My personal experience has shown that riding with the pressure off by a few psi can dramatically affect tire life. Also safety is certainly a factor especially if the pressure is too low. I probably paid way too much for my tire psi gauge but I'm now getting around 15K on a rear tire and twice that on the front. Having said that, spend the change and get a good tire psi gauge.

 

I run a 200 mm rear tire. I kept it over inflated for touring as the bike is loaded. What I accomplished is drastically reducing the life of a $200 tire as it wore out in the middle of the tread. Had to get it changed in Sturgis. I have 6000 miles on the tire from Sturgis and it still looks good. If I had it to do over I would stick with stock size tires as they are almost always available.

 

I use the rubber coated HD one with the handy 90` angle end. It's about a half lb difference than my digital one. They are overpriced though.

 

Very important to keep tire pressures correct ALL the time. If your gage is off a bit probably not a big deal if your can test it with other gages and know where you are would be good but keeping them at the constant if very good practice for several reasons.

 

Yes........

 

I bought a bunch of the real short ones at Wallyworld to $.98 each. I checked each one with a accurate digital gage and all read the same. Put one in each bike.

Cheap does not mean inaccurate. The pencil gages that I have used over the years from advertizing handouts have proven fairly accurate.

 

Thats the gauge I use. I like it cost around $20.00

 

You spent 10 bux on a tire guage? Geez, I feel like a dope with my 99 cent pencil guages. I've got about 15 or 20 of them that I usually swipe en masse,along with key chains & pens from the ambulance chasers & insurance booths that set up at the various bike nights I go to. Funny thing is, if I use 3 or 4 guages on the same tire at the same time, I get 3 or 4 different readings. Might have to invest in a good one. But how do you know which ones are dead-on ***** accurate?