Will do!
Advice on compatible tire pressure gauges and tire pumps for ST1300?
- Thread starter Riff
- Start date
Not my bike or pics, but I have the same setup on my 1100:
Same here. These gages fit in the fairing boxes and take up little room. There seems to be a radical variation in quality, so be careful about what you buy. Also have a round one with a dial indicator, it works well on the 1100 but not the 1300.
Just a thought.
Correct air pressure has been a sore spot for me for the last few years. I have maybe 6-8 gauges around the garage, each give a different air pressure.
Our gauges are never calibrated after we buy them, drop them, step on them, whatever. I was never really comfortable with their readings, so
I took my main gauge up to Kwik Kar and asked them to check mine against theirs. The one I use the most read 37 psi when theirs read 40psi.
They said their gauge was only two days old and believed it to be correct. Thereafter I wrote down the needed adjustments on my other individual gauges, e.g.
37 psi really equals 40 psi. I could set the tires at this level and make adjustments for other gauge differences. I taped the notes to the gauges.
My understanding is that we will gain about 2-4 psi after the tires get warmed up, i.e. if they were set correctly when cold. I assume we all know they should be set when cold.
Under inflated tires flex more and heat up more and thus wear faster. Hard tires get better mileage and provide better "feel" when riding. Our manuals will usually say 34-36 lbs but I've read that is to give a customers smoother ride, Who knows? I've used 40-42 for the FJR for years and it definitely handles better. So does the Harley and ST.
Just sayin, I know everyone has their own opinion.
Correct air pressure has been a sore spot for me for the last few years. I have maybe 6-8 gauges around the garage, each give a different air pressure.
Our gauges are never calibrated after we buy them, drop them, step on them, whatever. I was never really comfortable with their readings, so
I took my main gauge up to Kwik Kar and asked them to check mine against theirs. The one I use the most read 37 psi when theirs read 40psi.
They said their gauge was only two days old and believed it to be correct. Thereafter I wrote down the needed adjustments on my other individual gauges, e.g.
37 psi really equals 40 psi. I could set the tires at this level and make adjustments for other gauge differences. I taped the notes to the gauges.
My understanding is that we will gain about 2-4 psi after the tires get warmed up, i.e. if they were set correctly when cold. I assume we all know they should be set when cold.
Under inflated tires flex more and heat up more and thus wear faster. Hard tires get better mileage and provide better "feel" when riding. Our manuals will usually say 34-36 lbs but I've read that is to give a customers smoother ride, Who knows? I've used 40-42 for the FJR for years and it definitely handles better. So does the Harley and ST.
Just sayin, I know everyone has their own opinion.
And we don't know that they are ever calibrated before we buy them. No way typical pencil gauges are calibrated. Maybe a sample of a production run.
Even the various dial gauges are suspect. I've seen references to granularity but few claims of accuracy and we have no way to know. Best we can do is compare them to another/other gauges but again who knows...
Maybe somewhere someone makes a lab grade air pressure calibrator. I don't know who that might be so I'll just go with one gauge and hope close enough is close enough.
I have a Milton pencil gauge, which is surprisingly accurate. Either that, or the TPMS system in our Mercedes is not accurate : )
Car and Driver chose an Accutire digital ($13.95 usd in a 2019 article ... they also mentioned the Milton), as did Consumer Reports, though CR tested a different model.
Autoguide also lists an Accutire digital and the Milton pencil in their "10 best" article.
I also have a Slime pencil, but it feels wimpy in the hand compared to the Milton (which feels "heavy duty" for a pencil)
Car and Driver chose an Accutire digital ($13.95 usd in a 2019 article ... they also mentioned the Milton), as did Consumer Reports, though CR tested a different model.
Autoguide also lists an Accutire digital and the Milton pencil in their "10 best" article.
I also have a Slime pencil, but it feels wimpy in the hand compared to the Milton (which feels "heavy duty" for a pencil)
Andrew Shadow
Site Supporter
I think WebBikeWorld did a test on pencil gauges and also selected the Milton as the most accurate. But IIRC they didn't have a Gold Standard Lab Grade control. A pencil will do in a pinch but I prefer a digital gauge. In the end a couple pound here and there doesn't really matter. If you have consistency you can eventually determine an acceptable accuracy.
If I can trust my TPMS while I'm riding, I figure I can trust it when topping up.
Tire gauge: In the garage - Joe's Racing, on the road - Milton.
Pump: $10 Wal Mart special with the case removed. Put it in a bag and behind your seat, and forget about it. UNTIL, you need it; usually in BFE, at night, in the rain. Then it will save your ass. Be sure to include a $5 Slime plug kit in that same bag.