Avoid These Common Bike Insurance Renewal Mistakes and Ride with Confidence

How to Maintain the Correct Tyre Pressure for Your Bike?

The math is really simple when it comes to owning and riding a two-wheeler. A bike kept in good shape will run well and offer performance true to its spec sheet. Any bike ownership guide 101 will list the importance of basic maintenance. As a bike owner, it is your job to learn the basics and do regular maintenance before every ride.

One of the most rudimentary aspects of bike maintenance is to ensure it has proper tyre pressure. Incorrect bike or scooty tyre pressure not only ruins the riding experience but can also cause other major problems. Go through this detailed guide to learn everything about bike tyre air pressure, including its importance, recommended settings, maintenance tips, and so on.

Why Maintaining Proper Bike Tyre Pressure Is Important?

The only component of your bike that makes contact with the road is its tyres. It is the link between the bike and the road, which is why keeping it in optimal shape is crucial. Besides using proper tyres and tubes, ensuring ideal bike or scooty air pressure is vital.

Here’s how two wheeler air pressure affects riding:

Stability

Bike tyre air pressure significantly affects the tyre's contact with the ground. Having optimal tyre pressure in both the front and rear wheels ensures a stable performance, while incorrect tyre pressure leads to stability issues, such as “tank slappers” at high speeds.

Handling

A bike with optimal tyre pressure feels more responsive and precise in terms of handling. On the other hand, low tyre pressure can make the handling feel sluggish, while high tyre pressure can make it feel skittish.

Braking

Bike or scooty tyre air pressure is vital as it affects the contact patch, which in turn affects braking performance. Too low pressure may increase the risk of a tyre blowout, while too high pressure can increase the stopping distance.

Mileage

If you have low tyre pressure, it can negatively impact the bike’s performance, reducing its mileage figures. To ensure ideal fuel efficiency, correct tyre pressure is a must.

Ride quality

The tyres of the bike not only support the weight of the bike but also the rider and the pillion. Hence, for a comfortable ride quality and overall experience, optimal two wheeler tyre air pressure is crucial.

How to Determine the Ideal Tyre Pressure for Your Bike?

Every bike has its own optimal tyre pressure setting, and you must follow it to a tee. Here’s how you can find the ideal tyre pressure for your bike or scooter:

Owner’s manual

Refer to the vehicle’s ownership manual provided by the manufacturer. It includes the recommended air pressure two wheeler tyre pressure chart for both tyres of your bike or scooter.

Company website

If you don’t have the manual handy, you can also check the recommended bike tyre air pressure figures on the company’s official website. Just look for the tyre pressure guide of your vehicle’s model and variant on the maker’s official website.

Tyre sticker

Many bikes and scooters have the recommended tyre pressure figures listed on a sticker on the chain cover, swing-arm, tank shell or other places. If your two-wheeler has one, you can follow it.

Recommended Two-Wheeler Tyre Pressure Chart

Tyre pressure of bikes varies depending on the tyre and tube type, its maker, and the bike’s make and model. So, it is advised to always check the owner’s manual for model-specific two wheeler tyre pressure chart information.

Here is a general two-wheeler tyre pressure chart highlighting the recommended tyre pressure for popular two-wheelers in India:

Hero Splendor Plus i3s

Front Tyre Size: 80/100-18
Rear Tyre Size: 80/100-18
Tube Type: Tube / Tubeless
Front Tyre Pressure: 25 PSI
Rear Tyre Pressure: 28 PSI (Solo) / 41 PSI (With Pillion)

Bajaj Pulsar NS 200

Front Tyre Size: 100/80-17
Rear Tyre Size: 130/70-17
Tube Type: Tubeless
Front Tyre Pressure: 25 PSI
Rear Tyre Pressure: 28 PSI (Solo) / 32 PSI (With Pillion)

Honda Activa 125

Front Tyre Size: 90/90-12
Rear Tyre Size: 90/100-10
Tube Type: Tubeless
Front Tyre Pressure: 22 PSI
Rear Tyre Pressure: 29 PSI (Solo) / 36 PSI (With Pillion)

TVS Ntorq XP

Front Tyre Size: 100/80-12
Rear Tyre Size: 110/80-12
Tube Type: Tubeless
Front Tyre Pressure: 24 PSI
Rear Tyre Pressure: 32 PSI (Solo) / 36 PSI (With Pillion)

TVS Apache RTR 200

Front Tyre Size: 90/90-17
Rear Tyre Size: 130/70-17
Tube Type: Tubeless
Front Tyre Pressure: 25 PSI
Rear Tyre Pressure: 28 PSI (Solo) / 32 PSI (With Pillion)

