Tire pressure for VN900 Custom

[infuriated_rain]

hey guys, prolly noob question, but just a bit confused on pressure i should be using. Manual says 40 front, 28-30 in the back. Dealer said 32 and 32... ive read on here 40 and 40.... what would probably be best?

[c_law23]

i run 40 front and 32 rear...

[infuriated_rain]

yeah sounds good to me, thanks i appreciate it

[jerkybear]

Hey Rain, I run 38 front and 40 rear, but I ride 2 up frequently. I have a Kenda in the rear and stock Dunlop in the front. Hope this helps. Craig

[insolentminx]

i run 40 at the front and 29 at the rear if i recall..... i think that's what my book said. I do whatever the sticker on the belt guard says.

[kevcustom]

+1 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[jateureka]

The VN900C owner manual says:
F = 40psi, R = 28psi up to 97.5kg or R = 32 psi up to 180kg

The dunlop website for Kawasaki VN900C OEM D404 tires says:
F = 32psi loaded, R = 38 psi loaded
see Fitment Guide for Dunlop Motorcycle Tires

The Kawasaki dealer adjusted mine at the first service to:
F = 32psi, R = 36psi
I found this a little wishy-washy around corners so have adjusted them to:
F = 36psi, R = 34psi
I weigh ~ 75kg in my riding gear and the bike has a sissy bar and rack ~ 5kg

I also noted that Dunlop recommends a 1.85 inch rim for the 80/90-21 tire, while Kawasaki is running it on a 2.15 inch rim, which may account for why Kawasaki recommend higher front tire pressures than Dunlop.

[crazydave]

40F 32R and have over 10K on them, rear has about 1 to 2 K left, front about 2-3K but I am going to replace them in a week with the Metzler ME880s

[rod2625]

Dunlop states: "Rear touring tires must be inflated to a minimum of 36 psi for light to medium loads and 40 psi for dual riding and other loads. Never exceed maximum load indicated on tire sidewall or vehicle capacity load found in owner's manual."

[Utah Motorcyclist]

38 front and 40 back.

[rod2625]

Originally Posted by 900classic

38 front and 40 back.

I was also confused at first...they are talking Custom, not Classic....

[c_law23]

The sticker on my frame says 40 front 32 rear....seems to work nicely for me...

[kumite]

38 Front and 40 Rear.

This combination will give you the best tire longevity and the least amount of abnormal tire wear. The only downside is that the higher pressures make the ride a bit stiffer but in my opinio alot safer. Higher pressure tires resist hydroplaing much better and still have plenty of reserve traction for our cruiser applications.

Never exceed the maimum cold pressure but runing your tires near this pressure is the best for a cruiser.

R. Todd

(On my 1300 I run 40 and 42 but the 900 is lighter. Our Kawi / Honda dealer indicated that they always put 38/40 in all of their cruisers in spite of the manual recomendation)

[Trashman900C]

MOM says 40F and 28R, or for 2up 40F and 32R

[joshua022]

I run 40f/r and have no problems.

[kumite]

Forget MOM...... 38 and 40 and you will be fine.

RTV

[NewRoadie]

. . . are you confused yet? . . .

Get a pressure, watch your tire wear, adjust by feel of the bike and tire wear.

I'm an old motocross guy and always ran my tires lower than my competition! I started at 32/32 on my 900C and have upped that to 35/35. We'll see how the tire wear goes. I also 'try' to rub off all the little tiddies on the sides of my tires to get 'full advantage' of my lean angle (hehe). Good luck and ride safe!

[spitfire9]

36/36 here.

[jateureka]

There was a rule of thumb to determine what pressures you sould be running based on the difference in cold and hot pressures. IE you should adjust the pressure until you get a certain difference between hot and cold.
Too bad I can't remember what it was now...