My GSA handles weird lately

[SourKraut]

Put a new set of tires, fill them properly and it will transform the bike. I'm always amazed at the difference when I get a new set of tires.

[Lensgrinder]

Originally Posted by SourKraut

Put a new set of tires, fill them properly and it will transform the bike. I'm always amazed at the difference when I get a new set of tires.

+1 on this.
Also the tires that come stock are not known for lasting very long, so you are probably due anyway.

[vagueout]

Originally Posted by motorbikeman

Filled air. 38psi front and 42psi rear. The bike seems much more agile now. Great advise from ADV members as usual. My rear tyre seems to have squared off a bit though.

What I don't understand is how did the workshop guys filled 32psi front and 36psi rear right from the start and even after my first service!

Arrghhh! Please take this personal, what were you thinking relying on the "workshop guys" to pump your tyres??? I concur fully with lhendrik, even if your experience is none to minimal start NOW, and tyre pressures are a basic operator responsibility. Buy a cheap plug in compressor, a good gage in psi and you are laughing. Get yourself a good compact puncture kit (string type), learn to use it and you have built in reliance and reliability. We all start from some point and never stop learning.

[motorbikeman]

Originally Posted by vagueout

Arrghhh! Please take this personal, what were you thinking relying on the "workshop guys" to pump your tyres??? I concur fully with lhendrik, even if your experience is none to minimal start NOW, and tyre pressures are a basic operator responsibility. Buy a cheap plug in compressor, a good gage in psi and you are laughing. Get yourself a good compact puncture kit (string type), learn to use it and you have built in reliance and reliability. We all start from some point and never stop learning.

I always carry a puncture kit and a mini compressor. But I always used to rely on 2.2 bar for the front and 2.5 bar for the rear as prescribed in the manual! As long as my TPM showed that reading I was okay. In fact, the minute it dropped below those numbers I used to fill it up. I guess it was just a confusion which has been cleared now. 38psi front and 42psi rear is what I'm gonna follow now.

Thanks again guys!

[viz]

Originally Posted by vagueout

Sorry to jump on your advice, but these have ball-joints instead of conventional steering head bearings, and i've yet to hear of one of these failing other than due to crash damage.

No offence taken

Just to make sure we are talking about the same thing - I am referring to the "angular contact bearing" in the yoke - not the ball joints in the telever. I don't think these are conventional bearings either; however they will cause problems from water ingress, accident damage and poor servicing (I have had a problem after an RM2 damper was fitted that caused low speed handling issues).

Tyre pressures never really affected the handling of my bike to the extent of what the OP talked about - I continuously change pressures from 20 (min, front) to 42 (max, rear), depending on what surface I am riding on and what load I am carrying. Tyre wear will change the handling a bit, but again depends on the type.

However, having said all that - if a change in tyre pressures fixes the problem then all's good.

viz

[tommyvdv]

Originally Posted by motorbikeman

Filled air. 38psi front and 42psi rear. The bike seems much more agile now. Great advise from ADV members as usual. My rear tyre seems to have squared off a bit though.

What I don't understand is how did the workshop guys filled 32psi front and 36psi rear right from the start and even after my first service!

My workshop guy also does this. He prefers the minimal pressure and loves to keep it below that.
Every time i visit, my tires are flat.

When i confront him he says; lower tire pressure gives more grip.
The way i see it, lower tire pressure increases wear and chances of cupping the tires.
In other words, he's trying to sell me more tires.

But let's say the workshop guys are looking out for your safety in stead. Sounds nice doesn't it?

[WoodButcher]

Originally Posted by motorbikeman

Filled air. 38psi front and 42psi rear. The bike seems much more agile now. Great advise from ADV members as usual. My rear tyre seems to have squared off a bit though.

What I don't understand is how did the workshop guys filled 32psi front and 36psi rear right from the start and even after my first service!

The reason the shop fills it to 32 front and 36 rear is that is what BMW calls for in the manual. Some people like to run slightly higher (2 extra psi), like me, and others like it much higher. Don't blame the service guys for following specs.

I find that everything works just fine at the spec pressure, but you need to check tire pressure at least weekly. So it you were running spec from the shop and don't check often then they will get lower than you want. If you are running a little higher then you have some margin if you don't check often.

And yes, riding in a straight line will square off the tire and affect how it steers.

[simoneau]

Also check the preload on the rear shock. If the preload adjusment device has lost fluid, the shock may be at too low a preload for your weight and luggage. The original shock spring is sized for a 180 lb load any more than that then you should add preload to the shock. This will bring the back of the bike up to the design level and quicken the steering back to standard feel.

[viz]

Originally Posted by WoodButcher

The reason the shop fills it to 32 front and 36 rear is that is what BMW calls for in the manual. Some people like to run slightly higher (2 extra psi), like me, and others like it much higher. Don't blame the service guys for following specs.

I find that everything works just fine at the spec pressure, but you need to check tire pressure at least weekly. So it you were running spec from the shop and don't check often then they will get lower than you want. If you are running a little higher then you have some margin if you don't check often.

And yes, riding in a straight line will square off the tire and affect how it steers.

^^^ Wot he said

32/36 is my normal one-up tar riding tyre pressure

viz

[bobbybob]

Originally Posted by tommyvdv

....When i confront him he says; lower tire pressure gives more grip.
The way i see it, lower tire pressure increases wear and chances of cupping the tires.

Lower tire pressure *will* increase the contact patch but at the expense of introducing more tread "squirm", less feedback, slower handling, and increased effort required to move the handlebars. I was really feeling the above in my 10 GS after the first 5K or so and raised the pressures to 36/42. The difference was shocking. Although the ride was a tad harsher, the handling was SO much better it completely negates it. And the cornering grip feels unchanged. I also think the extra pressure adds a little curve to the "flat-center" after 5K miles of wear and helps the turn-in.

[Willie B]

I loaned my GS to a buddy to ride earlier this year. I rode my Multistrada for a while, and when I got back on the GS, I felt like molasses on a cold winter day. I first attributed the slow steering to the differing front rake of the Ducati, but once I checked the tire pressures, realized the tires were under inflated. My friend had taken the bike to the dealer for a service after using the bike and they had obviously deflated the tires. Once I pumped them up, the bike rode fine.

[Pickup man]

I keep my Tourances at 2.4 front and 2.8 rear. Better handling and better wear. Fuel
economy is optimal pumped up as well.