[Dazzler]

Thought this might be an interesting thing to discuss.

First time I've had tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and it has made me aware of how much the pressures can vary depending on ambient temperatures and driving conditions.

For quietness and ride comfort I have opted to use 34 Psi in my tyres on my SR. Now others will have different opinions on that. That is not what this thread is about.

What i have noticed is I probably set my tyres at 34 PSI on a day with ambient temp of around 20C. I have noticed on cold days (say below 10C)  with cold tyres it showing as low as 32 Psi and on Hotter days (25C +) after driving at 110 kph for a while pressures as high as 38 Psi.

What I'm getting at here is you probably need to make allowances for the ambient temperature and warmth in your tyres when checking/adjusting pressures.

So for example if you prefer a lower pressure and you are filling/ adjusting cold tyres on a cold day maybe put in 33 psi (for example) but if doing the same thing to warm tyres on a day that is say 30C put in 37 Psi. Otherwise you might find the next time your tyres are cold and the day is cold you could be running at 30 psi.

Thoughts/comments... Hopefully that makes sense.
 

[Hati]

Well, as a motorcyclist who only has two tyres to begin with, checking pressure is a pre-ride routine. Always. There are some rules that we follow religiously.

Firstly, always use what the tyre manufacturer recommends. This is more for riders than drivers, safety, insurance etc reasons.
Secondly and most importantly, ALWAYS check on cold/ambient tyres for the reasons Daz already stated, variations due to usage.

Having said all that, a couple of psi here or there for cars is not going to create any issues. Even as much as 10 psi could go unnoticed by most drivers I found.
People who race cars/karts will be way more tuned to this. I remember in my karting days, a couple of psi could make a second difference on a single lap, but that is getting to the extreme end of the scale now...

[Dazzler]

Thanks Hati, your posts always make a lot of sense. 

Must admit, TPMS is a good thing for me as unless I am aware of a slow leak or something I have never been a great one for checking my tyres.