Calibrated tire pressure gauges, how to?

[KDeline]

I keep hearing everybody saying they run their tires at their specific pressure, checking it with a calibrated air gauge, where does one go to calibrate an air gauge?

[Scott9999]

16 minutes ago, KDeline said:

I keep hearing everybody saying they run their tires at their specific pressure, checking it with a calibrated air gauge, where does one go to calibrate an air gauge?

Lol, buy something "reliable" on the inter-webs, and test that against your mechanical gauge.

This one seems to work for me.

Slime 20017 5-Tire Pressure Gauge, Sport Digital Gauge, 150 PSI

I paid about $10 for it when I bought it.

Sometimes I take 2 or 3 readings to ensure I got the correct one, but it appears to be 98% accurate, +/- 5%, which is better than any mechanical gauge I've had (which of course, are all CHEAP one's, reflecting the owner's values).

YMMV..

 (I pulled my "old trusty and reliable" mechanical gauge from the car's glove box Sunday night, because I got a low tire pressure warning, only to have the head snap off as soon as I pressed it against the valve.  So, now this is my "primary" gauge.  I used to also use a Harbor Freight traditional air hose gauge, but it fell apart inside last summer, like ever other H.F. gauge I've bought like that has, after 1-2 years.  Of course I still have it stored in my pneumatic equipment box, 'cause ya never wanna throw away a perfectly good, broken air hose gauge.🙄 ) 

[dirtrider]

31 minutes ago, KDeline said:

I keep hearing everybody saying they run their tires at their specific pressure, checking it with a calibrated air gauge, where does one go to calibrate an air gauge?

Afternoon KDeline

 

That depends on where you live, work, or play.

 

Some areas have tire stores with a master tire gauge to verify their gauges are somewhat correct. I just take mine into where I work as we not only have a master calibration check gauge panel but our calibration lab can calibrate the gauge for us. 

 

If you want to spend a few extra dollars there are some uplevel gauges that come with an accuracy guarantee. (you would have to search for those)

 

Here is a list that Consumer Reports found accurate (within normal usage accurate anyhow)

 

https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/tire-pressure-gauges/buying-guide/

 

I actually have a few of the Slime gauges they mention (I toss one in each motorcycle that I normally ride) & have tested those against our CALIBRATED master gauge at work & all have tested within 1psi of the master  at my altitude.    The nice thing about the Slime digitals is that as long as you can get it on the off the tire valve stem straight, firmly, & without air loss they hold so little air inside that they alter the tire pressure very little per check. A lot of mechanical gauges hold more air (more made for automobile size tires) so the air that they hold inside during a tire check never goes back in the tire. 

[KDeline]

I bring this up as it seems like my previous post about the accuracy of the BMW TPMS seems off from my $30 mechanical gauge. All five BMWs read the same with each other compared with the mechanical gauge being as they are all about 6 pounds low compared to the cheap gauge. Example is tire gauge reads 50 psi, TPMS reads 42 psi. I would have thought the BMW TPMS would have been much more accurate. It seems like the majority here trust their cheaper gauge more than the high priced, high-quality BMW TPMS. Again, sometimes I crack myself up….

[dirtrider]

17 minutes ago, KDeline said:

I bring this up as it seems like my previous post about the accuracy of the BMW TPMS seems off from my $30 mechanical gauge. All five BMWs read the same with each other compared with the mechanical gauge being as they are all about 6 pounds low compared to the cheap gauge. Example is tire gauge reads 50 psi, TPMS reads 42 psi. I would have thought the BMW TPMS would have been much more accurate. It seems like the majority here trust their cheaper gauge more than the high priced, high-quality BMW TPMS. Again, sometimes I crack myself up….

Afternoon  KDeline

 

I don't know if it so much about trust but probably more about actual as the mechanical reads actual tire pressure &  the BMW TPMS reads corrected to 68°. That probably doesn't explain the 6-8 psi difference that you have but could be part of it. 

