This for 2022 KLR's.
Kawasaki says 21 psi cold F&R with light load. That's one average weight rider with light cargo.
This has always been suspicious to me. That's off road tire pressure in my book. Though I never had issues with the OEM tires, aside from the rear lasting less than 2k miles. But I recently replaced my tires with Dunlop Trailmax Mission tires. At 21/26 psi F/R, the bike would occasionally wobble at high speed when it went over expansion joints, or any big uneven surface that was parallel to my line of travel. The wobble lasted only a few moments before the bike recovers. But I just didn't get it because this never happened with the OEM tires. I checked all axle bolts, pinch bolts, chain alignment, suspension bolts, all were in spec. Still....I also noticed when moving the bike in the garage, there seems to be too much resistance at the tire contact patch. It felt like the tires were flat spotted and needed extra effort to get the bike to roll forward or backwards.
Today, I pumped up the tire pressures to something more normal to me with a bike this heavy. I used my VStrom 650 XT as a baseline, which called for 33/36 psi cold F/R, with a light load. The VStrom is a good 30 lbs. heavier than my KLR. Close enough for government work. I proceeded to pump up my KLR's pressure to 26/30 psi F/R.
What a difference! The wobbling is completely gone! I went out on a highway and found a few expansion joints and rode along the length of them at 80 mph. The bike tracked straight and true. The bike feels significantly more planted now.
Kawasaki says 21 psi cold F&R with light load. That's one average weight rider with light cargo.
This has always been suspicious to me. That's off road tire pressure in my book. Though I never had issues with the OEM tires, aside from the rear lasting less than 2k miles. But I recently replaced my tires with Dunlop Trailmax Mission tires. At 21/26 psi F/R, the bike would occasionally wobble at high speed when it went over expansion joints, or any big uneven surface that was parallel to my line of travel. The wobble lasted only a few moments before the bike recovers. But I just didn't get it because this never happened with the OEM tires. I checked all axle bolts, pinch bolts, chain alignment, suspension bolts, all were in spec. Still....I also noticed when moving the bike in the garage, there seems to be too much resistance at the tire contact patch. It felt like the tires were flat spotted and needed extra effort to get the bike to roll forward or backwards.
Today, I pumped up the tire pressures to something more normal to me with a bike this heavy. I used my VStrom 650 XT as a baseline, which called for 33/36 psi cold F/R, with a light load. The VStrom is a good 30 lbs. heavier than my KLR. Close enough for government work. I proceeded to pump up my KLR's pressure to 26/30 psi F/R.
What a difference! The wobbling is completely gone! I went out on a highway and found a few expansion joints and rode along the length of them at 80 mph. The bike tracked straight and true. The bike feels significantly more planted now.
