Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: Bourne2Ride on June 13, 2012, 03:15:44 PM
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I'm a little confused, and wanted to know if its just my bike. I had the OEM stones on her for the first year (I have a black 2011), and 10K miles. When I picked up the bike the TPM indicated 36 front and 38 rear. When warm they didn't get much above 37/39 respectively. After reading the forums I figured 42 PSI was the proper temp. So i over filled my tires at the local gas station and road it a block - checked the TPM and released air until I had an indicated 42 front and rear. At my 600 mile fill up the service guy said they were over filled and released some air until his gauge indicated 42 PSI front and rear. my dash indicated 36/38 again. So i filled up the tires once more till [it] showed 42, and changed my own oil and checked my own bolts each following service. I just hit 11K miles so I just had the tires changed to PR3s. I told the dealer I need 42 F/R, and when i got the bike back (insert irony here) 36/38! So i went to the auto parts store and got my own gauge to check the pressure. Sure enough it showed 42 PSI! So I got my wife's digital unit from her car, and it indicated 41 PSI.
So after this long story, I'm asking. Is my bike reading low? Is that a warranty fix? I'm figuring between the dealer, my two gauges, and a tire change...something's not right.
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The TPM sensors are not 100% accurate, they're more of an indicator really. Mine are darn close, depending on the ambiant temp. Fill your tires using a good air pressure guage and note the readings on the bike's dissplay. If those readings start to fall, you know that you're losing air.
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My 08 TPMS agrees with my digital guage.
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Mine are about the same, 38/38 indicated = 42 according to 3 different manual gauges. I am at altitude though.... YMMV
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Mine consistently reads 2psi under my manual guage. Never really though about elevation having an affect on the variance from manual guage to the bike. I live at 4800' and most rides go above 8800'.
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Set mine at 40, garage temp always 65 degrees. TPM will rise 2 lbs when tires warm up.
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Don't use it as an alternative to an accurate air gauge. It's isn't meant for that.
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I've heard from a couple places( all on the internet so take it for what it's worth) that the TPMS sensors are also adjusted for temperature. They show what the tire pressure would be if it were 60*F out.
I know that when temps get around the 60* mark the display and my hand held gauge are pretty close. As the temps get warmer the reading on the dash and the reading from gauge start to differ more.
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Conrad, I must humbly disagree with your post above. And sir no offense intended but I offer a more "accurate" statement:
The TPM sensors, speedo, fuel gauge, avg MPG/remaining fuel indicated value, nor anything else made by Kawasaki (except KiPass of course) are not even close to accurate, and the sensors are more of an indicator really. Mine are darn close, depending on the ambiant temp. Fill your tires using a good air pressure guage and note the readings on the bike's dissplay. If those readings start to fall, you know that you're losing air.
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Conrad, I must humbly disagree with your post above. And sir no offense intended but I offer a more "accurate" statement:
The TPM sensors, speedo, fuel gauge, avg MPG/remaining fuel indicated value, nor anything else made by Kawasaki (except KiPass of course) are not even close to accurate, and the sensors are more of an indicator really. Mine are darn close, depending on the ambiant temp. Fill your tires using a good air pressure guage and note the readings on the bike's dissplay. If those readings start to fall, you know that you're losing air.
:thumbs:
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From everything I have read, and from my own experience, the TPMS is temperature compensated (68F) and is pretty accurate, within manufacturing tolerances. I haven't found much evidence either way as to altitude compensation, but I suspect that they are not compensated for elevation. I'm at about 1200' elevation, and the TPMS is very close @ 68F.
If you have much moisture/condensation in your tires, the TPMS will be less accurate.
I do adjust my tire pressures to keep the displays at 42psi. I've been cross checking to ambient pressure compensation charts and tire pressure gauges and have full confidence in the bike's display.
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TPMS is a nifty gadget and merely an indicator to be used as a guide. Go old school and refer to your trusty air gauge.
Side note..... My GPS says I'm doing 75, speedo says 80, feels like 85. Of course I was going down hill, wind assisted, at sea level..... That might be another post
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From everything I have read, and from my own experience, the TPMS is temperature compensated (68F) and is pretty accurate, within manufacturing tolerances. I haven't found much evidence either way as to altitude compensation, but I suspect that they are not compensated for elevation. I'm at about 1200' elevation, and the TPMS is very close @ 68F.
If you have much moisture/condensation in your tires, the TPMS will be less accurate.
I do adjust my tire pressures to keep the displays at 42psi. I've been cross checking to ambient pressure compensation charts and tire pressure gauges and have full confidence in the bike's display.
Glad yours is accurate.
Mine isn't close to various other tire gauges that all agree. Whether my bike is up in the Rockies, out west, high, low, in between, or right here in Tampa its been off. I'll agree mine is within our "manufacturers" tolerance though =)
Mine is great to proactively see a tire going down but as far as accuracy goes, I'm with the others
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Mine are more than likely coming out soon, but I have found them to be very accurate.
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TPMS is a nifty gadget and merely an indicator to be used as a guide. Go old school and refer to your trusty air gauge.
