How often do you check your tire pressure?

[drlapo]

Accu guage
Once a week and before the ride if I haven't ridden in more than a week

[LowRyter]

Not often enough as evidenced by my ride to the last Okla Campout



Is Okla on that list of one of the most dangerous places to live?

[Lcarlson]

I check every few weeks or before a long ride. I've never seen a major underinflation with this practice. No point in being too anal.

[Vasco DG]

When I remember. As long as the bike feels OK I don't fuss. Perhaps I'm sensitive but if, especially the front, drops by as little as 2PSI from where I want it I can feel it the moment I'm out of the driveway. Seasonal changes are particularly noticeable and the 10% rule works well.

Pete

[Shorty]

I check them before riding every time they have been sitting unridden for more than a couple weeks. Before any ride other than commuting, or if the bike starts to wallow. 

[guzzipete]

What TPMS system are you guys using? I'm specially interested in a V7 II (presumably the same for a V7) and getting an immediate warning of a sudden decrease in air pressure/blowout on my inner tube.

Any info on whether these systems actually work?

I use a TireGard, but I am thinking about upgrading to one of these.

http://www.amazon.com/Steelmate-Motorcycle-Monitoring-Waterproof-Dustproof/dp/B0147W88XM

Supposed to be water and dust proof and has a small foot print. For me the down side is that it has to be wired into to bikes electrical system. Ideally a switched power source. I would like to purchase one and move it from bike to bike.

[rob-mg]

Every time I ride using one of these. Nice piece of kit.

Longacers appear to be very nice gauges. Is that one dry or fluid? Does it hold the pressure reading until released? If not, does that make any difference as a practical matter? Anything you don't like about it?

One other question - can the hose be removed so that one could connect the chuck directly to the gauge and use it one-handed?

[rob-mg]

My TPMS is a Hawks Head.  I got the smaller, portable version cause I can put the sensors on the RV when I take it on trips.  I also like that it tells me the tire temp as well.

Response to a sudden decrease in pressure is pretty fast, less than one second.  You can test it just by unscrewing the sensor.  I love mine.

If I were to get another one I'd consider an inside the tire mount version.  But, I change my own tires and would worry that I'd hit the thing with a tire spoon  :( 

Tubes are fine.  As long as you have a metal valve stem that is fixed to the rim with locknuts then the screw on type will work.  Just do NOT use Slime or anything like that in the tire or it will mess up the sensors.

It had not occurred to me that using a sensor means not using Slime or equivalent. If you're right, it makes for a difficult decision.

[malik]

I use Tyrecheckers (http://www.tyrecheckers.com.au/images/mechanical_tyrechecker_animation.gif) so can tell at a glance, just by looking. Not 100% reliable, but pretty good. Some tyres, notably the Enfields', lose air quicker with disuse than others.

As for gauges, the tyre professionals I have asked say a cheap mechanical one is as good & as accurate as anything else.

Mal

[tpeever]

Longacers appear to be very nice gauges. Is that one dry or fluid? Does it hold the pressure reading until released? If not, does that make any difference as a practical matter? Anything you don't like about it?

One other question - can the hose be removed so that one could connect the chuck directly to the gauge and use it one-handed?

I like it a lot. Very high quality. I was fed up with the crappy gauges I had used for years. Fluid filled. Holds pressure until released. Everything is solidly connected together so checking pressures is a two-handed job.

[BrianK]

Before every ride, with an AccuGage.

"TPMS"?  Man, my bike has ignition POINTS.     

[rob-mg]

As for gauges, the tyre professionals I have asked say a cheap mechanical one is as good & as accurate as anything else.

A pressure gauge for a motorcycle covers 0-4 Bar or 0-60 PSI.

A pressure gauge for a boiler is the same thing but with a different range.

All in all, I'd like both to be reasonably accurate.

In the case of a motorcycle, it seems to me that if one has access to two or three cheap gauges it's possible to more or less assess the general accuracy of one of them.

Or one can buy a gauge that one has confidence in and check it from time to time against other gauges.

Then there's the view of some riders that feeling is determinative and gauges are irrelevant. Hopefully this is more accurate than replacing a torque wrench with "elbow feel".

[rob-mg]

I like it a lot. Very high quality. I was fed up with the crappy gauges I had used for years. Fluid filled. Holds pressure until released. Everything is solidly connected together so checking pressures is a two-handed job.

Thanks, great information.

Being a bit of a tool freak, I came down a few days ago to between the Lanacre model you have or the Intercomp equivalent (although the Intercomp won't hold a pressure reading). In both cases, what I liked, apart from the quality, was the ability to over-inflate and bleed off air to bring the tire down to desired pressure.

