New bike had 60 psi in the rear tire

[East Bay Mike]

I knew better but didn't check the tire pressure before my first ride from home.

Got a new Speed Triple RS yesterday, did a quick "test ride" at the dealership in town. Today I went out for a 25 mile ride and it definitely felt extra bumpy/stiff especially at higher speeds. I figured it was just because the suspension is "stiffer" than my old bike. It didn't feel very planted in the turns when I think about it. I'm still a relative newbie, though, so I don't know much.

Got home and...

Front 29 psi (34 recommended)
Rear 60 psi (42 recommended)

When riding today I got a low tire pressure warning light for both tires, and a warning for the tire pressure monitoring system which doesn't appear to be working....

I'm wondering if I should try unplugging the battery for a few hours to see if I can reset the system.

Any other similar stories of improperly setup bikes?

 

[banshee01]

That is BS man, the tech has to check that bike out before the customer gets it. That could have caused you to crash. I would call the dealer and let them know so they can straighten that out. That shouldn't be happening

My coworkers 701 was leaking oil from the cam chain tensioner brand new from the dealer. Nothing they installed though

Where I work we get about 5 new bikes purchased every year. Over 30 of us ride but no setup problems

 

[East Bay Mike]

That is BS man, the tech has to check that bike out before the customer gets it. That could have caused you to crash. I would call the dealer and let them know so they can straighten that out. That shouldn't be happening

My coworkers 701 was leaking oil from the cam chain tensioner brand new from the dealer. Nothing they installed though

Where I work we get about 5 new bikes purchased every year. Over 30 of us ride but no setup problems

After thinking about it I'm definitely upset. Makes me question this dealer, big-time. What a red flag.

Hopefully the TPMS gets fixed with a computer software update? I won't unplugging the battery yet. I'll call tomorrow and see what they have to say. :apeopcorn:blah

 

[Izzy_C]

Bikes usually ship with the OE tires on the rim right?

So this isn't a case of a tech using high PSI to bead a tire and then forgetting to let some air out.

I wonder if someone in the prep just topped it off and was like "good enuf" without looking at a gauge. I've gotten my bike back from getting new tires with a couple more PSI than the spec but honestly that's no biggie.

 

[stangmx13]

the tech prob filled the rear tire until the TPMS light went off, which is busted.

 

[Caddywumpus]

Measure tire pressure cold.

 

[ST Guy]

I wonder what else the dealermissed.

 

[FreeRyde]

Measure tire pressure cold.

Are you serious?

 

[Whammy]

Would make Whammy think twice about that dealership.:wtf
Not that they will do much for you.. but take it back, tell them what you found and, ask to speak to the service manager:thumbdown

 

[Caddywumpus]

Are you serious?

You measure it when hot?

 

[ScottRNelson]

Measure tire pressure cold.

Are you serious?

You measure it when hot?

It is difficult to get even a 5 psi increase in pressure with hard riding. Measuring when hot won't be exactly the same as when cold, but normally it won't differ by more than about 2 psi. If you're a rider that can tell a half pound difference in pressure, then check when cold. If you're like me and just want it close, it doesn't make a big difference when you check, just that you check.

 

[East Bay Mike]

It is difficult to get even a 5 psi increase in pressure with hard riding. Measuring when hot won't be exactly the same as when cold, but normally it won't differ by more than about 2 psi. If you're a rider that can tell a half pound difference in pressure, then check when cold. If you're like me and just want it close, it doesn't make a big difference when you check, just that you check.

Yea, and it was pretty cool last night when I got home, mid 50s. I was riding pretty easy for the last 10 minutes....pressure couldn’t have gone up more than a few psi.

 

[banshee01]

I bet with the proper tire pressure you are really gonna love that bike!

What are your plans for mods? Full exhaust and a powercommamder fir some weight savings, better fueling, and better sound. The power increase is not needed but the other benefits sure are nice

 

[dravnx]

Mike, Take a couple of deep breaths and relax. I don't know what you do for a living but I bet you don't go through a day without making a mistake.
A human incorrectly set the tire pressure.