Side note..... My GPS says I'm doing 75, speedo says 80, feels like 85. Of course I was going down hill, wind assisted, at sea level..... That might be another post
down hill at sea level, were you going underwater with it too? (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/bigthumb.gif)
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I guess I'll have to live with mine being 4 lbs. off. I'm going to get another more accurate gauge and check the pressure at the pump, then call it good. I'll use the TPMS to indicate if I'm losing air.
Thanks for the responses.
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My TPSes are neither accurate nor precise but they do let me know when I have a hole in my tire. But at least the batteries have lasted 5 years. Is that amazing or wut?
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Yeah I think even my book says trust the tire gauge if i recall correctly
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I've asked the same question before. But so far my experience has been that my own TPMS has been pretty accurate, and very helpful in times when I've had a hole in my tire. So far there have been two times when having TPMS has resulted in making it to a safe location, vs. being stuck on the road in the middle of nowhere with a flat.
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Even if the TPS readout is not accurate, it should be repeatable. That is all we really need- as long as when the tire is at, say, 42 PSI, the gauge always reads 45 PSI, then the reading is meaningful. A C-14 owner could even go so far as to put a small note near the dash display that reads something like -3 or 45 = 42 or something similar as a reminder.
My own TPS are pretty accurate, and that is for the two sets (front and rear) that I have had in the bike.
Brian
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Even if the TPS readout is not accurate, it should be repeatable. That is all we really need- as long as when the tire is at, say, 42 PSI, the gauge always reads 45 PSI, then the reading is meaningful. A C-14 owner could even go so far as to put a small note near the dash display that reads something like -3 or 45 = 42 or something similar as a reminder.
My own TPS are pretty accurate, and that is for the two sets (front and rear) that I have had in the bike.
Brian
An instrument like this is to give me info. I don't expect it to give me hundredths of PSI, but I expect it to be +/- 1 PSI accurate. It should be as accurate as needed to show something before there is appreciable change on the behavior of the bike.
These sensors are made in France and cost several hundreds of dollars to buy. I don't accept having to add a post-it to my dashboard :o
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:rotflmao:
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An instrument like this is to give me info. I don't expect it to give me hundredths of PSI, but I expect it to be +/- 1 PSI accurate. It should be as accurate as needed to show something before there is appreciable change on the behavior of the bike.
These sensors are made in France and cost several hundreds of dollars to buy. I don't accept having to add a post-it to my dashboard :o
Oh my....a pic opportunity with my Connie in the making......
hey at least Kawi got KiPass right or we'd be pushing our bikes around (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/avatars/iconhammer.gif)
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Well, regardless of the price or the [ahem] place of manufacturer, the stated purpose, as well as the obvious purpose of the TPS is to allow the rider to monitor any changes in tire pressure in addition to drawing the rider's attention to the tire pressure should it fall below a predetermined level. It is not nor was it ever meant to be used in place of a tire pressure gauge. Further, if that were tried, it would take riding the bike to see what the pressure in each tire was followed by a long cool- down period, a pressure adjustment and then another test ride to again turn the sensors on. It is not only easier but also the only practical way to check tire pressure on this vehicle using a hand- held pressure gauge.
Now besides all of that, only Mary Jane Tinklepants would use a Post- It note to keep track of any pressure offset readings on a motorcycle; real men would just dig the offset number into the dash with a dull awl, someplace near or perhaps directly into the LCD screen. Hardley riders would tatoo the offset onto their knuckles....
Brian
An instrument like this is to give me info. I don't expect it to give me hundredths of PSI, but I expect it to be +/- 1 PSI accurate. It should be as accurate as needed to show something before there is appreciable change on the behavior of the bike.
These sensors are made in France and cost several hundreds of dollars to buy. I don't accept having to add a post-it to my dashboard :o
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Mine fluctuates +/- 1 to 2 pounds... Like a few have said... It's a good way to warn that a tire is going flat...
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I have two high quality gauges, and my tps measures 3-4 psi low on the front and rear. Maybe not so bad, really, as the lack of sensitivity keeps it from driving a person nuts as the tire heats and cools.
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Mechanic at my dealership, who also owns a 2011 C14, advised me not to rely solely on the TPM system. Suggested using a gauge to set pressure, then watch the onboard readout for changes.
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An instrument like this is to give me info. I don't expect it to give me hundredths of PSI, but I expect it to be +/- 1 PSI accurate. It should be as accurate as needed to show something before there is appreciable change on the behavior of the bike.
These sensors are made in France and cost several hundreds of dollars to buy. I don't accept having to add a post-it to my dashboard :o
I agree. +/-1 PSI equates to 5% of scale at 40 psi. You would think a mediocre digital sensor should be able to give you that.
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Starting to hate the damn things.....and dealers too. >:(
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I dont think the exact pressure is that important. Suppose making it 100% accurate caused it to be a sensitive as the range sensor for the fuel? There would be a line at the shops to have tps removed.
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I tested mine today, since my tires were a bit low. I filled them both, then used a high-quality Slime analog gauge to set both to exactly 42. Ambient temp was 71 degrees (unseasonably cool and beautiful day). Later, I took the bike out (72 degrees). Initially the TPS showed 42/42 and after several miles, it said 43/42. Several hours later, at night, at 62 degrees, they consistently said 42/42.
So, in my case, they are pretty darn accurate.