LDL tire watch system or Smart Tire ?

[Shane Stump]

I am going to be purchasing a tire monitoring system coming up and I was wondering which system members have tried!

Couple of questions:

1) Reliability / accuracy

2) Ease of install

3) Any problems?

Happy New Year!

Shane

 

[BrunDog]

I, too will be getting one. Here are my distant observations:

1. Only the reliability of the SmartTire can be assesed up to this point becasue the LDL is new. From my understanding, everyone has had good luck with the SmartTire. I have also heard it is accurate to within 1-2 psi.

2. It looks like the LDL is easier to install. The transmitters are simply mounted via the valve stems rather than the steel bands of the SmartTire, and the receiver on the LDL needs no bike power. Looks like the LDL is the hands down winner here.

3. Other than the f*cked up dealer install on Pierre's (?) bike, none that I have heard about.

-BD

 

[Toecutter]

3) Any problems?

You have to be real careful about changing tires, and/or who you let change tires (at least with the SmarTire), as the sensors/straps can get damaged by meat-headed handling techniques.
Other than that, mine's been good to me so far, even making me keep a closer eye on pressures than normal.

 

[Warchild]

2. It looks like the LDL is easier to install. The transmitters are simply mounted via the valve stems rather than the steel bands of the SmartTire, and the receiver on the LDL needs no bike power. Looks like the LDL is the hands down winner here.

There is another aspect in favor of the LDL system: it provided the readout of both tires simultaneously. The Smartire does not.

For the Smartire, you must take your left hand off the handlebars and push buttons to change the readout display from one tire to the other. Dunno why they would choose that method of display; doesn't seem an optimal situation to have to manually change the display.....

It's also pretty cool that in addition to the tire warning features, the LDL system also displays the ambient air temperature. Nice tough, particularly during winter riding, when you can watch to see how close it's getting to freezing and can adjust your riding accordingly.

 

[BrunDog]

It's also pretty cool that in addition to the tire warning features, the LDL system also displays the ambient air temperature. Nice tough, particularly during winter riding, when you can watch to see how close it's getting to freezing and can adjust your riding accordingly.

Does it display ambient temperature OR tire temperature OR both? I would expect tire temp, as it is needed for pressure compensations, but ambient?

-BD

 

[Warchild]

It's also pretty cool that in addition to the tire warning features, the LDL system also displays the ambient air temperature. Nice tough, particularly during winter riding, when you can watch to see how close it's getting to freezing and can adjust your riding accordingly.

Does it display ambient temperature OR tire temperature OR both? I would expect tire temp, as it is needed for pressure compensations, but ambient?

-BD

Yep, external ambient temps too, as well as a 24-hour clock, according to their literature. See:

 

[Shane Stump]

It's also pretty cool that in addition to the tire warning features, the LDL system also displays the ambient air temperature. Nice tough, particularly during winter riding, when you can watch to see how close it's getting to freezing and can adjust your riding accordingly.

Does it display ambient temperature OR tire temperature OR both? I would expect tire temp, as it is needed for pressure compensations, but ambient?

-BD

Yep, external ambient temps too, as well as a 24-hour clock, according to their literature. See:

So how long (approximately) does it take to install the LDL unit if one is already getting new tires put on?

Happy 2007!

Shane

 

[user 3386]

2. It looks like the LDL is easier to install. The transmitters are simply mounted via the valve stems rather than the steel bands of the SmartTire, and the receiver on the LDL needs no bike power. Looks like the LDL is the hands down winner here.

There is another aspect in favor of the LDL system: it provided the readout of both tires simultaneously. The Smartire does not.

Having the SmarTire (not the LDL) I should comment that the design of the ST is to display two dashes (not tire pressures) to indicate tire pressures (front and rear) are within normal limits. I really don't need/want another set of digits to evaluate while riding. If pressure strays, or if tire temp warms too much, the SmarTire will let you know. (Anything else but dashes = bad.)

Ambient air temp is a dash readout (ergo moot point) for '06 owners. Finally, low current draw bike power is better, IMHO, than batteries that may fail on a long trip. Maybe the LDL is not such a hands down winner?

 

[BrunDog]

...than batteries that may fail on a long trip.

The receiver batteries last a few years and you get a visual warning in advance. I don't really think anyone is going to get blindsided on this.

In addition, both units have batteries in the wheels. These are the ones that you should be worrying about.

In any event, this stuff is not mission critical. You still carry a trusty tire gauge, don't you?

-BD