Royal Enfield Hunter 350 (Dual Channel)

Front Tyre Size: 110/70-17
Rear Tyre Size: 140/70-17
Tube Type: Tubeless*
Front Tyre Pressure: 29 PSI
Rear Tyre Pressure: 32 PSI (Solo) / 36 PSI (With Pillion)

Best Practices to Maintain Two-Wheeler Tyre Pressure

There are some basic measures and checks you can consider to ensure your two-wheeler tyre pressure always remains at the optimal level. For example:

Regular checks

As a general safety measure and maintenance tip, consider checking your bike or scooter’s tyre pressure once every two weeks. You may also choose to check it before every ride if you have a portable two wheeler tyre pressure gauge at home. If it needs adjustment, make sure to do so before the ride.

Tyre and tube condition

Frequently inspect the condition and health of your bike’s tyres and tubes. If they have visible damage or too much tread, make sure to replace them as advised by the mechanic.

Valve caps

After refilling the bike tyre air pressure, make sure to put the valve caps back on. This will ensure dust and other harmful particles don’t enter the valve stem, which can otherwise damage the tyre and tubes.

Wheel alignment

Misalignment is one of the key causes behind uneven tyre wear and compromised handling. So, alongside proper tyre pressure, make sure to ensure your bike has proper wheel alignment to favour stability, handling and performance.

Inflate or deflate as required.

Follow the owner’s manual for the correct bike tyre air pressure chart. Also, note that the recommended tyre pressure for bike tyres varies depending on whether you are riding solo or with a pillion. Hence, inflate and deflate the tyre to reach optimal pressure as per your use case.

Periodic service

As a general recommendation, adhere to the suggested bike maintenance and service schedule. The overall condition of the bike can indirectly affect tyre and tube health, hence taking care of both is crucial.

Common Tyre Pressure Concerns Explained

Here are some common two-wheeler tyre pressure concerns explained:

Tubeless tyre air pressure requirement

Compared to tube tyres, tubeless tyres hold air pressure better. However, you should still regularly check the tubeless tyre air pressure for bike at the suggested intervals, just like you would with a tube tyre.

Front and rear tyre pressure

In many two-wheelers, the recommended tyre pressure PSI levels are different for front and rear tyres. Front tyres usually have a lower PSI compared to the rear tyres. Check the specific owner’s manual for front and scooty back tyre air pressure recommendations.

Tyre pressure under load

Besides the difference in front and rear tyre pressure, note that the suggested tyre pressure for two-wheelers can also be different for solo rides and riding with a pillion.

Tyre pressure for scooters

Scooters generally have smaller tyres compared to bikes. But this doesn’t mean they don’t need the same treatment. If you own a scooter, make sure to follow the same guidelines as those of bikes. Also, the tyre pressure setting for all scooters is not the same. So, find yours in the specific owner’s manual.

Impact of Incorrect Tyre Pressure on Bike Insurance Claims

Tyre pressure can play a huge role during insurance claims. You see, correct tyre pressure is essential for optimal handling and safe braking, while incorrect tyre pressure may increase the risk of accidents. During a claim-related vehicle assessment, if the insurer finds obvious reasons/evidence that the accident was caused by the owner’s negligence, such as poor tyre/tube conditions due to long-term incorrect air pressure, then it may lead to a claim rejection.

Hence, maintaining two-wheeler tyre pressure is very important, just like maintaining bike insurance plans. If you are looking for a hassle-free way to buy and renew two-wheeler insurance online, check out Jio Insurance Broking. Find and compare plans from various top insurers in India and buy your preferred policy on a single, unified platform.

Key Takeaways

Whether it's a scooter or a motorcycle, maintaining proper tyre pressure can make all the difference in ride quality and handling. A simple look into the bike’s owner’s manual will reveal the recommended figures, and all you have to do is follow them and do a regular check, preferably once every two weeks or before every long ride.

FAQs

The ideal bike tyre air pressure -- front and rear varies depending on the type of bike, its make, model and variant, and the tyre specifications. Check your vehicle’s owner’s manual for details.

Although 40 PSI tyre pressure may seem a bit towards the higher end, it is recommended in certain bikes and for certain tyre specifications. If your bike’s owner's manual recommends 40 PSI, then you can keep it at that level.

It depends on the specific bike’s make, model and variant, and its tyre specifications. For example, the Bajaj Platina 110 BS6 has a recommended front tyre pressure of 25 PSI and while the bike back tyre air pressure is 28 PSI (solo riding)/ 32 PSI (for riding with a pillion).