Tire Pressure Monitor Systems

[dduelin]

I personally think that a TPMS could save an accident and should be considered as equipment no different than appropriate safety equipment like helmet, gloves, boots, armor and abrasion resistant clothing. Tire valve mounted systems with external sensors should not be mounted on rubber valve stems unless some method of bracing the valve stem is employed. Replacing rubber stems with metal ones bolted into place from the inside are recommended but using a compression tube can brace a flexible rubber valve stem from side-to-side movement that will stress the stem. When I bought a used motorcycle in 2019 the tires were no where in need of replacement but I was going to add a TPMS almost as soon as I got the bike home. I took a plastic cap from a Sharpie magic marker and cut it into a tube whose length was where the sensor compressed the tube lightly against the rim. This compression tube kept the valve stem in column until the tires needed replacement and I could replace the rubber stems with 83 degree aluminum ones. With metal stems in place the 5 gram sensors mount directly onto the valve stem.

Some riders prefer the metal T-valves where the sensors mount on one threaded portion and a regular valve cap screws onto the valve itself. These are very practical but I don't like the look of them. I don't find removing the sensor to add air an onerous task - it's no different from removing and replace the standard valve stem cap which I have done for many years. Yes, a few ounces of air pressure is lost when replacing the sensor but if I want 38 psi in the end I put 38.5 psi in the tire and expect it to settle to ~38 psi when the sensor is screwed on.

Compression tube over the rubber stem and under the sensor:

 

[Gixus]

Just another nanny aid that can go wrong. More important to check your tires on a regular basis for air pressure and nails. I’ve had quite a few flats over the years, and none of them has caused me to come even close to losing control of my motorcycle.

 

[CamaroEric]

I've run some for a few thousand miles now with the original valve stems. No issues yet. It's just for fun mostly, but definitely easier than checking manually, and only when I turn the app on.

 

[dduelin]

Just another nanny aid that can go wrong. More important to check your tires on a regular basis for air pressure and nails. I’ve had quite a few flats over the years, and none of them has caused me to come even close to losing control of my motorcycle.

Yes, I have heard that comment before. Like electric starters and disc brakes.

Tire pressure and tire condition is a regular part of pre-ride TCLOCS but I'd much rather have advance notice of air loss when riding so I can pick the place to repair the tire or judge the leak slow enough to pump up and continue on.

 

[670cc]

TPMSs are a very good thing. However, by last count I have 70 pneumatic tires around the house. 48 are on road capable vehicles. While a few have TPMS already built in, it is unrealistic for me to try to apply real time electronic monitoring on all of them. I am satisfied for now with manual monitoring and general awareness of tire conditions on all vehicles. Some day I hope all new road vehicles will come equipped with TPMS as standard equipment. As it stands now, none of my 2 wheelers came equipped with TPMS.

This got me thinking how the newest NC750Xs have more ride modes and traction control fiddly things. How about Honda make TPMS standard before adding the other fluffy electronic features?

 

[dduelin]

Do other motorcycle manufacturers include TPMS as standard equipment? I know BMW does since maybe 2017, optional before that. I don't think any Asian manufacturer is yet including TPMS on standard and sport bikes. I guess Honda could be faulted for that but not singled out. If you want TPMS on a non touring class bike you have so pay for it as of now.

 

[mzflorida]

Do other motorcycle manufacturers include TPMS as standard equipment? I know BMW does since maybe 2017, optional before that. I don't think any Asian manufacturer is yet including TPMS on standard and sport bikes. I guess Honda could be faulted for that but not singled out. If you want TPMS on a non touring class bike you have so pay for it as of now.

I don’t know the answer, but I can tell you that owners of the new BMW C400GT I bought are miffed that it is neither standard nor available. Plus, they mounted the stem in the spoke on the alloy rims. This prevents the installation of a cap TPMS as it hits the brake caliper and there is no room for a traditional device under the stem.

 

[mzflorida]

Just another nanny aid that can go wrong. More important to check your tires on a regular basis for air pressure and nails. I’ve had quite a few flats over the years, and none of them has caused me to come even close to losing control of my motorcycle.

I don't see this as a nanny aid at all. Not too terribly different than a fuel gage in my estimation. Just my two cents.

 

[jeremyr62]

Do other motorcycle manufacturers include TPMS as standard equipment?

The Kawasaki GTR1400 (shaft driven sports tourer) came with a TPMS. At least it did over here. Those bikes are old now and the TPMS fails to work as the batteries are inside the tyre. If you are OCD about stuff working this can put people off a used purchase. It did me anyway. I had a Fobo2 system on my metal stemmed NC which was pretty good.

 

[MZ5]

Handy idea for supporting an auxiliary sensor, Dave!

I'm glad there are no more TPMS on motorcycles than there are, because of the systems auto and bike manufacturers use. I have the factory system on my BMW, and it's handy...until the battery fails and I have to pay the dealer hundreds of dollars to fit a new one (there are Chinese knock-offs that work either fairly well or almost not at all). I'd MUCH rather have the system that measures wheel speed via the ABS sensor (like on my Mazda), than a sensor inside the wheel. That may not work right on a motorcycle. The add-on ones like shown in the OP are fine by me, too. I suspect factories don't use those because they're so easily stolen.

 

[wks745]

Hi all, speaking from painful experience i now have the cheap Chinese TPMS fitted to both my bikes. In 2018 had just bought a new tiger 800 and run it in going to the mcn festival at Peterborough (England) on the way home i was travelling on a straight bit of motorway. Just before a nice sweeping bend I had a car in front so decided to overtake. I accelerated and then had a tank slapper. They found a flat front tyre with a screw in it. I had no warning at all. I can say the t shirt that says fat bastards bounce better is not true it bloody hurts lol.

