Rear tire psi

[GARYD]

Why oh why does my dealer insist on inflating my rear tire to 40PSI??

Every damn time I pick up my TG from having any service done to it, on the ride home, I feel like I'm riding on solid rubber tires. I should know better and adjust the PSI before leaving the dealer, but I keep forgetting.
I asked why they do it and the service writer said that was Harleys recommendation for all trikes.
I screamed at the idiot that even my big SUV doesn't have that high of PSI. I just double checked my owners manual and it says 26PSI for the rear tires.

Do any of you have a moron dealer that does the same thing??

It's starting to piss me off. The service writer said all I have to do is tell them when I bring my bike in to not put that much pressure in. Good Grief, why the hell should I have to do that?

Next time I'm going to ask if they also put 7 quarts of oil in too.

:gah

[rhino 2]

Why oh why does my dealer insist on inflating my rear tire to 40PSI??
Next time I'm going to ask if they also put 7 quarts of oil in too. :gah

Don't do that they might recalculate the bill and then charge you for 7 Quarts...

[Steve on 3]

Yeah...the VW dealer we take my wife's Passat to airs the tires to 40 and says "Look on the sidewall it says max load at 40 psi" I told him the German engineers who designed the car say to put this amount in and that is what I want.

In addition to a stiff ride, you will wear the center out of the tread and the shoulders will still look like new. But you will get great mileage. Make them write it on the service request. Check it before you leave. My limited had 0 psi air in the rear shocks when I brought it home after paying them to do a Predelivery set up.

No more mechanics, just parts changers

[jaxbobg]

It's the same thing everywhere you go. Most bike mechanics are trained on maintenance of the basic motorcycle, not the trike rear end.

Unless they have been through some kind of trike specific classes, they see the back end of our bikes as a some kind of auto mash-up. Does almost no good to talk to them about it either.

Best thing I've learned to do is my own maintenance on the trike components. Current ride is my third trike and I've never had a problem on the road, since I personally know the condition of the rear end.

[HarleyPap57]

Why oh why does my dealer insist on inflating my rear tire to 40PSI??

Every damn time I pick up my TG from having any service done to it, on the ride home, I feel like I'm riding on solid rubber tires. I should know better and adjust the PSI before leaving the dealer, but I keep forgetting.
I asked why they do it and the service writer said that was Harleys recommendation for all trikes.
I screamed at the idiot that even my big SUV doesn't have that high of PSI. I just double checked my owners manual and it says 26PSI for the rear tires.

Do any of you have a moron dealer that does the same thing??

It's starting to piss me off. The service writer said all I have to do is tell them when I bring my bike in to not put that much pressure in. Good Grief, why the hell should I have to do that?

Next time I'm going to ask if they also put 7 quarts of oil in too.

:gah

I have the same problem at the Harley-Dealer where I get mine serviced.

42 psi in the front and 36 psi in both rears.

I asked them about it and they said that's what the tire maker recommended. Went out and got my book from the bike and showed them they were WRONG again. Wonder the dang wheel did not come apart at 34 but you had 40

Thinking about getting a lift and doing my own service work. Only time HD will see me is if its warranty work needed.

[DK Custom Products]

I have the same problem at the Harley-Dealer where I get mine serviced. 42 psi in the front and 36 psi in both rears. I asked them about it and they said that's what the tire maker recommended. Went out and got my book from the bike and showed them they were WRONG again. Wonder the dang wheel did not come apart at 34 but you had 40

Thinking about getting a lift and doing my own service work. Only time HD will see me is if its warranty work needed.

Yep, only time the TG is at the dealer is for warranty work.

They call them techs for a reason...they are NOT mechanics, and do not appear to be able to read the manual either. Sad, really. Over the years, almost every good mechanic I've seen has left the HD Dealerships.

Kevin

[Springman2007]

Well, for many years, soon as I left the warranty gate......the first service....I have usually performed my own service on all my bikes.

But, now with some of my health problems....well, I just seem to find it best to allow some of the work to be done by someone else these days...