 

If your mechanical  gauge is showing 50 psi in the 60°f- 80°f temp range then you would probably feel that riding the motorcycle as 50 psi would feel like riding on almost solid tires & that would get worse as the tires heat up while riding. If you are riding on 50 psi tires then you would probably also be complaining about ride quality.  

[wbw6cos]

Evening @dirtrider

 

Would the high humidity that Ken lives in have any affect on his readings?   Just a thought.

 

Thanks,

[dirtrider]

6 minutes ago, wbw6cos said:

Evening @dirtrider

 

Would the high humidity that Ken lives in have any affect on his readings?   Just a thought.

 

Thanks,

Evening  wbw6cos

 

Yes, as moist air is heavier than dry air but not enough to even be read on a standard tire pressure gauge. Probably be way more effect due to high or low fronts passing through & those don't make enough difference to see on standard tire pressure gauges. 

[Hosstage]

I have three gauges of varying quality, I occasionally compare them to each other and they are within 1psi of each other, so I (maybe incorrectly) assume that they are close enough.

[9Mary7]

31 minutes ago, Hosstage said:

they are within 1psi of each other

 

31 minutes ago, Hosstage said:

they are close enough

Yes they are.

[Skywagon]

A man that has two watches never knows the correct time

[Hosstage]

3 hours ago, Skywagon said:

A man that has two watches never knows the correct time

What if they show the same time consistently?

[Rougarou]

Is it really that much of a concern for the average street rider to have a "calibrated" tire gauge?  I mean, damn, I haven't checked tire pressure in months.  The nifty thing on the GSA shows me I'm "close enough" to recommended pressures, the RT, meh, tire's are still tight upon a swift kick and whatever $2 gauge I have when checked is "close enough".

 

On the couple of occasions that I had a flat, I noticed it after I suited up, and sat on the bike and started rolling forward out of the garage,......then it was "damn, tires flat, I gotta switch bikes".

 

The GSA also had the "stop or you will die warning" pop on the screen about ten miles in on my 50 mile ride to work.  Kept going to work, tire looked fine and was still tight enough, didn't plug it until I got back home that evening.

 

I'm doing 8-10k on tires, so I think I'm ok with regards to "close enough" tire pressure maintaining.

 

[KDeline]

2 hours ago, Rougarou said:

Is it really that much of a concern for the average street rider to have a "calibrated" tire gauge?  I mean, damn, I haven't checked tire pressure in months.  The nifty thing on the GSA shows me I'm "close enough" to recommended pressures, the RT, meh, tire's are still tight upon a swift kick and whatever $2 gauge I have when checked is "close enough".

 

On the couple of occasions that I had a flat, I noticed it after I suited up, and sat on the bike and started rolling forward out of the garage,......then it was "damn, tires flat, I gotta switch bikes".

 

The GSA also had the "stop or you will die warning" pop on the screen about ten miles in on my 50 mile ride to work.  Kept going to work, tire looked fine and was still tight enough, didn't plug it until I got back home that evening.

 

I'm doing 8-10k on tires, so I think I'm ok with regards to "close enough" tire pressure maintaining.

 

I am in the good enough range, might be a different story if I was canyon carving all the time. I do notice that I am keeping more of an awareness about tire pressures since the days of motorcycles with the pressure monitor. I checked mine every month or so on the old airheads also. I was just curious on what other peoples measurements were, and the accuracy of the BMW TPMS. Like I said, for that much money, they should be spot on.

[MikeB60]

BMWs motorcycle TPMS sucks!  My F150 and Mustang are dead on with my Astro Pneumatic tire gauge and the BMW digital gauge that I carry on the bike. All the time.

 

The numbers are never the same on either the GS or GT witht relationship to my gauges.  They do warn of a flat or severely under inflation event other than that I don't pay them any attention.  

[9Mary7]

I check mine a couple times a month, and always before a day ride.