Then I came across a third possibility, which I went with on a whim. I'll post about it tomorrow, when I have time to find a coulple of links that will help explain the decision. I suspect you'll get a kick out it.

[rob-mg]

After looking at a lot of gauges, and narrowing it down to an Intercomp or Longacre, I came across Flaig and decided to go with it: http://www.flaig-pr�zision.de (see the PS at the end re this URL)

Aerostich sells a Flaig gauge, but not the version with an air pressure release valve: http://www.aerostich.com/flaig-tire-gauge.html

Apart from Aerostich, it is unavailable in North America except from a few specialist Porsche dealers.

If I understand correctly, the Porsche connection goes back to this gauge being a part of Porsche tool kits decades ago.

The decision to go with it was influenced by this video, which while in German clearly illustrates the operation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHfq4cirAA8

I was also influenced by the evaluation on this site of 19 tire gauges (in German): http://www.motorradonline.de/motorradzubehoer/motorrad-luftdruckpruefer-im-test/491398

Here's what I like about the version that I've ordered:

It has a reputation for being highly accurate (indeed, comes with a calibration certificate)
It can be sent to the factory for recalibration
It's compact and can be used one-handed
It holds the pressure value until released
It has a bleed valve
The above video appears to confirm reports that the chucks are extremely well-designed, so that air bleed when taking a pressure reading is negligible
The version that I'm getting comes with 0, 45 and 90 degree chucks
I really like that it reads in bar as well as psi, because I find the distribution of bar values less fussy/easier to read

Re price, the current state of the Euro makes it comparable to Intercomp or Longacre. The version that I've purchased also comes with a tread depth gauge (although anyone with a vernier gauge doesn't need one) for an additional 5 euros.

If there's interest, I'll report back on how its working out after I receive it in about a week's time.

P.S. The URL for Flaig apparently won't work here because the site won't recognize the German "a" umlaut. So if you're interested, enter the URL manually or just do a Google search.

[kingoffleece]

I check them every week at home and every morning on the road.  I've got a nice very high quality fluid filled gauge in the shop and a electronic for the road which I've checked against the shop gauge.

I also use an old timer's trick of kicking my tires after every stop as I'm walking back to the bike.  Force of habit that saved a problem for a RoadKing buddy one time.

[motoTommaso]

After looking at a lot of gauges, and narrowing it down to an Intercomp or Longacre, I came across Flaig and decided to go with it: http://www.flaig-pr�zision.de (see the PS at the end re this URL)

<snippage>

Apart from Aerostich, it is unavailable in North America except from a few specialist Porsche dealers.

<mo'  snippage>just do a Google search.

Thank you sir.  I did just that.  Available in the USA from http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/motorcycle/5525402.html  as well as Aerostich.

Tommaso

[rob-mg]

Thank you sir.  I did just that.  Available in the USA from http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/motorcycle/5525402.html  as well as Aerostich.

Tommaso

That site says it's no longer available. Apart from Aerostitch, the only US dealers I could find are a couple of Porsche dealers in Atlanta and Florida.

I ordered from http://remedur.com on its E-Bay store, which had the best price (70 Euros + 6 Euros for shipping): http://www.ebay.de/itm/FLAIG-Reifendruck-Messgerat-4-Bar-Ablassventil-Reifenprofil-Messgerat-/361447091600?hash=item5427eced90 They also sell it without the tread gauge for 5 Euros less.

I suspect that it could also be purchased directly from Flaig in whatever configuration you want.

[toolittletime]

I check tire pressure before every ride. If I'm on a trip somewhere, I check it in the morning before I leave for the day. Overkill? I don't think so.

Me Too.....

Not just pressure , but get down and look at the treads for imbedded nails/screws....easier to fix in the garage than on the roadside...jus sayin!!

Digital gauge....not really cheap (25.00)
Tim

[PJPR01]

A new wireless bluetooth TPMS gadget came on the market...got one today at MPH and installed it on the Norge, clears all brembos or other wheel hardware and works great!  Thanks Mike!

It's called FOBO Bike...super easy caps to screw on to existing stems, and you install the FOBO app on the phone and you have a nice immediate display of the tire pressure once you recognize the caps via the app.  You can set the limits of each tire and the app gives you an alarm when out of that range.  Also good if you want to add multiple bikes or cars to the same app...just add another vehicle in the profile.

Cost...approx. $100...easy to add additional sensors for multiple vehicles, no wiring required...instant on.  Excellent setup.

Link here for your edification:  https://my-fobo.com/Product/FOBOBIKE#buy

[HardAspie]

My tradition is visually every ride, gauge once a week along with oil level check and chain and cable maintenance. More often if on a journey. I use a dry dial gauge I got from Summit Racing.

