Product Review: TPChecker Tire Pressure Monitoring System

All,
(Admin: please let me know if this is incorrectly posted. As a safety topic thought the other riders might appreciate a review on this type of product.)

I’m an ol’ school rider that enjoys doing most things DIY. When I purchased my ’99 Valkyrie Interstate I knew checking the tires for air would be more of a challenge… and as human nature goes, the inconvenience would probably result in me not doing it as much as should be done. So I started looking around for a remote tire pressure monitor.
With my previous rides, I tended to be more diligent in checking tire pressure and also tried some of the various stop leak additives. But in this case, I wanted something accurate that gave me the information I needed on the various rides. Let’s face it, losing tire pressure on a 1000+ pound setup isn’t fun!

I came across Orange Electronic TPChecker and liked the design at first glance. Everyone will have their opinions, but the display is fairly compact, easy to read, and fully weatherproof (read waterproof). While the Valkyrie does have some dash to work with, it’s still not a lot of room. So size was a factor and this seemed to fit the bill.

I’m a bit of a nerd at times so I was curious about the technical details and reached out to Gordon with questions. While I haven’t met him in person, from the emails it’s clear he would be fun to chat ‘gear’ with. Gordon gave me all the information I needed and the purchase was made. He did ask me if I was interested in righting a review to help others understand what might be involved in the installation of this. So I agreed.

After receiving the product, I was impressed with the easy to understand manual. There are only two buttons on this, so as expected there’s not a lot of complexity in using it. Basically, once installed I never touch it. No need. It gives me the info in the easy to read display.

The first challenge was deciding on the placement. From the various photos you can see that each location had its pros/cons. Eventually I decided on a handlebar mount on the left side.
The wiring is VERY easy since it’s only 2 wires: Power and Ground. Can’t get simpler than that! I won’t get into the various details on wiring since each bike and owner will have different preferences. However, one good thing to remember is this unit draws very little power so it can easily be connected to any power wire without fear of overloading the original circuit or wires.
The next thing needed was to install the remote sensors in the rims. I did this myself. I also grew up changing my own car and motorcycle tires decades ago because… well… that’s what you did back then. Working tire spoons is not difficult, but there is a technique. With practice it is fairly straight forward and easy to do. With that said. I do recommend if you’ve never changed a tire, it wouldn’t be smart to try and install these sensors as your first time out. Pay the few bucks and have your local shop do it for you.

If you are planning on doing this, remember to invest in good spoons and a few pieces of leather to avoid scratching the rims. For my rims, it was fairly straight forward. I just needed to break the bead seal on one side and make enough room to slide the sensor in place. The instructions are VERY specific about how many of the supplied spacers to use. Depending on the curve of the rime, different spacers will be necessary. I found the instructions very easy to follow and clearly understood what to look for in the setup. Most important! Each sensor is marked for FRONT and REAR. Make sure you install them correctly so your display will match up.

You’ll also need to invest in plenty of tire weights to compensate for the weight of the sensor. Again, these can be easily found at most parts stores and online at Amazon or eBay. Get more than you think you’ll need.
After installing the sensor you’ll need to balance the tire. There are plenty of balancing tools to be purchased online or at your local discount tool supply store. However, I always found it easier to suspend the tire on its axle. Make sure the axle is level so as not to throw off the turning of the tire.

The theory is that when the tire is balanced it will stop turning at different points. In practice, even a well-balanced tire will tend to stop at the same location… it’s not as much WHERE the tire stops, but how it settles. Does it quickly turn back-and-forth like a pendulum? Does it slowly, almost randomly come to a stop without a pendulum action? These are things to look for and part of the learning experience in using this technique. The key is patience.

To start – suspend the axle between two chairs or whatever you have and use a level to verify that it’s, well, level. Slide your tire over the axle and suspend it. Spin it a few times slowly to make sure it’s stable and won’t move off its mark. Next slowly spin it and let it settle naturally. More than likely the sensor will be at the bottom since it’s the heaviest part of the rim. Add weights to approximate the weight of the sensor (see the manual for details).
You’ll see in the picture how I used electrical tape to temporarily locate the tire weights while working through this part of the process. This makes the job very easy, since you can remove all the weights and start over if things seem out of whack. Later you can permanently affixing them to the rim.

With each change in weight, you’ll need to repeat turning the tire slowly and letting naturally settle. This does take time to do, but I find these types of jobs relaxing and less stressful than other things that might need fixing.

As you get closer to balancing the tire, the settling point will change and, as mentioned, the way the tire settles will change. The best indicator is when the tire does NOT pendulum, but slowly comes to a stop at somewhat random locations. At this point, the tire is sufficiently balanced for road use.
Depending on your rim, a filler extender might be needed to the business end of the sensor. The TPChecker comes with one 90-degree extender to accommodate most setups. Because of my rims, I needed to purchase an additional one online. They are fairly inexpensive and can be found on Amazon or eBay.

Once the sensors and display are installed it’s time to use the system. Follow the instructions to setup it. Again, VERY easy and straight forward.

I've had this on the bike for about 9 months an commute daily to work about 45 minutes each way and have come to rely on having the tire temperature and pressure information readily available. On one trip through West Virginia mountains I did have a sudden loss of air and the RED indicator did its job in getting my attention. Luckily it was just due to the 90degree angle adapter having gotten slightly loose. Was happy it worked so well. I do use the information to fine-tune the optimum pressure setting for the type of ride I’m planning. Hot days versus cold. Wet versus dry. Having the information available has allowed me to experiment with different tire pressures and better understand how my tires perform under different circumstances. This used to be a bit of a guessing game. Now, it’s more of a science.

If it’s not obvious, I really like the TPChecker. It’s simple, accurate, and sleek design makes it a perfect fit for knowing what the heck is going on inside the tire without looking like there’s a computer hanging off the rails. I recommend if you’re considering a remote tire pressure/temperature setup – take a close look at what Gordon has to offer.

Cheers and Ride Safe!
Jersey