Looking for recommendation on TPMS

[MONK]

I'm looking for a good BT/Android phone app type FOUR position/sensor tire pressure monitoring system. Any suggestions? I bought a cheap one for my car and it was total junk. I need something higher quality although I don't want to break the bank.

HAGO!

[WilcoJunoHotel]

What about these? About $50 per sensor. I am thinking about trying them.

http://www.lamonstergarage.com/fobo-...f-3-lamonster/
http://www.lamonstergarage.com/fobo-bike-2-lamonster/

[MONK]

Only 3 sensors. I need 4.

[RICZ]

My TPMS is an accurate tire pressure gauge used weekly. And if a tire goes flat, I will feel it and so will Miss Nanny. Yes, I have tried one of those systems and had wheel balance problems up the kazoo.

[EdMat]

Only 3 sensors. I need 4.

look on the FOBO website or Amazon. They make all variations including for a trailer.

I use FOBO 2 on mine, and I like it. No balance issues. Did not need to change valve stems.

[WilcoJunoHotel]

Only 3 sensors. I need 4.

The 2nd link I noted was for a pair - you could buy 2 pair.

[askitee]

I bought the Sykik (found Here) as they had them for Trikes and were BLE compliant allowing longer battery life. The app they produce is not well written so I ended up using one of the other Android TPMS apps in the store. The key was finding one that was willing to ignore the absence of the 4th sensor and complain all the way squarking that a 4th wheel was low on air or missing its sensor.

The app I did choose doesn.t quite have the pressure ranges I'd like (I think min is 18 psi), nor the temp range, but it does the job. The sensors send an update on the pressure every 5-8 mins, but if there is a sudden reduction of pressure She (its a female voice) starts squarking straight away.

I was about to bin all 3 sensors as they hadn't worked for a month or so until I realised the new valve stems are too long or shrader valves too short preventing the centre pin in the sensor from pushing the valve down enough to allow the pressure to reach the sensor. I have to find the time to pull them out and take some measurements to find the correct combination.

Lastly I use a balance tube to inflate / deflate / check pressures on the front, so that pressures are identical, but the sensors still say the fronts are at different pressures. An adjustment either in the sensor or in the app would be nice.

[MONK]

I bought a Sykik off of Amazon a couple months ago. Couldn't even get the sensors to pair w/the app. I sent it back.

[TxKrc]

I haven't used any other brand other than FOBO. I've had them on my Goldwing trike and trailer and have them on my RTL. Owned them for four years and zero issues. As mentioned earlier, go to their website and you can order any combination needed.

[MONK]

...so that pressures are identical, but the sensors still say the fronts are at different pressures. An adjustment either in the sensor or in the app would be nice.

Bought the FOBO 2 from Lamonster and got it/installed it today. As of this morning (before a short 50 mile ride), the front tire pressures were identical and @ 20psi (+/- .25#). Bike's been parked for a couple hours. FOBO shows the L tire @ 21.8# and the R tire @ 23.1#. Something's amiss here. I can pull them back off and double check the current pressures but I don't know why there would be a difference and why both would show above what I set them for. After a couple of hours (@60*F), they should be cool enough to check cold.

Suggestions would be nice before I send this unit back.

HAGO!

[RayBJ]

The specs on the one's I've seen are +/- 3 lbs. Pretty much defeats the purpose if looking to balance the fronts.

[Peter Aawen]

Bought the FOBO 2 from Lamonster and got it/installed it today. As of this morning (before a short 50 mile ride), the front tire pressures were identical and @ 20psi (+/- .25#). Bike's been parked for a couple hours. FOBO shows the L tire @ 21.8# and the R tire @ 23.1#. Something's amiss here. I can pull them back off and double check the current pressures but I don't know why there would be a difference and why both would show above what I set them for. After a couple of hours (@60*F), they should be cool enough to check cold.

Suggestions would be nice before I send this unit back.

HAGO!

'Just' a couple of hours parked up might not be enough to cool completely on a warm day, but if the ambient temp is fairly low, it might be.... Still, generally, you'd want to leave warm tires at least 4-5 hours to get back to a reasonable cold start reading, altho leaving them 8-12 hours would be even better!!