I still am able. and perform, the general maintenance. But, some of the other stuff I have done now.

Example: I just had Southeast HD install a 54 Amp charge kit and do some follow-up warranty stuff. And, when I get my TTS-100 Cams, I will probably ask Roeders to install and tune it.

The truth is that for some of us, as we get a little farther along, we sometime have to ask for help. I hope someone at HD can see how important having competent service people are, because just like me, I see HD's whole customer-base is getting older..... The blow-off I recently got at LEHD has sort of soured me on asking them for anything again.....

I am not asking for geniuses, just competent people that can apply common sense to their working methods....

There are still some out there....I just wish HD would cultivate and keep them better....

Now, with the above said, I have to say that my recent service was VERY, VERY good; and, I can easily recommend Southeast for Trike service work. Also, I don't think they did anything to my tire PSI; but, I will double-check tonight after work.....

Springman

[KJB]

Yeah...the VW dealer we take my wife's Passat to airs the tires to 40 and says "Look on the sidewall it says max load at 40 psi"

I used to have a motorhome that rode great at 80 to 85 psi. Every time I had it serviced the facility would air all six tires up to 115 psi which is what was on the sidewall. It made the motorhome ride like a lumber wagon and I immediately lowered the pressure when I got home. When I asked them about it I was told it is a liability issue that they air to the maximum.

[FuzzyWuzHe]

I feel very fortunate ... at my dealer, they have the senior tech do all work on the big touring bikes, Ultras, Limiteds, Trikes, CVO's etc. Anyway ... he's great ... very knowledgeable and only one that touches my trike. He's been there since I've been here ... 1997. Good guy and kinda writes his own ticket there. I've often asked him why he doesn't open his own shop. He says he doesn't want the hassle, got to the point at this dealer where he gets to chose what jobs he does and what bikes he works on.

He's happy, which in my opinion makes the customers happy.

[irmagoo]

not trying to defend anyone but guess I would tell them up front what tire pressure to set front/rear at... that's what I do with my stuff... and if I or they forget setting to pressure on tire side wall is better than them not doing any thing in my opinion on my stuff,,, caution my opinion has not me tooo far in life so far!!!
magoo

[GARYD]

I respectfully disagree. Why is it up to us to tell the dealer how to do their job. They should know what the specs are. Do I tell my dealer or my car dealer how much oil to put in??? No. I expect them to know.

After reading some other threads on this forum and others, you may be right, we do have to tell the dealers what we want and how to do it - since they do what THEY want to do and not what the factory says to do.

[DK Custom Products]

Well, for many years, soon as I left the warranty gate......the first service....I have usually performed my own service on all my bikes.

But, now with some of my health problems....well, I just seem to find it best to allow some of the work to be done by someone else these days...

I still am able. and perform, the general maintenance. But, some of the other stuff I have done now.

Example: I just had Southeast HD install a 54 Amp charge kit and do some follow-up warranty stuff. And, when I get my TTS-100 Cams, I will probably ask Roeders to install and tune it.

The truth is that for some of us, as we get a little farther along, we sometime have to ask for help. I hope someone at HD can see how important having competent service people are, because just like me, I see HD's whole customer-base is getting older..... The blow-off I recently got at LEHD has sort of soured me on asking them for anything again.....

I am not asking for geniuses, just competent people that can apply common sense to their working methods....

There are still some out there....I just wish HD would cultivate and keep them better....

Now, with the above said, I have to say that my recent service was VERY, VERY good; and, I can easily recommend Southeast for Trike service work. Also, I don't think they did anything to my tire PSI; but, I will double-check tonight after work.....

Springman

I know what you mean about having others do some of the work...I can't do everything I used to, there are just some things that I am fortunate that my biz partner can do it for me when I hit those points. But if I did not have him available, I would use an Indy shop, that seems to be where the mechanics are these days.

Every year, it seems that common sense is less and less common.

