I know you should ride with tires properly inflated.
According to my manual it calls for 36 psi front and 42 psi rear. 2011 Fatboy Lo
But I find when I air it up that high it rides hard. You can feel every bump or rock in the road.
My question is how much can I reduce tire pressure and not have a problem with handling or excess tire wear.

 

My suggestion is to use recomended tire preasures because tire will wear really fast if they are under inflated and will also be a pig in the corners. It looks like your bike is still relatively new and the suspension wil be less stiff over time with riding. Also what you can do is check to see if your preload in the rear is set too high. But, like i said tire wear = preasure so play with at your tires risk, not dangerous you'll just wear faster and the bike can handle like crap.

 

It's there in the book for a reason ..... as the previous poster said give it time for the suspension to settle my 07 rides as it should nice and smooooooth

 

I keep my tires at maximum psi indicated on the tires by manufactor and checked cold, meaning not to ride to get air at the store.

 

I would reduce recomended tire presure by no more then "0" pounds.

 

Yep, everyone is correct. If the ride is the problem, fix the suspension. I ride with my tires a little over inflated. Low tires really affect the handling. Keep em where they belong.

 

Thanks everyone for the comments.
I kind knew the answer to the question before I asked.
can't really soften up the shocks because the the wife rides quite a bit on the back and she is not a tiny lady.

 

If you want a different ride. Get different tires

 

On my 99 Softail Custom Harley says 30 front and 38-40 rear. I run 38 in the front and 40 rear. It seems like a little higher air pressure in the front keeps my tire from cupping on the sides. It does rid a little harder, but not that much. That is not the maximum pressure on either one, both being Harley/Dunlop D-402's.

 

Tire pressure isn't about comfort, it is about getting the rubber to the right temperature in order to have the best adhesion.

Too much air and it doesn't get warmed up and won't stick well. Too little and it can overheat and become slippery. I've crashed with cold tires when I grabbed too much brake and almost crashed on a rental bike that had too little air in the front tire.

The proper tire temperature can be dependent on road temperature, riding style, speed, road conditions or curves, tire brand, etc.

Try to find a pressure that only rises about 10% between cold and hot.