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Tires are like the shoes of your bike. No matter how powerful the engine is, it is the tire which finally transfers the power. Here are some tips and advice for your bike's tires. The tire pressure of your bike should be maintained according to the usage, load, road surface conditions and as per the manufacturer’s specifications. For city use the regular specifications are fine, but for the highway use one must increase the PSI by at least 3 or 4 for both the tires from normal due to the constant high speed running of the tires on the highways, as there is loss of air due to heat and friction. The load also determines the extra PSI that you must take into account. You have to check the max pay load for any bike or scooter and if the load increases from the maximum payload then you must increase the tire pressure accordingly. But make sure you don't overload the bike/scooter to a high extent as it would damage the suspension geometry and the walls of the tires would get weak and there will be uneven surface wear leading to less grip during braking, going through water in rains or other such surprises on the road which could lead to an accident. Similarly don’t over pressurize or under pressurize your tires and check the tire pressure once a week. If you under-pressurize the tires the ride would feel spongy and the tube will become weak especially when the two-wheeler goes over irregular surfaces on the road like bumps or speed breakers. Alternatively, if you over-pressurize the tires then the tire wall and the outer tire would become irregular in shape and develop uneven wear and the ride would become too bumpy even for small bumps. It is not a good idea to change the tires that the manufacturer has provided with the bike or scooter, as it would only lead to unnecessary wear and tear of the tires and interfere with the bikes handling, suspension, dynamics and weight distribution. My Karizma gives a very good mileage because it has a 100/90 rear tire which is enough for decent handling even for a 223cc bike. while the Honda CBF Stunner also has 100/90 rear tire but the bike has only a capacity of 124cc compared to the Karizma's 223cc. Another case in point being the R15, which has smaller 17 inch and narrower tires but the grip is phenomenal on road and track surface and even on irregular surfaces. The point I am stressing is, fat tires are not the only requisite for grip and performance. Having driven the R15 over various surfaces I can vouch for this fact. Also a manufacturer tests the tires performance on all roads and optimizes the tire dimensions most suited for the specific two wheeler so if one were to modify the factory settings most of the long run benefits will be lost. Air valve cap: Ensure that the small cap of your tires air valve is always fastened securely to the tires of your two-wheeler. This air valve cap ensures that no air escapes the tire and prevents air dissipation during motion.

Tag: handling

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