After market tire pressure monitors

[Ronkom]

At the SW Va Guzzi lunch yesterday Lannis  told the tale of having a rear tire go flat on the last leg of a month-long out West tour.  What turned  a potential disaster into an inconvenience was the tire pressure monitoring system on the bike he was riding. He was alerted that the pressure was dropping  in time to find a safe place to pull off the road & attempt a repair. I say "attempt" you'll have to ask Lannis for the whole story.
We have low pressure warning valve stems on Alice's Kia Soul & my new Nissan Frontier PUP. I really like only having to check/adjust the pressure when it's necessary. But I didn't know of the systems that give the rider/driver an actual read-out of the pressure. I googled "motorcycle tire pressure monitor" a few minutes ago, and  it seems there are  quite a number of different systems available.  So, who has installed & used an aftermarket system on a bike? What's your opinion/recommendation?  I'll have buy a unit designed for a cage to use on the MP-3 as it has 3 tires to monitor, and is sensitive to mis-matched pressures in the two front tires. The problem will be a weather tight, readable in bright sunlight, read-out.
Thanks,
Ron

[oilhed]

I think there are stems and an internal mount.  Saw that once, held on with a giant hose clamp.  Either way how long do those batteries last? 

[Lannis]

I think there are stems and an internal mount.  Saw that once, held on with a giant hose clamp.  Either way how long do those batteries last?

Ron's mentioned the good news about TPMS.   Bad news is that on the stock Triumph units, the battery is non-replaceable (without bootleg scalpel-and-soldering-iron work); the units are $150 each.   

Good news is that the ones on the Triumph were installed in 2013/2014 when the 2014 model was assembled, and are still on the job.

I'm getting a pair for the Stelvio as soon as I figure out which ones are good.

Lannis

[PJPR01]

There are several motorcycle specific aftermarket TPMS systems available with long lasting battery life ( Change the batteries once per year) but one thing I found is that depending on the size of the unit that attaches to the valve stem you have to check if it will hit anything as the wheel rotates.  So for those who have 90 degree stems this could be an issue if not enough clearance exists.

[Perazzimx14]

I you have a Garmin GPS the Garmin TPMS systems available at Revzilla or multiple other places. Not a bank breaker at $69.99

https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwj4zf-Y6-DeAhVBnLMKHZENApEYABARGgJxbg&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASEuRoXHgr6Ul4dTMwRd1gCbIgGw&sig=AOD64_11vtFKw6BmZxQbmh0bmlcoVyU51Q&ctype=5&q=&ved=0ahUKEwiR2fmY6-DeAhXkkOAKHe8bA0MQ9aACCD8&adurl=

[Wayne Orwig]

Garmin available at Revzilla or multiple other places. Not a bank breaker at $69.99

Looks like you have to have the Garmin Zumo GPS.
Looks like the $69.99 is for one sensor only.

Not going to be cheap.

[Moto]

This one looks good, with good reviews, for $52.87 (and Prime free shipping) for the complete set w/ two sensors, monitor, and mounting bracket:

https://www.amazon.com/Monitoring-monitoring-Motorcycle-Waterproof-Two-Wheeled/dp/B076KKYDRQ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1542656028&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=motorcycle+tire+pressure+monitor&psc=1

Any opinions on or experience with this one?

Moto

[Kiwi_Roy]

How does that work in a car, my 06 Honda CRV has them, I'm pretty sure there is no battery, may be powered by inertia.
Funny thing if you have to add air it doesn't go off for 1/2 KM seems like

[malik]

I use Tyre checkers - I prefer the mechanical ones - check the pressures at a glance. They are cheap & convenient. I've used the LED ones, but not happy when the battery runs out.

https://www.tyrecheckers.com.au/content/6-tyrecheckers-mechanical-or-led-tyrechecker

[PilotJet]

Regarding the unit linked to on Amazon, I purchased that one this year and it works Great! I'm really happy with it. A little tricky figuring out the settings at first, but once it was setup, it has worked problem free. Very easy to see in all lighting. My tires haven't lost any air from the screw on sensors. Its neat watching the pressure change when the tires heat up and cool down.

[Lannis]

How does that work in a car, my 06 Honda CRV has them, I'm pretty sure there is no battery, may be powered by inertia.
Funny thing if you have to add air it doesn't go off for 1/2 KM seems like

Wrist watches are powered by mechanical movement or little generators activated by movement, but I doubt if there's an inertia-powered sensor in the car wheel.

They probably use batteries of the same type that will power your remote door unlocker for 25 years without changing it.

Typical that a motorcycle one will last 1/4 as long as a car one, just like the rear drive or brake fluid change intervals ...

Lannis

[PJPR01]

As mentioned above in my prior post...I see a similar warning on the tyrecheckers website.

Motorcycle Precaution
After fitting tyrecheckers to motorcycle wheels that have valve stems at 90 degrees to the rim i.e. horizontal or right angled valve stems, owners are advised to rotate each wheel SLOWLY a full 360 degrees to ensure adequate clearance exists between the top of the Tyrechecker and swingarms (frame of motorcycle) and brake calipers. This step is particularly important for owners of motorcycles with single-sided swingarms e.g. Triumph Sprint ST, Honda VFR800 and Harley Davidson Softail, Electra Glide & Road King Classic models. A clearance problem may be solved by fitting normal valve stems (vertical stems) or shorter than standard tyre valve stems when new tyres are fitted.

Depending on the type of battery used in the TPMS device, they'll last as long as the similar aftermarket version on a car.  About once a year, the battery has to be changed.

[Wayne Orwig]

How does that work in a car, my 06 Honda CRV has them, I'm pretty sure there is no battery, may be powered by inertia.
Funny thing if you have to add air it doesn't go off for 1/2 KM seems like

Batteries.

Most tire shops install new TPMS when you get new tires, just so you get a new battery. There are some 'fuzzy' legalities when it comes to touching a TPMS that is working.

[twowheeladdict]

I had the Doran System on a bike.  I liked it because the receiver was hard wired into the bike and there was a red LED I could mount in a conspicuous place to alert me of issues.

Now, I would choose the one that just requires an app installed on the smart phone.  Like the FOBO. 

[Kiwi_Roy]

Now, I would choose the one that just requires an app installed on the smart phone.  Like the FOBO.

The first time my bike phones me in the middle of the night to tell me it's tires are flat it's in trouble LOL

[twowheeladdict]

The first time my bike phones me in the middle of the night to tell me it's tires are flat it's in trouble LOL

LOL!   

[Moto]

Regarding the unit linked to on Amazon, I purchased that one this year and it works Great! I'm really happy with it. A little tricky figuring out the settings at first, but once it was setup, it has worked problem free. Very easy to see in all lighting. My tires haven't lost any air from the screw on sensors. Its neat watching the pressure change when the tires heat up and cool down.

Thanks!

The transmitters on that one have replaceable batteries, while the display is recharged or powered via USB.

Moto