Tyre Pressure Sensors

[Rusty Bolts]

I am just about to get my rear tyre changed and before I let the neanderthal knuckle dragger calling himself a tyre technician near it I was wondering about the pressure sensor. Is there anything I need to let him know about it as I'm not even sure where/how they work. Is the sensor in the valve stem or is it somewhere else. Is it in a place that a muppet could easily break it? Whilst the tyre is off is it worth getting the battery changed as it is working now but you can guarrentee that within 1 week it will be flat. The bike is a 2008 Mk1 GS-Last of the best I'm told!
All replies welcome and confidentiality cannot be assured.

 

[forest biker]

Just be careful they dont brake it while removing/replacing the tyre , mine is e anchored to the valve stem , and im sure the batteries are built in and you just change the whole lot when they go dead

 

[Oldrat]

From experience (2010 GSA)....bloomin self tapping screws ...
The actual mechanism is about 3/4" wide and about 2" long. It runs in the shallow in the centre of the rim. One end is attached to the tyre valve. It is about 1/2 to 3/4" high.

Found a picture now.

 

[Andy B]

If he gets it wrong it won't just be a new sensor, it'll be a wheel too! Local guy fecked up big time on mine because he put the bead-breaker down too close to the valve and not only buggered the sensor but ovaled the hole for the valve. Net result was a new wheel at £800.00!

Make sure he stays well clear of the valve. The sensor is about 5cm long from the valve hole (I'm looking at my old one now!) but you don't know which way they lie so stay clear either side!

 

[alleycam]

Take great care at tyre fitting time!!!

Mine nearly destroyed the day before shipping to the US last year. Lessons learned;
1 - make sure the fitter knows what is underneath (show the picture in the message above)
2 - have the tyre manually handled near the valve
3 - don't leave it until the last minute to put new tyres on! - the panic isn't worth it!

Good idea to carry a spare 'normal' valve with you if an accidentally damaged one refuses to re-sit onto the rim

 

[ducatiparts.110mb]

neanderthal knuckle dragger

If this is your true, honest, unexaggerated opinion of the tyre fitter then go somewhere else.

If you treat the guy with utter contempt then maybe thats the way he'll feel towards your bike

 

[Rusty Bolts]

If this is your true, honest, unexaggerated opinion of the tyre fitter then go somewhere else.

If you treat the guy with utter contempt then maybe thats the way he'll feel towards your bike

Thanks for all the info. Good point with the fitter although it is a bit hit or miss at the tyre place. There is one good guy and the other one is a little ham fisted. But I hope the latter worked this weekend and is having a couple of days off.

 

[ducatiparts.110mb]

Why not ask for the chap you want by name?

 

[bisbee]

Is it worth replacing the batteries at this point too ??

 

[t'other dave]

Bit of an arsey start to the thread with the neanderthal knuckle dragger remark. Having been a lowly tyre fitter for 20 years and never broke a tps nor has anybody that I've trained up or work with, it gets abit annoying reading how everyone wants the cheapest and then moans when rims get scratched or things get broke, you get what you pay for and where I am it might be a tad dearer but you pay for knowlage, experiance and carefull fitting.
There is usually a sticker next to the valve that says "carefull tps fitted" even if that sticker is removed you would still know by looking at the valve when you take out the core. If you wanted you could tell him that it has tps.
Dave.

 

[Demongroover]

Also having run tyre fitting concerns, I would recommend he breaks the bead away from the valve.
Also, he should avoid the area with the 'blade' on the fitting machine.

These were a common concern on Citreons and Renaults when they came out a few years ago. They are also quite fragile and easily damaged.
Warn the fitter before he starts the job.

 

[GB.]

Thanks for all the info. Good point with the fitter although it is a bit hit or miss at the tyre place. There is one good guy and the other one is a little ham fisted. But I hope the latter worked this weekend and is having a couple of days off.

Invest in some tyre levers and a bead breaker and change them yourself, this is what me and two mates did, we then got a balancer to add to our collection. I think the whole lot cost us £200 between us, the last set of tyres I bought for my Buell were £150 then just fit them ourselves, there is also a certain satisfaction in fitting your own tyres, I highly recommend it

 

[Rusty Bolts]

Bit of an arsey start to the thread with the neanderthal knuckle dragger remark. Having been a lowly tyre fitter for 20 years and never broke a tps nor has anybody that I've trained up or work with, it gets abit annoying reading how everyone wants the cheapest and then moans when rims get scratched or things get broke, you get what you pay for and where I am it might be a tad dearer but you pay for knowlage, experiance and carefull fitting.
There is usually a sticker next to the valve that says "carefull tps fitted" even if that sticker is removed you would still know by looking at the valve when you take out the core. If you wanted you could tell him that it has tps.
Dave.

Dave Appologies.I didn't mean to tar all tyre fitters with the same brush. And you are right you do get what you pay for but I would argue that if they are not competent to start the job or are not able to complet the job without causing damage then they should not be in the tyre changing business.
The fitters down here are car tyrefitters and do bikes sometimes as an after thought.When you ring them and say thatyou have TPSfitted they immeadiatly say that they will not be responsible for them if they get damaged and this includes the most expensive places that say they specialise in bike tyres. So that leaves me to assume that they either do not know what they are doing; do not have the staff with the correct skills to avoid damaging the TPS; and don't trust them to do it. It could even be all of these.
I did call my BMW dealer and they said no problem we know what we are doing and it will be at our risk. Funny old thing they got the business and they were cometitive on price.
Good news is that the new tyre has got rid of my funny rumble from the rear end.

 

[t'other dave]

Good to see your sorted and appolgies accepted, and dont it feel good without that rumble but alas it will return in a few thousand miles.
Dave