What?? Another flashing idiot light!!

[Ron]

Saturday I was going to ride my bike to D&D’s customer appreciation day. The night before I check everything out on the bike including all the air pressures in both tires. They were down about a pound, so I filled them up to the correct pressures.  

I took off the next day and rode 2 blocks and the Low Tire Pressure Indicator light started to flash. I turn around and went back home and checked the tire pressure again, and the back tire was down to 32 lbs. I checked the tire for any nails or damage and there was none. I than got to thinking was I losing my mind and last night did I fill the tire to 32 instead of 42?(a sign of getting old) It was late and I was tried. I guess that could be a possibility, so I filled the tire to 42 and took off to go to D&D.

After going 10 miles and as soon as I enter on to the 101 the Low Tire Pressure Indicator light started to flash again and of course it started to rain. I pulled off the freeway and found an empty office complex with covered parking. I pull under the covered parking and checked the tires again. Back tire is down to 32 again and I knew this time in was not my mind. This time I gave the back tire a real going over to find where the leak was coming from. Could not find any leak or nail. I called Western Honda to see if they could get me in right away and they said no problem and they have my tire in stock if we need one.

 I pulled out my new Adventure Design air compressor (which I really like by the way) and filled the tire up to 50 pounds and started for Western Honda. About 10 miles later the flashing Low Tire Pressure Indicator light came on again. I again pulled over and re filled the tire to 50 pounds and that was good enough to get me to Western Honda. I told them I thought it was a valve stem problem. They took the bike in and put it on the lift to check the tire and came out five minutes later and said the tire was fixed. They said I was right it was the needle in the valve stem was not tight and leaking air. They tighten it down and also check the front one which was ok. They said that it not that common of a problem, but it does happen. Now I’m I going to have carry one of those tools to tighten a valve stem on my bike? By the way no charge from Western Honda.

Well I guess a flashing idiot light is not always a bad thing. In this case it saved my bacon and did the job it was design for. I think I like this feature, but I wish it would read the actual pressure of each tire. I guess if I want that I will have to buy a 2018 wing. Not Happening!!  

http://www.advdesigns.com/mitipukitwit.html

[Jess from VA]

Schrader valve.  (needle in the valve stem)


Schrader wrench.


Though some valve caps have a built in wrench.


It is pretty rare to have a Schrader valve back out, but it happens.  Anyone with a mystery leak that cannot be found should check those valves (and the rim/bead contact).  The old warm soapy water on a brush test will show bubbles at the valve stem.

My aftermarket metal valve stems have high quality aluminum caps with Orings in them.  They should capture the air from a loose Schrader valve. (unlike the cheezy rubber caps)


I know nothing about these TPMS gizmos, but I'm betting the Schrader got loose on their installation.

[The emperor has no clothes]

That is a nice looking tire pump. I should upgrade from my cheap Harbor Freight pump. Glad you caught it before you lost all the air on the freeway. 

[RDAbull]

What kind on valve monitoring system do you have on your Valk?

Thanks for the pump info, I just ordered one.

[Ron]

What kind on valve monitoring system do you have on your Valk?

Thanks for the pump info, I just ordered one.

Schrader valve.  (needle in the valve stem)


Schrader wrench.


Though some valve caps have a built in wrench.


It is pretty rare to have a Schrader valve back out, but it happens.  Anyone with a mystery leak that cannot be found should check those valves (and the rim/bead contact).  The old warm soapy water on a brush test will show bubbles at the valve stem.

My aftermarket metal valve stems have high quality aluminum caps with Orings in them.  They should capture the air from a loose Schrader valve. (unlike the cheezy rubber caps)


I know nothing about these TPMS gizmos, but I'm betting the Schrader got loose on their installation.

 RDAbull
I have since sold my Valkyrie and I ride a 2017 Goldwing now. TPMS is standard on Goldwings from the factory. I hope you like the compressor as much as I do. 

Jess from VA
The Wing only has 4500 miles, so the schrader valve was not tighten at the factory. The thing is in that 4500 miles the back tire held pressure the whole time. I never had a problem with it before that Saturday. I also replace the plastic tire caps with metal ones months ago and it still leak air. I guess I'm going to have to buy one of those tools to carry on the bike.

[W0X0F]

Hey Ron - As I have mentioned the only issue I have had with my '15 GW has been with the TPMS. Just curious though, I have never had my TPMS indicator triggered by low tire pressure. My Low Tire Pressure indicator came on the first time last week, and my front tire was down to 32 psi so that light was valid.

Every time my TPMS indicator has come on and I checked the tire pressure everything was up to snuff. So I have been ignoring the TPMS indicator as of late.

So I would like to verify whether it was your TPMS indicator coming on or the Low Tire Pressure indicator. If it was the TPMS I guess I will go back to checking tire pressures again.

Thx.

[Ron]

Tim

There are 2 lights on the dash, One is the TPMS light which is the one that says TPMS when lit. As I understand this light tells you if your system is operating properly and has nothing to do with proper tire pressure. The other light is the Low Tire Pressure Indicator light that looks like a tire cross section with a exclamation mark in the middle of it. As I understand if this light is flashing your tire pressure is down 10% and if it is a solid light you are down 20%. Every time I had the light kick off it was the Low Tire Pressure Indicator not the TPMS light.  The nice thing about the system(beside it going off on low pressure) is I could fill the tire back up and ride until the light came on again stop and re fill. Took the guess work out of how long I could travel before the refill. I used the wrong term in my original post I should of said Low Tire Pressure Indicator not TPMS light. My Bad!!  As of right now I like the system , but I could see that in the future I could have a love hate relationship with this system if it starts to malfunction.  

[W0X0F]

Hey Ron - Thx for the clarification. Yup, this system is definitely on the road to a love-hate relationship. But, unless my TPMS comes on and stays on, I will continue to ignore it.

Thanks again.

[RDKLL]

I have TPMS on my new bike and it interpreted a large differential  as a puncture and then reported it...I was only a block or 2 from the house so I rode it in and then saw the nail. This was after a fantastic 350 mile ride and I had dropped my wife off and rode 3 miles to the car wash and was on my way back...