 

[jeremyr62]

Hi all, speaking from painful experience i now have the cheap Chinese TPMS fitted to both my bikes. In 2018 had just bought a new tiger 800 and run it in going to the mcn festival at Peterborough (England) on the way home i was travelling on a straight bit of motorway. Just before a nice sweeping bend I had a car in front so decided to overtake. I accelerated and then had a tank slapper. They found a flat front tyre with a screw in it. I had no warning at all. I can say the t shirt that says fat bastards bounce better is not true it bloody hurts lol.

In those circumstance would a TPMS have helped though? A TPMS isn't much use if the tyre deflates really quickly.
I had a front tyre blow out in Italy on a 2004 FJR. There were roadworks on the autostrada and I think I hit a stud or upturned bolt. Anyway the tyre deflated almost instantly, squirting (useless) tyre gloop everywhere too.
I was just lucky to get away with it. Change of underwear time.

 

[wks745]

It was a slow puncture if i had a TPMS i would have had a early warning. I "think" it was accelerating just as the tyre was getting very low that caused the tank slapper.

 

[Gixus]

I don't see this as a nanny aid at all. Not too terribly different than a fuel gage in my estimation. Just my two cents.

My 2020 Toyota RAV4 doesn’t come with TPMS. But then again when you switch on the ignition it also doesn’t display a red oil pressure symbol. Given a choice of the two I’d want an oil pressure light. Now that is a nanny aid that I think is useful. Always good to know that the light works should your oil pressure fail.

On the other hand you can get TPMS on the more expensive Rav4s, but you still don’t get an oil pressure symbol. So my thinking is, that Toyota agree with you, TPMS is not a nanny aid, but an oil pressure light must be Lol.

p.s. There are so many nanny aid symbols on my Rav when you switch on the ignition, it took me a year to realise there wasn’t an oil symbol. According to Toyota it does exist, but you only find that out when driving and it comes on due to low oil pressure.

 

[670cc]

My 2020 Toyota RAV4 doesn’t come with TPMS. But then again when you switch on the ignition it also doesn’t display a red oil pressure symbol. Given a choice of the two I’d want an oil pressure light. Now that is a nanny aid that I think is useful. Always good to know that the light works should your oil pressure fail.

On the other hand you can get TPMS on the more expensive Rav4s, but you still don’t get an oil pressure symbol. So my thinking is, that Toyota agree with you, TPMS is not a nanny aid, but an oil pressure light must be Lol.

p.s. There are so many nanny aid symbols on my Rav when you switch on the ignition, it took me a year to realise there wasn’t an oil symbol. According to Toyota it does exist, but you only find that out when driving and it comes on due to low oil pressure.

Says here TPMS was mandated for newly manufactured cars for the USA since September 2007. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire-pressure_monitoring_system
I’m surprised Canada did not implement this, even by 2020. My lower trim 2012 and 2013 passenger vehicles for the US market have it.

 

[jeremyr62]

If anyone is struggling to get the Sharpie pen cap bodge to fit their tyre valves I found the nozzle you get with silicone sealants works too if you cut it appropriately. Temporary fix of course….

 

[mzflorida]

My 2020 Toyota RAV4 doesn’t come with TPMS. But then again when you switch on the ignition it also doesn’t display a red oil pressure symbol. Given a choice of the two I’d want an oil pressure light. Now that is a nanny aid that I think is useful. Always good to know that the light works should your oil pressure fail.

On the other hand you can get TPMS on the more expensive Rav4s, but you still don’t get an oil pressure symbol. So my thinking is, that Toyota agree with you, TPMS is not a nanny aid, but an oil pressure light must be Lol.

p.s. There are so many nanny aid symbols on my Rav when you switch on the ignition, it took me a year to realise there wasn’t an oil symbol. According to Toyota it does exist, but you only find that out when driving and it comes on due to low oil pressure.

I’m not being disrespectful in this response. I’m failing to see your logic that any of these indicators you’re referring to are nanny aids. Perhaps you and I disagree on what a “nanny” anything might be. I see that term as describing overreach or interference. All of the systems you referred to are beneficial. I check my motorcycle tire pressure every time I ride but not every time I stop. My Cadillac has continuously monitored tire pressure with amazing accuracy. I check the pressure intermittently on the caddy. That is a benefit, not any sort of interference or overreach, and would be welcome on any bike I ride. Again, respectful disagreement.

 

[dduelin]

Some riders might ride hundreds of miles in a day while others never have and never will. A slow leak on a long ride could overheat the tire carcass to the point of a catastrophic failure if the rider has no idea the pressure is low. Even on an NC one could ride over 200 miles after checking the pressures. I know two long distance riders that experienced rear tire failures just like this some years ago before TPMS was commonplace. They survived crashes at speed but suffered injuries and totaled the bikes. TPMS probably would have prevented both blowouts.

 

[jeremyr62]

I don't subscribe to the 36/42 psi mantra so a TPMS is great for working out what your tyre pressures should be too.

 

[MZ5]

Says here TPMS was mandated for newly manufactured cars for the USA since September 2007. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire-pressure_monitoring_system
I’m surprised Canada did not implement this, even by 2020. My lower trim 2012 and 2013 passenger vehicles for the US market have it.

The relatively common Canadian situation of having two sets (winter and summer) of wheels & tires at least used to be cited as a main reason Transport Canada did not follow the USA's lead on TPMS. That's all well and good, but ignores the fact that ABS-sensor-based TPMS is quite effective and doesn't care what wheels or tires you have on.