Something isn't right. The fact that you set the tire pressure to the correct pressure and got a TPMS warning suggests you may have a bad tire pressure gauge. Have you confirmed the pressures with a known good gauge?

 

[East Bay Mike]

I bet with the proper tire pressure you are really gonna love that bike!

What are your plans for mods? Full exhaust and a powercommamder fir some weight savings, better fueling, and better sound. The power increase is not needed but the other benefits sure are nice

I took it pretty easy but I’m sure it’ll feel so much better with proper psi. Also, I need to start adjusting the suspension to see what really feels good. I do a pretty even mix of riding on city/backroad/twisties/freeway so I’ll have to find a nice happy medium.

No clue what if any mods, I kind of like stock but I have a feeling I’m gonna find some stuff to mod. With my exhausting search for my next bike over, I have to focus my efforts on something, right?

 

[East Bay Mike]

Mike, Take a couple of deep breaths and relax. I don't know what you do for a living but I bet you don't go through a day without making a mistake.
A human incorrectly set the tire pressure.

Something isn't right. The fact that you set the tire pressure to the correct pressure and got a TPMS warning suggests you may have a bad tire pressure gauge. Have you confirmed the pressures with a known good gauge?

I need to ride the bike with the correct tire pressure and see if that clears any TPMS warnings.

I didn’t use a “proper” gauge, just some cheap Tekton digital gauge. So yes, I’ll donor check with a known good gauge next time.

And yea, I make lots of mistakes. I’m not mad at anyone but is it unreasonable to ask the dealer to do a full inspection on the bike? I’ll be checking the oil when I get home, but I fear all kinds of critical components/bolts may not be good to go....

Thank you.

 

[Climber]

Maybe it's just me, but I'd check the oil drain nut, it might be over-torqued.

People make mistakes occasionally, some people are diligent enough to rarely, rarely ever make mistakes, others make mistakes far more frequently.

This is one reason that I've done my own brakes for 3 decades.

60 psi is way too high, and if the tire sensor's aren't reading right, the technician didn't do his/her job. Isn't a large portion of the dealer mark-up bike prep? Obviously, a casual check would have shown this issue and it should have been taken care of before the OP picked up his bike. The fact that they just handed it over to him at the dealership is a huge red flag to me.

 

[dravnx]

I thought the bikes were uncrated and assembled by outside contractors and then delivered to the dealer.

 

[auditude]

In my experience, if the tire pressure is too high, it doesn’t allow sufficient warming up of the rubber.

I learned this the hard way, mid corner, when my front was over inflated. My front end washed out while I was leaned over and started a slide, caught traction and threw me up horizontally over the bike a la Superman.

I remembered thinking, “f—-, this is gonna hurt”, when the tire caught traction, and went upright in to the on coming lane. Thankfully, no other cars in the opposite direction. I come back down, nutsack first on to the tank and run wide in to the shoulder and gingerly pull over to say a few Hail Marys.

I rolled back around to inspect the corner for debris, oil, moisture, etc and find zip.

On my tire, I did see the distinct signs of a slide/skid pattern going across the tire to support the front end washing out. It was very much as if I grabbed a handful of brake mid-corner which was not the case.

My anomaly was likely due to several factors:

1) low ambient temps
2) high tire pressure
3) low road temp

The above never allowed the tire to warm up resulting in my loss of traction.

TL;DR: Remember to drink your Ovaltine...

 

[fubar929]

And yea, I make lots of mistakes. I’m not mad at anyone but is it unreasonable to ask the dealer to do a full inspection on the bike?

A dealer's goal is to make as much money from service as possible. As a result, they hire the cheapest techs and give them the minimum amount of time possible to do their work. As you can imagine, this doesn't always lead to the best outcomes for riders.

I learned a long time ago that a $15/hr tech doesn't value my life as much as I do. These days, I either do maintenance myself or take the bike to someone I trust. In my case, that's Jim Davis at Advanced Cycle Service in San Jose but I'm sure there are other independent shops that are just as good.