Anyone installed an internal TPMS

[Birdman2010]

Except, how do you check your phone while actually riding? My phone is either in my tank bag or my pocket. Wouldn't know it was warning me of a low tire until my tire was flat.

Bill mentioned a comm system for your helmet. If you do not have a comm system, you may be better off with a TPMS that includes a head unit. The FOBO Tire includes a head unit for $159 if you tell them you are part of the FJRForum.com Group Buy. The TireGard TPMS has external sensors and a head unit for $129 on ebay and $150 on Amazon. The Doran TPMS has internal sensors and it includes a head unit for $199.

Comm systems can be really cheap. This one is only $35 each:



If you do not have a comm system, you can also mount your smartphone on your handlebar. There is actually a spot behind the clutch lever bracket that is specifically designed for mounting a GPS or smartphone. Check out the pictures in this post: https://www.fjrowners.com/forums/10-fjr-farkling-ii/27370-best-gps-mounting-system.html . In these pictures, they show a Garmin unit. Some of the Garmin products offer TPMS systems! At the same time, you can mount your smartphone just like the photos show by using RAM mounting products: https://tinyurl.com/jpj9l9y

I use my phone for navigation and playing music. When I am not navigating, I plan on having the FOBO app running. Even if I am navigating with the smartphone, I will run the FOBO app in the background so it can alert me to low tire pressures.

 

[Bounce]

External sensors are screwed onto the valve stem. Right?

Remember the old mechanical "psi stick" types that screwed onto the stems? When they failed (they all did eventually), the valve core was depressed so it meant complete deflation.

Do the external sensors mitigate that?

 

[sapest]

My experience -

Doran Motorcycle system, sealed sensor, internal or screw on external.

2yrs used with external sensors, no failures.

2yrs used with internal sensor, no failure. (~45,000 miles)

Pressure Pro system used with truck and RV, 10 sealed external sensors, 7 yrs, no failures.

(~70,000 miles trailer, ~170,000 miles truck) Pressure Pro system very similar to Doran and other similar products.

(All above with metal valve stems)

A failed battery will stop the communications to the head unit, no air pressure release.

I presume physical damage, (a rock hitting the sensor?) might cause the release of air pressure.

YMMV

-Steve

 

[Bill Lumberg]

Bounce, I suppose it depends on what manufacturer you get your external sensors from. I've run the fobo sensors hard for somewhere around 30K on my FJR. They don't leak. As previously noted, if they did, they'd warn me. With a monitoring system, you know if the tire is too hot, insufficiently inflated, or if the battery or other conditions are preventing the system from working. I've been fortunate with tires so far on the FJR (lost 3 in a month and a half on the BMW one year). I got a high temp alarm on the FJR during a SS1K/TOH run, where the bike ran for hours, heat soaked for 5 minutes, ran for hours, heat soaked for 5 minutes. I managed to heat one of the tires up pretty good. Had one low pressure warning on the first big temp drop last fall. I'm satisfied. They include anti-theft collars (which I don't use), and battery changing is very easy.