I will be running tubed tyres on my 2016 Africa Twin after checking out the various tubeless options. Will a TPMS work (screw -onto -the- valve type) on tubed tyres or is there a problem? Comments welcome!

So far as the sensors are concerned, TPMS systems will work equally well on tubed or tubeless tires.

What you do need to check is whether or not the additional weight (small as it is) of the sensor presents a problem for the durability of the valve stem where it enters the wheel.

Many TPMS manufacturers advise purchasers that they should only mount the sensors on metal valve stems (not rubber ones). Tubed tires have rubber valve stems. So that might rule out mounting a sensor on a tubed tire.

Michael

KISS principle and CHEAPSKATE principle say: tire gauge.

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Thanks for the advice folks. I will apply the KISS principal and rely soley on my tyre guage to determine the tyre pressure.

I've used the screw on TPMS system on my last 3 bikes. It's now the first thing I put on my bikes. IMHO much simpler than a tyre gauge.

I understand what Grant is getting at - which is that if you want to check tire pressure at any given point in time, a tire gauge is the simplest and least expensive way of doing it, but after having TPMS on my motorcycles for the past 5 years (the Garmin system, via the GPS), I would not want to ever be without this monitoring system.

Having real-time monitoring of tire pressures addresses two potential safety problems:

1) We can't be bothered to check pressure every morning. Honestly, how many of us have the discipline to check tire pressures each morning before riding off?

2) Immediate notification of a loss of pressure. A few years ago, I was riding along a rural highway when I received a warning from the TPMS of a pressure drop. I stopped and inspected the tire and found a bolt embedded in my back tire. The tire still had sufficient air in it to enable me to cautiously ride to an automotive tire shop in the next town, where I had the shop inspect the tire and put a plug in it, and refill the tire with air. I was able to find a moto dealer with my size of tire in stock and ride to them the next day to get the tire replaced.

If I did not have a TPMS installed, my first warning of problems with that back tire would probably have been the next morning, when I found it flat as a pancake and with me unable to ride the bike. All the additional expenses I would have incurred (extra night hotel stay, courier charges for the tire, maybe even having to trailer or flatbed the bike to the moto dealer) would easily have exceeded the purchase price of the TPMS.

Michael

Which is why there will eventually be legislation to make vehicle manufacturers fit it.

The retro fit solutions however are highly variable and some have the potential to be the cause of a blow out.

Andy

I'm ok with the factory installed, inside the tire systems - BUT I'm much less ok with the aftermarket add-ons, I've heard too many stories of failing caps and very inaccurate readings.
I DO check my tires every morning - by stepping on the tire/rim from the side, and watch the deflection. You get to know what's "normal" and what's not. Every few days I check with a gauge.

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Andy makes a good point.

I think that there are two concerns that need to be carefully investigated before installing an aftermarket TPMS on a motorcycle:

1) If the device is a 'cap' that fits onto the end of the valve stem, then you will need to replace existing plastic or rubber valve stems with metal valve stems. This is because the centrifugal force of the rotating wheel causes the 'cap', no matter how small and light it may appear, to exert a force on the valve stem. Over time, a plastic or rubber valve stem may not be able to handle the repeated deformation cycles imposed by this force.

This might present an insurmountable problem for folks who run tires with tubes in them.

2) You need to be a critical consumer, and remember that you get what you pay for. The little Garmin valve caps that I use cost about US $75 each, and that's just for the sensor - there is also the additional cost of a GPS navigator that has TPMS capability if you do not already own one.

There are a lot of TPMS products coming out of China. Many of these are made by companies without an established reputation. I hate to paint a country with a broad brush, but, would you buy a helmet with a "Made in China" label on it?

Do the research, read the various reviews, search the forums and see what the experience of others has been before you buy an aftermarket TPMS.

Michael