Modern Vespa

I know how to do it, but I really mean under what circumstances will give me accurate readings?

Should the tires be cold, room temperature, ridden on for awhile (heated up)?
Should the scooter be on the center stand?

I'd really appreciate knowing this, cause I have a....friend, lets call him (my mother's boyfriend, really) who likes to make sure everyone* has enough air in their tires, he'll even go through the trouble of filling 'em up for you. But my concern is that he isn't doing it correctly. I just measured my front tire after about a three minute ride, and the pressure was at 40 psi (should be at 26.1 or something close). It's about 73 degrees F outside and mostly cloudy......

* - my interest in getting a scooter has encouraged just about everyone in the family to get one....not a bad thing, since mine is easily the pimpin'-est, <_<; , though it did tick me off a bit when my mother got one before me.

cold

Thanks. I figured as much, but what about the center stand; on of off?

cold. put it on the center stand.

Cold and on the center stand is how I do it.

Thank you's all around.

How would you do it off the center stand? 'cuz honestly? I measure my tire pressure on my car with the full weight of the vehicle on them. So why not the scooter?

Sorry, I'm sure I'm over-thinking, but you know I'm right. YOU KNOW!

Yeah, it's why I was asking.

It would be a bit difficult (and dangerous) to do it by yourself, but I bet it could be done.

And an update on the tires, they were over inflated, to put it lightly. Or my pressure gauge isn't accurate.

Common mistake. A lot of people read the sidewall of the tire where it lists Maximum Pressure at Maximum Load and pump it up to that.

They are dead wrong and while it could take too long to explain, it is important to understand this is very bad.

You should set the tires to the bike manufacturer's recommended pressures, or just a bit over (+2 to 4 psi).

P.

I check mine when the tire is cold, and while the scooter is up on the centre stand.

Now with the rapidly changing weather (-2 C in the morning, +9 in the afternoon) I check more frequently, about every other day.

With a Tire gage! I wouldn't use anything else!

+1 Same with your car.

The centre stand is only a convenience - it makes an insignificant difference to the pressure inside to have the weight of the vehicle on the rear tyre. It's the same as the change in volume, which is SFA.

Thanks so much for all the clarifications.

Yes, did you ever air up a car tire off the car and then put it on the car, drop the couple thousand pounds of car on it and measure the pressure again? No significant difference.

By cold we mean that the tires are at the ambient air temperature and that the scoot has not been ridden that day, not put in the refrigerator!! No seriously- I once saw a woman with a Mini pull into a gas station and check her air pressure. She had driven about 50 miles. She said she needed to check her air pressure often because she had low profile tires !! At that rate when she got to where she was going the air would be gone!