Tire pressure change

[Macka]

Mike, I have installed many aftermarket TPM Systems onto family members cars and customers cars using the standard rubber valves and external sensors. I have never had a valve failure.
My Suzuki bike has external sensors on the standard rubber valves and they have survived 24 laps of Phillip Island GP Circuit at maximum speed.
I am not saying that a failure cannot happen. What I am saying is that in my opinion, metal valves are not essential although I have them on my NT.
That is for convenience, not durability.
Each time a tyre is replaced the rubber valve should be replaced as well. If that is done there should never be a problem.

Macka

 

[Phil Tarman]

I'm impressed with the TPM I've got on Horse. The battery in the monitor is rechargeable, but is still showing a full charge after about 4 months. The batteries in the sensors are changeable, but haven't needed it yet. It shows tire pressure in psi or Bar, and it also shows the tires temperature. The monitor is lighted at night.

 

[Phil Tarman]

One other caveat about the external sensors, and I'm sure Phil will vouch for my veracity on this. If you go the external sensor route, be sure to use metal valve stems! If you mount the external sensor on your OE rubber valve stem it will flex the stem eventually causing stem failure!! This is the voice of experience talking to you!

Absolutely essential! I had a rubber valve stem break once on my Concours when I had a little brass 90-degree extension that I'd bought from BMW. It had been on the bike for 3-4 months and one day, just as I got to 75mph on the freeway and had locked the throttle, it went. A tank slapper ain't no fun! I managed to get stopped, but then had to hold the bike up because with a flat rear, the sidestand tried to dump it. It took AMA 3 hrs to get a tow truck to me.

 

[JQL]

I notice the front and rear at about 2 psi more. It's a harder ride.

As to lower pressures, it takes me quite some pressure loss before I notice.

I use the Oasser 150 psi Tyre Inflator: https://amzn.to/39EDjd7 to check and inflate my tyres. Really easy to do as it's a cordless rechargeable unit. Checking and inflating is nearly as quick as just checking the pressures.

Video about things affecting tyre pressures and uneven tyre wear:

 

[mikesim]

Mike, I have installed many aftermarket TPM Systems onto family members cars and customers cars using the standard rubber valves and external sensors. I have never had a valve failure.
My Suzuki bike has external sensors on the standard rubber valves and they have survived 24 laps of Phillip Island GP Circuit at maximum speed.
I am not saying that a failure cannot happen. What I am saying is that in my opinion, metal valves are not essential although I have them on my NT.
That is for convenience, not durability.
Each time a tyre is replaced the rubber valve should be replaced as well. If that is done there should never be a problem.

Macka

When I installed the stem mounted sensors I was too lazy (read cheap) to have new metal valve stems installed in spite of Phil's past experience. Even the instructions with the sensors warned me, "do not install on rubber valve stems" I usually heed the instructions BTW. All was well for about six months and then one day about two blocks from work after just getting off the Interstate my TPMS started sounding the alarm for the rear tire. I limped into the parking lot at work and discovered that the valve stem had failed exactly as Phil's had done. I shoulda heeded the olde farte's warning.

Mike

 

[Phil Tarman]

Yeah, you should have! I don't know what good it does me to have all this experience if you kids don't learn from it!

 

[Warren]

My 2010 Honda Fit has the sensors in the wheels. My 2016 Honda Fit use the anti lock system to detect the difference in wheel rotation. I like the old system better. Every time you adjust the air pressure in your tires or carry a heavy load in my 2016 you have to re calibrate the system or it will trigger the low pressure warning even though the pressure is not really low.

 

[JimTid]

I follow the recommended tire pressure that is on the sticker. I am not sensitive to small variations. I have noticed that my off road bikes have better traction and a smoother ride with pressure reduced. I have also had a couple of tube failures (pinch flats) from running too low of pressure. I recently installed TPMS on two street bikes with mixed reviews. The NT700 tire pressure fluctuates less than the Africa Twin with 50/50 tires. The alarm goes off when tire pressure changes by 5 PSI.

 

[mikesim]

Speaking of tire pressures, I checked the Yammy yesterday and Traveller and adjusted the TP's on both. However, I noticed a pretty significant fluid leak on Traveller's final drive. I checked the level and it was low. I made an appt for Sep 14th to have all the final drive seals replaced. Can't really bitch too much after 118K miles.

