Boxerworks.com

My two "modern" bikes are 1150 oilheads - - an '01 GS and an '03 RT. 99.9 percent of my riding is solo or solo with bags and topbox. The manuals have three recommended pressure settings: solo, two-up, and two-up with baggage. However, opinions about tire pressures seem to be all over the place. Some say just run 40/40 and forget it. Others say run the highest recommended pressures, i.e. two-up with baggage, at all times. They cite better gas mileage, better treadwear, less sidewall flex (and therefore, more safety), and less potential of damaging a wheel should you hit a pothole or similar. For a long time, I've been running the two-up pressures but I think it may be cutting into my tread wear. Lately I've dropped back to the mid-way point between the recommended solo and two-up pressures. What do y'all think or does it really matter that much as long as the pressures are somewhere within the recommended low and high ranges?

42r 40f

I run about 36f 38r when solo - not too far off of Macdaddy.I bump it up to the two-up pressure for long doubles riding. This is on a '96, so I have the 18" rear tire which holds a bit more volume.

The highest recommended pressures will not give you the best tire wear when riding solo, and they will give a little harsher ride, but they certainly will protect the rims better and will give a little better mileage. One bent rim erases a hell of a lot of tire mileage savings, so I could see that being a practical choice.