GS-Riders International

My Tire Watch arrived safely at my doorstep 4 weeks after the order has been placed with Vancosport. I paid US$ 350 / Euro 260 / S$ 530 incl. shipping. Handling of my order was without any issues. A query I had was attended to promptly, and finally answered to my satisfaction within three days.




From the top:
- 2 pcs pressure/temperature sensors.
They mount as counterparts to the pretty
- 2 pcs 90 degrees angle tire valves
- the display unit
- a pack with small installation parts like seals for the valves, different mounting bolts, etc.
- snap-in mounting clamp, to mount on even surfaces like a dashboard surface
- snap-in mounting clamp for handle bar mounting


Some Details:

One of the sensors



mounts to the beautifully made tire valve.



The display



shows tire temperature in C or F, ambient temperature, time, and of course the tire pressures in bar or psi.

Mounted to my GS:




Description:

The sensor installation is easy as screwing in ordinary valve stems. It can be done when the tires are due to change anyway. The valves are made from aluminium. The manual mentions as important point, that one should make slow movement turns only when tightening the sensor units, in order to prevent weakening of the soft aluminium. There are three versions of the Tire Watch available, which differ through the type of valves included. The valve must match with the type of rim.

As for the included mounting material, the variety of the different parts should make it possible for everyone to find a way for mounting the display reasonably. If really nothing else works, there is also a slot-in bracket which fits to all round tube motorcycle handlebars.

After installation the device is switched on by the left button. The force needed to operate these rubber buttons is quite high. After switching on for the first time, the system needs initial calibration, which requires driving for 4 minutes uninterrupted at speeds above 20 kph - not at speeds lower than 20 kph, as what is written in the instructions. That is actually not an easy task in a place like Singapore, and of course it took me a while to figure out initial calibration works above 20 kph.

Follow carefully the instructions to start the calibration process. Don't loose patience, 4 minutes can appear to be lenghty. Should there only one sensor get calibrated first, one tends to get nervous questioning if it really works or not. It does. The other sensor may need a minute more. Just ride on and don't touch any button. After the initialisation has finished, the display unit functions always reliable. From now on the internal tire temperatures and air pressures are checked every 60 seconds.

The are different alarms which can be pre-set to trigger a bright red led. I recommend setting the different alarms after the above step has been taken.


Plusses and Minusses

+ Solid, watertight and small housing
+ Easy to read display, also in bright sunlight
+ Alarm programming
+ No wires or cabling whatsoever
+ Internal tire temps interesting to watch, and may be useful in winter or under extreme hot weather
+ Firm pressure buttons prevent wrong operation

- Buttons require very firm pressure, somewhat difficult with gloves
- Every time an alarm setting is changed the clock needs to be set again
- There is no satisfactory option for a 100% theft-safe installation
- Price


My Conclusion:

Tire pressures can be checked for free at petrol stations, day and night, 7 days a week. So how can I justify the expense of US$ 350 / S$ 510 / Euro 259 ?

1. I am tired of the imprecise or damaged tire pumps at local petrol station.
2. I have only two wheels. If one fails, I am in trouble. A tire pressure monitor constantly watches the health of my tires.

The Tire Watch works as promised + the niggles are minor = I would buy it again.

Wish: Option for permanent installation with current supply from the motorcycle battery.

+ Euro 60 / $ 100 cheaper than the Tire Watch
+ nicer looking display
+ hooking to the motorcycle's electrical system
+ buttons easier to depress with gloves on

- wiring to separate transmitters required
- huge pick-up transmitters (the greyish pieces on the photo)

I was interest to find out if tire sealants would damage the sensor in my Tire Watch.

email to Tire Watch

Quoted

Dear Sirs

I am using your Tire Watch since May 2007 on my motorcycle BMW R 1200 GS.

With the tire watch sensor mounted to the rims, would a tire sealant such as http://www.ride-on.com block the sensors?

Regards
Peter Kroll

reply from Tire Watch within a few hours

Quoted

Dear Mr Kroll,
Thanks for using our tire pressure monitoring system. TIRE WATCH has be
conceived to be functional even if you use a tire sealant - the centrifugal
stress make the foam go away from the sensor that can continue measuring right
pressure.
Staying at your disposal for any further query you may have.
Wish you all the best for 2008.
Best regards,

Sophie MARQUIE
TIRE WATCH AM Sales Executive

Thanks Sophie!

Would be nice to have more clarity with this point. I guess they have to say that, since they don't want to be blamed if sensors get clogged.

Here is another battery operated alternative from company tpm-systems AG . The market price is Euro 129 / US$ 201 / S$ 275

One battery for the display unit, user exchangeable button cell for the sensor



Display unit (changeable to psi)



Sensor integrated in the valve caps for easy installation, caps van be secured



Product Details

The Doran 360M is an alternative for operation on 12 V. The sensors are small, and can be installed either outside or inside the rim. Unfortunately it does not show the tire inside temperatures. Price is US$ 249.99 / Euro 160 / S$ 340.

Thanks for link and info! I agree it is an interesting product. But unless I have a confirmation from the pressure monitor supplier or from Dyna-Beads, I would refrain from using them.

Dyna-Beads says:

Quoted

Note: If your wheels have a TPMS system that is part of the valve stem, you may not be able to install the beads using the Applicator.

Tire pressure monitor - I've got used to it so much, can't image not to have one anymore. Too much screws, nails and rivets on the roads here. I am riding at current with two patches on my rear.

Hm, ok - I just read it can be installed 'open' with a new tire. I 'll write to them and with a pic of my sensors.

There is a thread about a modification for operating the Tire Watch from on-board power. Read here: Tire Watch modification .

Generally I am still happy with the Tire Watch. It is still one of the best tire pressure monitors in the market, I believe. I did compare the pressure display with several electronic pressure meters, among them professional devices. My Tire Watch works spot on accurate. The temperature display is not a toy only, but it can be a useful indicator to help avoiding unnecessary tire shredding, as I learned (in particular during my trip through Australia, at 80 C in the display the rear melts like butter in the sun).

Here as well my criticism:
- I'd prefer the unit to be powered by motorcycle power
- Adjusting the time forces to go through the entire set-up cycle, such as the warning thresholds (but not again initializing the sensors, of course)
- Since about 8 weeks the rear sensor battery is weak, shown by alternating 'Low' in the display. Two years juice only is a bit less, IMO. The front shows still no signs of weakness, so it could be a case of the rear battery being weaker from the beginning.
- The price is a little steep.

To the modifications which I did I've got a remark as well. I personally would not do the soldering on the micro-switches again, caused me to open the things one more time and detaching the cables. Since then I have a small visible patch on the display, possibly caused by overheating. My fault. The small modification for driving the display unit from the motorcycle power however is convenient.

Hope this helps. Hope things are going well for you!

I thought about it as well. It meets 'keep it simple' requirements and the price is attractive. In the end I prefer something fixed to the bike. But for the money it seems a great device.

Do you know how they make sure no air can escape the sensor cap? I have long term concerns.