For HD, looking at it from their perspective of making $, and who the majority of their customers are, it makes sense to hire parts changers for a fraction of the cost of mechanics.

not trying to defend anyone but guess I would tell them up front what tire pressure to set front/rear at...

that's what I do with my stuff... and if I or they forget setting to pressure on tire side wall is better than them not doing any thing in my opinion on my stuff,,, caution my opinion has not me tooo far in life so far!!!
magoo

If only it were that easy, and I'm sure it is with many dealers, but the techs that work at dealerships in my area don't seem to be able to read the work order. I can't remember the last time they did everything on the work order...they just seem to have too short of an attention span to actually read it. Sad, but true.

I have a bike that has a custom paint job on it, it was in for some warranty work and I had the service writer put in ALL CAPS, not to wash the bike when they were done. When I picked it up, they had washed it anyway, and there was a good size scratch on the front fender where their minimum wage wash guy had dragged the water hose across it.

Kevin

[GARYD]

I know what you mean about having others do some of the work...I can't do everything I used to, there are just some things that I am fortunate that my biz partner can do it for me when I hit those points. But if I did not have him available, I would use an Indy shop, that seems to be where the mechanics are these days.

Every year, it seems that common sense is less and less common.

For HD, looking at it from their perspective of making $, and who the majority of their customers are, it makes sense to hire parts changers for a fraction of the cost of mechanics.



If only it were that easy, and I'm sure it is with many dealers, but the techs that work at dealerships in my area don't seem to be able to read the work order. I can't remember the last time they did everything on the work order...they just seem to have too short of an attention span to actually read it. Sad, but true.

I have a bike that has a custom paint job on it, it was in for some warranty work and I had the service writer put in ALL CAPS, not to wash the bike when they were done. When I picked it up, they had washed it anyway, and there was a good size scratch on the front fender where their minimum wage wash guy had dragged the water hose across it.

Kevin

You too???

My dealer put a scratch in my lower fender and when I bitched holy hell, they said bring it in and we'll send it out to our painter. I asked how long will that take. He said now it will be about 3 to 5 weeks. I said thanks but no thanks.

I took a magic marker and fixed it myself - no one ever noticed it.

You are right - they don't (or can't) read.

SAD - VERY SAD

[Jerry/MD]

Wonder where they got those numbers? Doesn't match what's in my Owners Manual (26 rear, 36 front).

Speaking of tire pressure...based on other information from this wonderful forum I have kept my rear tires at 21-22#. Much better ride quality and fewer groans from the BSR.

Jerry

[GARYD]

Those are the figures in my book also.
It boggles the mind the brain power of these dealer employees.

This is why I buy a parts manual for every bike. When I need a part, I look it up and I TELL THEM what I want.

[Springman2007]

This is why I buy a parts manual for every bike. When I need a part, I look it up and I TELL THEM what I want.

ME TOO

Springman

[Sloufoot]

Has anyone that is running rear pressure around 20#-22# had any tread cupping ? On my OEM's each square in the tread has a slight cup to it. It looks a lot like tread squirm on the pavement. Not a lot of wear, but I can see it. I have been running 22#psi.

[DK Custom Products]

Has anyone that is running rear pressure around 20#-22# had any tread cupping ? On my OEM's each square in the tread has a slight cup to it. It looks a lot like tread squirm on the pavement. Not a lot of wear, but I can see it. I have been running 22#psi.

I've been running 20-21 psi for 10's of thousand of miles. No cupping, but what is surprising is that even with that low psi, I still get more wear on the center treads (like you normally would see with an overfilled tire).

Kevin

[Oldmsocko]

Has anyone that is running rear pressure around 20#-22# had any tread cupping ? On my OEM's each square in the tread has a slight cup to it. It looks a lot like tread squirm on the pavement. Not a lot of wear, but I can see it. I have been running 22#psi.

I have not noticed that and I run 21 to 22 lbs.

[DK Custom Products]

I have not noticed that and I run 21 to 22 lbs.

Yeah, it's weird...I've been thinking it might have to do with lighting up the rear tires.

Back to Slou's question...are you getting any cupping?

Kevin