Sohoz Tools

Checking and setting tyre pressure

Measure on cold tyres with a gauge, to the figures in your manual or on the bike's sticker.

This guidance is general — not checked for any one model. Your bike's exact figures and procedures are in its owner's manual or at an authorised service centre.

Basic owner maintenanceDifficulty: Easy5–10 minutes

When to do it

  • At least once a week
  • Before a long trip or riding two-up

What you need

  • A tyre-pressure gauge
  • A pump, or the air machine at a filling station

Step by step

  1. 1

    Find the front and rear figures in the manual or on the sticker (often on the chain guard or swingarm) — solo and two-up figures can differ.

  2. 2

    Measure cold — before riding, or a few hours after.

    A warm tyre reads high; do not let air out to match the cold figure.

  3. 3

    Remove the valve cap, press the gauge squarely on, and read it.

    Using an oil dipstick, a tread gauge and a tyre-pressure gauge
    Shown on a car, but the tools work the same way: bottom right, a pressure gauge pressed squarely on the valve.Photo: Colin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  4. 4

    If low, add a little at a time and re-measure; if high, press the valve pin briefly to let some out.

  5. 5

    Refit the valve cap.

  6. 6

    While you are there, look at the tread: once it is level with the wear bars in the grooves, the tyre is due for replacing.

    FineTread above the barReplaceTread level with the barThe bars' positions are marked by small arrows (TWI or △) on the sidewall
    General drawing — not of any particular model

What normal looks like

  • Front and rear figures are usually different; your bike's own figures are the right ones.

Warnings

  • Filling-station machines are not always accurate — your own gauge is better.
  • If a tyre is cut, bulging or shows cords, do not inflate it and ride.

Stop and see a mechanic if

  • The tyre is cut, bulging, cracked or shows cords
  • It loses air again quickly after filling

Sources

  • The owner's manual and service booklet: the only reliable source for your bike's figures and procedures.
  • The tyre-information sticker on the bike, where there is one.

Last reviewed: 2026-10-25