Michelin recommends setting the tyre warmer temperature to 194°F
(3) After riding on the track and before street riding, you will need to adjust the cold tyre pressure to the manufacturers’ recommended setting

For riders competing with the MICHELIN Power Performance range, Michelin’s technical teams can provide on-the-spot advice on adjusting motorcycle tyre pressure depending on:

• Air/track temperature

• Track abrasiveness

• The rider's level of skill