Mike

 

[Phil Tarman]

I made an appt for Sep 14th to have all the final drive seals replaced. Can't really bitch too much after 118K miles.

They just don't make them like they used to!

Oh, wait, Traveler was made in the used to be time, wasn't it?

 

[Bear]

I am a believer in TMPS . Got introduced to that with my Toyota Matrix--great system and great car. On my bike I carry a tyre plug kit and 12V compessor, and pressure guage. I have not had to use any of that stuff yet. I do fill my tyres with Nitrogen. They seem to run cooler and require less trips to Tire Warehouse for a nitrogen fill up (about twice a year) I use Nitrogen in the Ranger and Shelby as well.

 

[Rand soper]

I fill my tires with a 78% nitrogen/21% oxygen mix .
Seriously though, I have read that nitrogen fills help tires run cooler and last longer and always wondered. Interesting to hear first hand experience that they do!

 

[harryhendo]

After taking delivery of my new 2016 Honda CB500X, I headed down to Alabama (from Virginia) to get out of the cold and see some sandy beaches. I stopped at a small Honda shop in Andalusia, AL for the first 'break-in' service. The mechanic, Willie Shakespeare (I kid you not) said "I put some A-yah in dem tars". Turns out that even though I paid $189 for "dealer prep", the 'tars' had 20 psi in them. What a difference that change made!

 

[Warren]

Testing conducted independently by Consumer Reports and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show the benefit of using 95% nitrogen in your tires are more theoretical than practical.

 

[mikesim]

I'm a nitrogen sceptic. Remembering Boyle's Law and the Ideal Gas Law from chemistry all gases behave the same with regard to temperature and pressure. Having said that and in nitrogen's defense, the nitrogen molecule is considerably larger than the oxygen molecule thus it is less apt to leak out. Not worth the $ IMHO.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Turns out that even though I paid $189 for "dealer prep", the 'tars' had 20 psi in them. What a difference that change made!

Harry, when I bought my first '99 Kawasaki Concours and rode 80 miles home I was disappointed in the way it felt compared to my old '83 Silverwing. I checked the tire pressure and it was 20psi just like yours. I rode back to the dealership that day with a friend who was going to ride the Silverwing home and after we git there I went to the service department with the pre-delivery checklist in my hand. I asked the service writer if I could talk to the mechanic whose initials and signature were on the bottom the checklist and he wanted to know why.

I told him I just had a couple of questions I wanted to ask. He wanted to know what questions and when I just kept saying, "Oh, just a couple of questions..." he refused to let me talk to the mechanic. Then I showed him where the mechanic had put a checkmark and initials by the proper tire pressures (36, 42) and told him that both tires had had 20psi. He then proceeded to blame the sales department. I said OK, walked over to the sales department and found the guy who had sold me the bike and told him what I had found and what the service writer had said.

We both went back to the service department and the salesman and the service writer proceeded to have an argument about who had responsibility for checking tire pressures. I told them I didn't really care, but that they had convinced me I'd never trust their service department. And I didn't.

But 11 years later I bought my 1st NT from the same dealership and in that time, they had completely reworked their service department and I always had excellent service from them.

 

[Phil Tarman]

I'm like Rand soper. I insist on using 78% nitrogen in my tires.

 

[mikesim]

I'm like Rand soper. I insist on using 78% nitrogen in my tires.

Not me, I use 79%! The air is thickerer down here closer to sea level.

:sneaky:

Mike

 

[ARKNT]

My theory on N2/air in tires is that the moisture in the air would make more difference than the gas mixture. Wet air takes more energy to change it's temperature than dry air. Of course I would not be able to feel the difference anyway.

Brad

 

[Coyote Chris]

I too would never be without a TPM system on my car or bike. One other thing to expand on what Macka posted about uneven tire wear. On some modern AWD systems driveline damage can occur if the tires are not worn relatively equally. Another good reason for periodic rotation. I do mine every 6K.

Mike

There are even car tire machines that will shave some off a new tire if you have to replace just one tire on an AWD car.