[Luap McKeever]

I use Tyrecheckers (http://www.tyrecheckers.com.au/images/mechanical_tyrechecker_animation.gif) so can tell at a glance, just by looking. Not 100% reliable, but pretty good. Some tyres, notably the Enfields', lose air quicker with disuse than others.

Mal

Ditto.  This is what I use too.  Quick to check.  If it's green, ride.  If not, top it off.  As for guages, just whatever is laying around.  Usually a $.99 Oreilly special does the trick for me.

[Wayne Orwig]

Accugage.
I have had some wacky reading from digital gauges. I don't trust them to be any better than analog.
Accugage.
I don't check mine often enough. I ride pretty much daily. When I swap bikes, about once a month, then I check the tires on the bike that was sitting.
Accugage.

[canuguzzi]

A new wireless bluetooth TPMS gadget came on the market...got one today at MPH and installed it on the Norge, clears all brembos or other wheel hardware and works great!  Thanks Mike!

It's called FOBO Bike...super easy caps to screw on to existing stems, and you install the FOBO app on the phone and you have a nice immediate display of the tire pressure once you recognize the caps via the app.  You can set the limits of each tire and the app gives you an alarm when out of that range.  Also good if you want to add multiple bikes or cars to the same app...just add another vehicle in the profile.

Cost...approx. $100...easy to add additional sensors for multiple vehicles, no wiring required...instant on.  Excellent setup.

Link here for your edification:  https://my-fobo.com/Product/FOBOBIKE#buy

Very interesting. Maybe you can update the thread on how long the batteries last with constant measurement as a TPM does?

Can the app run in a split screen so that you could have GPS running in another?

I ask because the Doran system is always on and there is no app, the monitor is a dedicated device that displays pressure and warns of low pressures with a certain threshold you set. Its always on but it is another gadget. If this one could eliminate having a dedicated monitor that would be great.

[chuck peterson]

I'll read cold before a ride, then sometime during the day I'll read it hot to see if I'm getting a 10 percent rise...

Not rising enough? Too much pressure cold...

Rising more than 10 percent? Too little pressure cold...

Feels great

[Jerryd]

Very interesting. Maybe you can update the thread on how long the batteries last with constant measurement as a TPM does?

Can the app run in a split screen so that you could have GPS running in another?

I ask because the Doran system is always on and there is no app, the monitor is a dedicated device that displays pressure and warns of low pressures with a certain threshold you set. Its always on but it is another gadget. If this one could eliminate having a dedicated monitor that would be great.

Their ad says 2 years of battery life on CR2032's

[Dilliw]

Have a small compressor in the garage with a high quality  Harbor Freight guage/inflator and it's as accurate as my digital gauge.   I check fairly regularly but I'm not strict with a schedule, every ride, or anything. 

[PJPR01]

Very interesting. Maybe you can update the thread on how long the batteries last with constant measurement as a TPM does?

Can the app run in a split screen so that you could have GPS running in another?

I ask because the Doran system is always on and there is no app, the monitor is a dedicated device that displays pressure and warns of low pressures with a certain threshold you set. Its always on but it is another gadget. If this one could eliminate having a dedicated monitor that would be great.

Will do...hopefully the batteries last as long as they say (2 years as posted by JerryD).  I'm not sure on the split screen,  since it's an app, you would have to switch to it unless there is a way your tablet can display 2 apps at the same time.  I am pleased about this setup as I could not use Tyrecheckers on the Norge, they are too long to fit given the sideways valve stems and would hit brake calipers on the way around, so this was an unexpectedly nice surprise to find a new gadget which works w/o having to do any wiring.  Will report back as I get some time/miles on them...

[Arizona Wayne]

When I remember. As long as the bike feels OK I don't fuss. Perhaps I'm sensitive but if, especially the front, drops by as little as 2PSI from where I want it I can feel it the moment I'm out of the driveway. Seasonal changes are particularly noticeable and the 10% rule works well.

Pete

 :1:    If I know X bike/scooter tires have a  propensity  to slow leak air I will check them more often.

[pyoungbl]

Check daily on a trip, otherwise just prior to a ride.  The Stelvio tends to loose a bit on the front, not enough to replace the "O" rings.  Also, altitude and temp might surprise you.  The 10% rule is a good and simple test of your basic settings, also feeling the tire to get an idea of how hot it is running.  One tire feeling much hotter than the other would indicate more tire flex and the need for higher pressure.

Peter Y.

[rboe]

I'll typically kick the tires with my Sidi boots. Especially after checking with the gauge. I can be within 3-4lbs of rough guess. But that is for rides out for coffee.

The boot method is less reliable on my 650L since those tires run at a lot lower pressure and always feels low to me. Well, because it is!

Before a trip I'll get the gauge out, a Bikemaster with remote tube. I have grown fond of the dial indicators vs. the friction stick.