Tyre Pressure Sensors

[Pukmeister]

Riding up the M27 today past Paulsgrove towards Fareham in Lane 4 overtaking everything, pulled into lane 3 and something immediately caught my eye. A glance down at a Red warning triangle with a tyre shaped icon and two values on screen. The rear tyre is constant at 42psi, the front tyre is falling fast.....20.....19.......18........

Shit, only a mile to the next exit, can I make it?

Managed to make the hard shoulder, hazards on and make it to the off-slip with 9 psi and some very gentle braking using the rear only. Plugged with rubber rope and vulcanising solution, CO2 to inflate and off to find a tyre place open:

Thumbs down for Protyre Fareham, who's policy is not to repair bike tyres, end of story.

A big thumbs up for Russ at Horndean Tyres, who stayed open like a trooper and put a rubber mushroom repair in for me.

And despite all the bollox posted about the over complicated and allegedly fragile TPS system, I wouldn't be without it.

 

[Bendy toy]

My TPS are currently not working I need to get my 2nd set of wheels programmed in. TBH I miss them.

 

[Pukmeister]

My TPS are currently not working I need to get my 2nd set of wheels programmed in. TBH I miss them.

If you lived nearby I would reprogram them for you.

Anyone close to you with a GS911?

 

[SteveM]

The only downer to having the tyre pressure sensors in the wheel is that it prevents you from putting some type of mousse or tyre slime in the wheel to automatically seal a hole in a tyre and prevent the sort of "adventure" you've just had. I've never used those automatic sealing products but some I've spoken to say they're brilliant and wouldn't ride without them, especially off road.

 

[Old Wobbly]

Riding up the M27 today past Paulsgrove towards Fareham in Lane 4 overtaking everything, pulled into lane 3 and something immediately caught my eye. A glance down at a Red warning triangle with a tyre shaped icon and two values on screen. The rear tyre is constant at 42psi, the front tyre is falling fast.....20.....19.......18........

Shit, only a mile to the next exit, can I make it?

Managed to make the hard shoulder, hazards on and make it to the off-slip with 9 psi and some very gentle braking using the rear only. Plugged with rubber rope and vulcanising solution, CO2 to inflate and off to find a tyre place open:

Thumbs down for Protyre Fareham, who's policy is not to repair bike tyres, end of story.

A big thumbs up for Russ at Horndean Tyres, who stayed open like a trooper and put a rubber mushroom repair in for me.

And despite all the bollox posted about the over complicated and allegedly fragile TPS system, I wouldn't be without it.

Well spotted - I like my TPS too!!

 

[cocker]

TPS is very handy, the other week i had brand new tourances fitted, ready for a tour round the north west highlands scottish coastline, anyhow i scrubbed the back tyre in around thirsk where i live, i had done about 100 miles, and came home to load my bike up ready for an early start after a night shift, on getting home and after scrubbing the tyre in, i noticed a nail right through the tread on my brand spanking new back tyre, i pulled the nail out and the tyre went straight down i quickly repaired it with a stop n go puncture repair kit mushroom, and some co2, and it seemed to hold up ok, i went and did my nightshift came home at about 6 am knackered,i wheeled my bike out and checked the pressure with a pressure gauge, the tyre pressure had held up with the stop and go kit, but obviously i was a little concerned about a high speed motorway ride up to Glasgow with fully loaded panniers, well i got my bike clothes on and set off for glasgow from thirsk, with the tyre pressures showing on my bike, obviously i just went steady for the first few miles to make sure my puncture repair had worked, well by the time i got to penrith the pressure had stayed the same in the front tyre and increased by .1 bar in the rear tyre, so i felt more confident now, and gunned it onto glasgow and onto glen coe, where i wild camped for the night,
next morning i started the bike and the pressures, were still where they should be according to the computer, i checked them with a pressure gauge aswell and it was correct, so up to ullapool durness caithness down to inverness glen coe, glasgow and thirsk over a four day trip, what i am trying to say is the tps system showing up right in front of my eyes gave me the confidence to ride properly instead of worrying about if my back tyre was going down whilst i was riding

 

[GrinningGSer]

An essential safety device IMHO. Expensive if they are damaged but still worthwhile
( It's not too much of a problem, but I will mention that TPS warning is constantly on if you deliberately lower pressures when riding off road )
My Merc works, and it really does work by using the ABS to alert any change in wheel rotation speeds and although bikes have different diameter wheels, surely a system could alert any change, removing the need for potentially problematic in wheel sensors ?

 

[Pukmeister]

What I liked about mine was knowing the tyre was rapidly deflating and being able to slow down and head for the hard shoulder early enough. I could feel the front tyre starting to squab as I reached the hard shoulder, better than having it happen whilst still "pressing on" in the outside lane IYKWIM.

 

[MIKE R]

The only downer to having the tyre pressure sensors in the wheel is that it prevents you from putting some type of mousse or tyre slime in the wheel to automatically seal a hole in a tyre and prevent the sort of "adventure" you've just had. I've never used those automatic sealing products but some I've spoken to say they're brilliant and wouldn't ride without them, especially off road.

I may thick, but why not use tyre slime to fix a puncture if you have TPM?

Mike

 

[SteveM]

Apparently the sensor which is attached to the rim inside the tyre wouldn't like it, according to one of the guys at Ocean BMW in Plymouth. I was picking up my bike ('11 GSA) in July from there after having its annual service and just before setting off for the South of France. I'd had some new tourance next tyres fitted at the same time by the dealer and happened to mention that I would be putting tyre slime in before I went and was told that I would damage the TPS senders if I did this. Others on this esteemed forum will no doubt have a more technical answer as to why it is a bad idea, and I wouldn't mind hearing them myself. It's a shame because tyre slime is very highly rated by many people and I'm trying to decide if the benefit of having it in my tyres outweigh knowing constantly what the pressures are.

