high temperatures can be reached
during the day while they can be
very low at night, with a difference
of up to 20°, this means tire pressure
can vary up to 8%. With so much
temperature difference over a day it
is important to check tire pressures
at the beginning and end of the
day. Always try to check tire pressure
under the shade or away from sun-
light if possible, as the sun's rays can
VOL. 55 ISSUE 26 JULY 3, 2018 P107
alter values. Apart from ambient
temperature, heat by friction should
also be accounted for altering tire
pressure. Friction transmits heat
to the inside of the tire, increasing
in many occasions by 2.9 to 5.8
psi. If going to the track, check tire
pressure after a few laps and try to
return it to the one initially marked
by the manufacturer.
Normally with tire warmers or
not, pressure is set lower than usual-
around 2.8 psi– as it will go up on
track. When tire warmers are used,
it is recommended to go around
the track twice and then come into
the pits to check for tire pressure
by finding out the difference from
the manufacturer's recommended.
If pressure is not the same, adjust-
ments should be made for an exact
match. Without tire warmers, the
procedure remains the same, but
includes four warm-up laps instead
of two.
Even though a two to eight
percent change may not sound like
much on paper, remember that
manufacturers have advised a spe-
cific pressure number in order to
extract the maximum performance
of the tire in every aspect, so it is
crucial in real life situations. These
small deviations can directly influ-
ence the bike's behavior. If pressure
is higher than suggested, handling,
grip levels, leaning ability and tire
wear can be negatively affected.
Excessive rear wheel spin under
acceleration, ultra-sensitive lateral
movements and abrupt turn-in can
be some expected characteristics
on an over inflated tire.
Another important aspect
when dealing with a tire's main-
tenance and pressure is looking
after the tire's valve stem, cap and
leaks -no point on checking tire
pressure if a leak is present-. When
consistently checking tire pressure,
if the tire has pressure variables
outside ambient temperature
(2%), it is possible the tire is losing
pressure due to a defective valve
or a puncture. If this is the case, we
recommend going to a tire special-
ist near you to find out if the tire can
be repaired or replaced.
Don't forget to check your tires!
For more information on Con-
tinental Tires, please visit: https://
www.contimotousablog.com/ CN
