Positioning to check tire pressures

[Fred W]

"beam, I've checked the vitals a few times after a ride and the Fobo reports the rear tire temperature about 15-20 deg F above ambient and the pressure about 5-6 psi above 'cold' value. I guess those science equations work.
Next morning the T and P are back to set values.

I think Mr. Hoyle would agree.

Well, "According to Hoyle", the gas pressure guy's name was Boyle.

 

[Klubis]

Well I got 4 out of 5 letters correct! That's an 80%!

 

[philter]

Sometimes I'll back the bike out into the drive and check them, which means stopping, seeing where the valves are, then pushing the bike forward or back until the valves are somewhere that can be reached. Again, 90 degree valves make anywhere on the bottom half work. Make sure you put the stems on pointing to the right, the "high" side when on the side stand.

I have a pair of K&L 83 degree stems to install with new tires. Am seriously thinking about orienting straight forward. When the time comes I'm going to see how that works with my air gage and Garmin TPMS.

I found it best not to orient them inline with the rim or 90 degrees but at a 45.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Til they're stripped, then back off 1/4 turn.

^^^^^

Good Answer!

 

[majicmaker]

Til they're stripped, then back off 1/4 turn.

^^^^^
Good Answer!

That'll do it. Trust me! I'm a mechanic engineer...

 

[El Toro]

Til they're stripped, then back off 1/4 turn.

That's easy to remember. It's the same torque spec as we used to use on head bolts at the Norton shop.

 

[gazza]

Just check them at every oil change and be done with it

 

[LittleJon]

I don't even bother to use an air gauge. I've found that just kicking the tire I can tell if pressure is lower than I prefer. I do use the gauge to air the tire up when low, standing back up to kick the tire when already down on one knee to air up the tire is unnecessary effort.

The weekend after my wife-ish got her mc license, we went out for a ride. Upon return, I found her tire grossly underinflated.

"Did you check the tire pressure before we left?"

"Of course."

"What was the pressure?"

"I don't know..."

"How did you check it?"

"I kicked it...."

"And how is a properly inflated tire supposed to feel when you kick it?"

".......... yeah, I guess that wasn't very smart...."

I love her so.

And now we check with a tire gauge.

 

[HotRodZilla]

To properly check tire pressure, you must position your bike like this:

 

[Blubyu]

Just finished watching the Fobo videos and reading the manual. It is a pretty slick system. What is not clear is, when you are riding the bike and the smart phone s in your pocket, how are you alerted that the pressure has dropped? Or, do you have to have the phone out and visible somewhere?

I have had the FOBO installed for over a year now. You will either need the phone visible or connected to your bluethooth helmet speakers. I have my iPhone mounted to my left handlebar. I also have a Sena that I use to stream my music. When there is a warning I get both an audible warning in my helmet and a visual warning on my phone.

 

[art miller]

Since I almost always check while on the sidestand I use a chart I created and a four foot "yardstick".
I approach the bike from the right side and make a mental note of where the stems are.

I look on my chart and see how far I need to roll the bike forward or backward to get each stem at the desired position.

I lay the yardstick down on the floor aligned with the bike with one end at the foot of the sidestand.

Looking at the yardstick and the sidestand I roll the bike forward or backward the distance required for optimal gauging.

I chose 80 degrees CW from the top (right side) as optimal for the front tire. For the rear tire I chose 230 degrees CW from the top.

^^^^^ Is that kinda like E=MC2. For what it is worth, I use 85 degree stem on front and short straight on rear. No problem checking or adding air on that set up. Roll the bike to get front stem where you want it and put bike on side send. Put bike on center stand and roll tire to desired position. There you have it without all the scientific jargon!!

 

[N4HHE]

Sometimes I'll back the bike out into the drive and check them, which means stopping, seeing where the valves are, then pushing the bike forward or back until the valves are somewhere that can be reached. Again, 90 degree valves make anywhere on the bottom half work. Make sure you put the stems on pointing to the right, the "high" side when on the side stand.

I have a pair of K&L 83 degree stems to install with new tires. Am seriously thinking about orienting straight forward. When the time comes I'm going to see how that works with my air gage and Garmin TPMS.

I found it best not to orient them inline with the rim or 90 degrees but at a 45.

I found that out too. Garmin TPMS on right angle valve stem pointed straight out hits front brake caliper. I have it turned about 30° out from bike centerline. Good access with air hose and pressure gauge. Good clearance from calipers. 0° along centerline doesn't appear to hold the Garmin TPMS high enough to clear the rim. Also not as easy to access.

Of course I pointed my valve stems to the left. Farthest from the caliper on the rear and easier access not having to reach around the rear disc. So as not to have to run hose and crawl around on both sides of the bike the front points left too.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

I used to check with the stems at 7pm and 4pm, rear and front, as viewed from the right side of the back. Since I check pressures daily, after years of stooping or kneeling, I got a creeper stool. Much more comfortable. Then I just said screw it, and got FOBO. Best 100 dollars I ever spent, except for that time I bought bleach and trash bags after mistakenly killing a panda. FOBO doesn't require you to roll the wheels. Just a jiggle of the bars and I get pressures. I don't check pressures manually any more, except for rare occasions. It's also extremely nice to be able to see temps and pressures when you're covering big miles. As far as cost/reward, the t-valves I got from wingstuff are a no brainer in and of themselves for manual pressure checking.