Uncle Phil
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After a 'sudden' front tire deflate on the way back from the Moonshine Lunch Run, I decided it was time to look into a TPMS system for my three ST1100s. I looked at the Doran system and the Tireguard system. Then I found the Hawkshead system out of Rosedale, British Columbia. I definitely wanted a 'cap' system not an 'inside the tire' system for many reasons. The Doran looked nice, but I didn't like the revenue stream generated by non-replaceable batteries in the caps. I also thought the monitor was a bit large which I did not care for. The Tireguard looked nice, but the non-waterproof head was a real problem for me as I often get caught out in the rain and I don't do 'baggies'. ;-) One rider told me he left his in his pocket during a rain storm, water pooled in the pocket and the unit was toast. Further investigation led me to the HawksHead MOTO TRACK CRUISER 2, with a IP69K waterproof rating (look it up - pretty impressive and far beyond what it will experience), the head was small enough but readable and the caps (according to them) are Micro sensors that weigh a mere 0.02 ounces with replaceable battery installed and only measure 0.5 inches by 0.75 inches. It also takes readings pretty quickly, has the alarm stuff, and turns itself off after 15 minutes of non-movement to conserve battery life. It charges via a USB port so it is not wired into the bike. I got mine just in time to use it on my 3,000+ mile trip up to LobsterSToc which would cover all sorts of roads - both smooth and not so smooth. ;-) I installed it in the motel parking lot at the end of the first day and charged the head from my netbook overnight (it says it takes 4 hours). I just stuck it in a window pocket that I had for my route notes so I could see how it worked. The unit was a WAD - working as designed - and I must say I am very impressed with it. It kept me updated in what my tire pressures were and never missed a beat. The head battery life per charge is yet to be determined as I am still running on the first charge after a week of use. You can adjust the upper and lower pressure limits per each tire and also the maximum temperature setting. Tire pressure normally shows, but you can push the CODE button to see the temperature. It was pretty amazing to see the pressure difference between a 'cold' set of tires and a 'hot' set of tires. It was easy to read the screen and it also has an automatic backlight feature when it senses a low light level. It has a flashing red light if a tire gets close to either the upper or lower limit which I saw 'working' because I had my upper pressure set too low. It also has an audible alarm but I fortunately did not have to test it on the trip. The unit does everything I expected from a Motorcycle TPMS so I went ahead and purchased units for my two other ST1100s. I've got to sort out how I mount the head unit as it comes with a handle bar clamp but I still have the handlebar cover on my ST1100s. I will update this topic as I get more 'miles' on the units. Below are pictures of the head unit and the caps.
http://www.tpms.ca/MOTORCYCLE.html
http://www.tpms.ca/MOTORCYCLE.html
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