 

[Smug]

I think they are brilliant. They have saved my bacon on three occasions so far.

 

[Bendy toy]

I may thick, but why not use tyre slime to fix a puncture if you have TPM?

Mike

I use Slime in Yamaha wheels. It stopped a nail puncture fine. BUT when I changed the tyre paint scratches inside the rim (caused by tyre levers) had grown great clouds of slime fluff. The sludge had reacted with alloy beneath.

I've used Puncturesafe with absolutely no problems on the same bike and on the GS with its tyre sensors.
http://www.puncturesafe.co.uk/pages/testreports.htm

Some say it will clog the tyre valve but as with all in-tyre products its pumped in with the valve core removed. I then give a blast of air before putting the core back in. My GS back wheel got one puncture but no further problems. When the tyre was changed I could find no sign of the old puncture.

IMO, a decent quality polymer that's worked itself into the puncture walls has to be less stressful on the tyre than a cleaned out and press fitted mushroom type repair. If Im wrong. Puncturesafe will at least slow down the rate of air loss giving time to stop the bike.

The Police use Puncturesafe so its cant be "that" bad, but dont confuse it with cheaper products.

I dont sell the stuff but have been pleased with its performance.

Regarding damage to the TPS. Mine have been fine maybe because the polymer gets thrown away from the rim. But normal arir flow filling the tyre will blow sealant away from the valve. Also what state will the TPS be if the tyre does a full on blow-out and ends up getting down onto the rims. I know a rider with a Honda Pan Euro who felt his back wheel behave strangely on the M6 fast lane. He managed to get across the traffic into the hard shoulder to find the tyre was wrecked. He's a very experienced bike training rider who would have spotted the problems as soon as anyone could but he was still left stranded.

His wheel did not have TPS sensors but by the state of his tyre they would have have been toast. An internal sealant might have saved it getting the puncture in the first place and TPS sensors would have warned him before the tyre went too flat.

My brother rode his Guzzi Breva about 10 miles (slowly) when he knew the rear tyre was going down. Yes, he's daft to even try & won't be trying that again. Paint got rubbed off the rim and the tyre was wrecked. A TPS would have warned him before going out and tyre sealant would have prevented the whole problem happening.

 

[MIKE R]

When I was about to leave Dijon to blast up to Calais and then to Lancashire, my S10 rear tyre was totally flat. I would have used my Stop & Go plug but could not find the puncture so had to rely on sealant. It got me home without any issues. The S10 doesn't have TPM (thinking of fitting Tyre Pal monitors) but if I'd been on my GS with TPM I'd have had no choice but to use the stuff and risk knackering the sensors.

Mike

 

[Pukmeister]

IMO, a decent quality polymer that's worked itself into the puncture walls has to be less stressful on the tyre than a cleaned out and press fitted mushroom type repair.

All the tyres I have had repaired have been inspected internally and externally, the hole reamed out to a known size, typically 4mm or 6mm diameter, and the inside of the carcass keyed to accept the mushroom, which is then bonded into place with a vulcanising solution. It forms part of the tyre once bonded and as it is fitted internally it also seals over the hole it is bonded over with pressure and centrifugal force. Done to British Standards (unless the tyre is Z rated for speed and therefore cannot be legally repaired.)

How can a liquid polymer goo be better than that?

 

[Bobbin-Man]

Does anyone have any experience of the Orange TPMS? I'd like to retrofit a system to my 1200GS but would prefer to go a proper valve sensor route rather than the add-on sensor caps.

 

[Bendy toy]

All the tyres I have had repaired have been inspected internally and externally, the hole reamed out to a known size, typically 4mm or 6mm diameter, and the inside of the carcass keyed to accept the mushroom, which is then bonded into place with a vulcanising solution. It forms part of the tyre once bonded and as it is fitted internally it also seals over the hole it is bonded over with pressure and centrifugal force. Done to British Standards (unless the tyre is Z rated for speed and therefore cannot be legally repaired.)

How can a liquid polymer goo be better than that?

... because its not just about the air seal. If reaming the hole has cut any carcass reinforcement fibres it will have created even more weakness than the original puncture hole. How would the technician know? If he does notice fibres pulling through the hole then he's probably scrapped the tyre. I'm sure the British standard covers these details but its a risk all the same.

A sealant is active all of the time so seals a hole as it develops. A small immediately sealed hole has to be less structurally harmful than something that's had time to develop over few miles. Certainly anything serious or in a side wall it wont be sealed properly (and nobody would want it to be). The tyre will leak but a good sealant will slow down the rate of pressure loss making a sudden blow out less likely.

Nothing is perfect but on balance of risks I prefer the sealant. That said, I wont use cheap stuff like Slime.

If a vulcanised repair is still required then the good stuff can be cleaned off around the repair and the tyre put back on the wheel. Best of both worlds. My tyre fitter is more than happy to seal tyres treated with Puncturesafe. He's not so keen on the cheap stuff for all the above reasons.

 

[trebor]

Apparently the sensor which is attached to the rim inside the tyre wouldn't like it.....

For the last few years Slime has stated on the bottle that it can be used with TPS. On my last GS, with TPS, I had a puncture going over Glencoe. I fixed it with a rats tails, but also put some Slime in the tyre (belts and braces) and had no problems whatsoever with the TPS after using Slime. In fact I got another 2000 miles out of that tyre.

Bob