Re the pressure variation, any chance the higher pressure side is on the sunnier side of the Spyder?? Or maybe there was a cold breeze blowing onto the lower pressure side.... But either of those things (amongst others) could result in that sort of difference in pressure - ESPECIALLY if your tires were warm (as they should be from that 50 mile ride ) and they'd then sat cooling for ONLY 2 or so hours!

Your tires NEED to warm up when you ride (search on 'the 4psi rule') - if they don't inrease in pressure after a ride of anything much more than about 10 mins, then they are grossly over-inflated & you are not going to get the best from them in terms of (amongst other things) those fairly important things like ride, handling, traction, puncture resistance, tread life, & compliance with the vehicle's suspension.... For most Spyder front tires with a 'normal' sort of weight/load, normal 'in-traffic' speeds, & no high speed &/or hard riding, I'd expect to see an increase in pressure of about 3 psi after a 50 mile ride if they started out at 20 psi, but there are all sorts of variables that could vary that increase; and then there's the variables that can impact upon how quickly they'll cool down after you stop too, so that's a very rough guestimate & broad 'expectation'!!

Ideally, you should check your cold start tires before you start riding for the day (ie, after 8-12 hours of standing out of the sun/weather) then use your FOBO to keep an eye on the pressure as you ride. If you want to confirm your FOBO pressure readings, then you'll need to check the 'hot pressure' immediately upon stopping moving, and certainly within no more than a couple of minutes of stopping moving! Any pressure reading taken after about 2-3 mins could vary significantly due to the 'tendency' of temperatures to rapidly start to equalise - cold air &/or road with a hot tire sitting on it & the initial temp/pressure change can be VERY quick to start out with, gradually slowing the rate of change as the temps get closer, and the last degree or so of equalisation can take many hours!!

So I wouldn't be too upset with those readings from your FOBO just yet - you haven't really given them a chance with that 'checking' technique! And as Ray mentioned too, their accuracy isn't necessarily all that great, so their most valuable benefit is not necessarily showing you an 'exact' or even 'accurate' pressure reading, but more in telling you of any pressure CHANGE while you're riding! Once you know how close their cold start pressure readings are to your 'reliable' pressure gauge readings, you can use the FOBO readings to track & monitor the pressure increase as you ride - too much, your cold start pressure was too low; too little, your cold start pressure was too high; but most critically, if you see any SUDDEN change as you ride, or if one or more tire/s gradually change pressure without an obvious weather/temp/road surface/usage reason, you'll know to check/inspect your tires & pressure properly at the first safe opportunity!! FOBO & any TPMS is simply another tool that makes keeping an eye on things easier, they ARE NOT an excuse to avoid carrying out the basic checks & inspections that are necessarily a part of being a safe rider & road user!

[2dogs]

What Peter said x2. I've used FOBO's without any issues for over 30k miles.

[askitee]

Bought the FOBO 2 from Lamonster and got it/installed it today. As of this morning (before a short 50 mile ride), the front tire pressures were identical and @ 20psi (+/- .25#). Bike's been parked for a couple hours. FOBO shows the L tire @ 21.8# and the R tire @ 23.1#. Something's amiss here. I can pull them back off and double check the current pressures but I don't know why there would be a difference and why both would show above what I set them for. After a couple of hours (@60*F), they should be cool enough to check cold.

Suggestions would be nice before I send this unit back.

HAGO!

Is one side in the sun perhaps?

[MONK]

Thanks, guys. After sitting all night in 40* temps, it's currently reading 19.6 FL/20.0 FR/22.9 Rear. Not sure what's going on with the rear tire. I'm guessing either I didn't screw the sensor on tightly enough and it's leaking or I ran over something during my ride yesterday. That should have been about 27#. I'll go out after work with my tire pressure guage and air compressor and make sure it's aired up. I'd hate for a brand new tire to have a hole in it but I guess if it does, I'll buy a car tire sooner rather than later.

[RogDawg]

FOBO Bike2 Trike version allows for the 4th sensor for monitoring air shock. $149 plus $49.