I'm riding up to an hour to my riding trails lately, so wondering what the correct tire pressure are for the klx250 (330)? I'm used to running alot lower psi on the trails.

Geared up and with tools in weighing in at about 125-30kg (of that has any bearing on the required PSI).

Thanks

 

That can be a personal preference. I usually run around 32 psi. Seems to work well for me on about every bike I've ridden on the road. For sure on my street bikes. With my Nighthawk S the front tire would patter slightly in some cornering when aired up higher, dropping to 32 took that out. Did the same with a friend who was riding a sweet rare (in North America) NS400 Triple. He was experiencing the same issue and dropping from 36 psi to 32 psi took care of it.

But again different riders may have different experiences with different bikes and tires. I'm not absolutely sure on my 250 with the Duro Median HF903/904s on it. With the KLX650, being heavier, I run 32 psi with the Duros and it works great, keeping me up with my sport bike riding friends in the corners. I still need more time on the 250, but they work pretty good. The 250 is just so light, I don't have anywhere near the confidence hard cornering on pavement that I have with the 650.

 

Thanks. I appreciate your reply. I've been doing the road stints on 15psi thinking that was satisfactory 🤦

 

That's more off road pressure. Generates more heat on the road, but probably not enough to be any issue. The higher pressure will give better feel in cornering on the street once you're used to it. The lower pressure would allow a fair amount of sidewall and tread flex.

 

25psi as per user manual

 

Remember one thing I learned when selling bikes. The manual gives the pressure the manufacturer feels will give the rider best performance. In the late 70s and early 80s almost all of the standard and custom style street bikes recommended 24 psi in the front tire, way low if a rider rides a bit harder. Sport bike recommendations were upward of 36 psi, but sometimes the higher pressure caused front end "patter" in turns, which were resolved by dropping a few psi. Not all riders are the same. Not all tires are the same. Not all bikes are the same. So 25 psi or 32 psi are simply starting points.

As I pointed out, 32 psi seems to work for me on the street on most bikes and tires I've used. Maybe Kawasaki feels 25 psi is a good general pressure for all uses, including off road. I looked in a 2009 shop manual that also took the Asian KLX Dirt Tracker which ran 18/19 wheels. The 18/21 was 22 psi, the 18/19 was 33 psi rear/29 psi front.. I will say 22 or 25 psi may work for some lighter off road work, but more consistently riders are running 15-20 psi off road and on rougher dirt/gravel roads. The 22 and 25 psi are likely to simply be what Kawasaki believes will work best both on and off road in general. Reality is higher pressure will give better tire wear and possibly road fee, where a lower pressure will work best for off road use where the surfaces may be loose and/or slippery.

That's why I note that it is personal preference as one builds experience. The manual has no idea how or where a rider is riding.

 

I run 8-12 psi offroad depending on conditions... Wet, dry, rocky. I've even had to lower it down to 3psi just so I could get back out of a valley on wet red clay trails with clogged up dunlop d605's 😁

 

25 psi for street and 15 for dirt.

 

Yep, personal preference and experience. The manual just sets the starting point for some.