I put my faith in a cheap digital Accutire gauge I got from Canadian Tire two decades ago. I guess I don't actually know how accurate it is, but it is extremely consistent
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Tire pressure gauges
- Thread starter Gaoler
- Start date
Fuzzbuster
Well-known member
I find that mine is consistent as well and I think that is more important if you can only choose between exact or consistent!
Inconsistent is complete garbage as it's just guessing and needs to go in the garbage. With a consistent but inaccurate gauge, by comparing against others or known good, you can use it with a manul offset like bitzz mentioned.
That is what I use most of the time. Much faster.
Yup, even if they're not accurate, they're handy to get in the ballpark. My inflator has a built-in readout so I just over-inflate by 1 or 2 psi and then use the bleed valve on the Motion Pro to bring it down to the pressure I want. A quick press on the bleed valve button can drop the pressure by as little as .1 PSI per squirt, so accidentally releasing too much air isn't a problem.
You wanna know what is even better than a calibrated air pressure gauge?
A rider that can feel the difference in a wrongly inflated tire.
Try this: When your bike is as it should be, measure tire pressure. Now reduce the tire pressure in the front by ... let's say 5 psi, now go ride the bike and see how it handles... next try 7 psi low, then try 5 psi high, 7 psi high... and so on. Then switch to the rear (after setting the front to the original pressure) and do the same thing. Then both high and low, then front high, rear low... and so on
You will find it's pretty easy to sense a difference. I can tell if I am low/high by as little as 2 psi.
Riding on an under inflated tire is like riding in sand, riding on an over inflated tire is like riding on hockey pucks.
Next we will discuss riding on totally wack suspension settings
A rider that can feel the difference in a wrongly inflated tire.
Try this: When your bike is as it should be, measure tire pressure. Now reduce the tire pressure in the front by ... let's say 5 psi, now go ride the bike and see how it handles... next try 7 psi low, then try 5 psi high, 7 psi high... and so on. Then switch to the rear (after setting the front to the original pressure) and do the same thing. Then both high and low, then front high, rear low... and so on
You will find it's pretty easy to sense a difference. I can tell if I am low/high by as little as 2 psi.
Riding on an under inflated tire is like riding in sand, riding on an over inflated tire is like riding on hockey pucks.
Next we will discuss riding on totally wack suspension settings
Relax
Well-known member
I mainly use this digital gauge because the display is large enough to read without my reading glasses. It matches the readings from my old analog gauge and the TPS in my car:
PSA: When it runs low on batteries, the backlighting doesn't come on but the display still works. I didn't think this would be a problem since I don't use it in the dark, but instead of the display shutting off when it no longer has enough power to report a correct reading, it just continues to work and give wrong readings. Luckily it wasn't just a small difference over a long time - one day I checked the tires at 31, and the next it was reporting 26. Not thinking it was the gauge, I inflated back to an indicated 31, and the next day it read 36. So change the batteries when the backlighting stops working.
PSA: When it runs low on batteries, the backlighting doesn't come on but the display still works. I didn't think this would be a problem since I don't use it in the dark, but instead of the display shutting off when it no longer has enough power to report a correct reading, it just continues to work and give wrong readings. Luckily it wasn't just a small difference over a long time - one day I checked the tires at 31, and the next it was reporting 26. Not thinking it was the gauge, I inflated back to an indicated 31, and the next day it read 36. So change the batteries when the backlighting stops working.
One you recommend?
Meh. I have a PA one that I had to replace the gauge on as it had gone way off and a milton similar to this. They are ok but not great. If I get another one it will be digital. It will probably be dead every time I want to use it though as most cheap digital things have high phantom draw and I'm not spending hundreds on one.
Gaoler
Well-known member
Wait, wut..?
How can one determine consistency if it's not accurate...?
If it's "wrong" all the time... I mean... How..? Wait.... Like...
Gaoler
Well-known member
If I set all 4 tires on a car to "32 psi", the same gauge will still read "32" on all tires a week later (at the same time of day, same temperature, etc).Wait, wut..?
How can one determine consistency if it's not accurate...?
If it's "wrong" all the time... I mean... How..? Wait.... Like...
I can't prove "32 psi" = 32 psi though
Gaoler
Well-known member
Dirty Frank
Well-known member
For the OCD set these valves are a fun toy. Put into a manifold for a zero loss when disconnecting or in multiples on a line for equalizing pressures.
schrader 556
schrader 556
But why? I have a low-loss connector on a shock pump as volumes are very low and pressures high. On a tire (especially with an analog gauge), the amount I lose is insignificant.
If the loss when you disconnect matters to you, you better install a few gauges on the connection and send them out for calibration regularly.
Dirty Frank
Well-known member
Like i said for the OCD set. They are however invaluable for small volume chambers like air forks or nitrogen charging shocks. A pair of them on line with a common filler makes it quicker to balance pressure left right of front back on a four wheeler as well.
Yamaha, among others, played with "air suspension". Use air volume as a spring, use pressure to adjust preload (works GREAT on paper... sucks in practice)
The Gold Wing iteration wasn't TOO bad, (IIRC) it would run 10-12psi, not SO bad (a pressure gauge like almost everything used to measure, is more accurate in the middle of the range, so if you had a 0-20 gauge, you're set) and the land barge isn't terrible sensitive to change... something close to 10psi? you're good.
The Yamaha setup ran 0 to a max of 3 psi and that range went from SOLID through pogo stick to mush... at 1/4 lb increments. It was AWFUL. Where do you get an air gauge that is accurate that low. (the hot setup was to vent one side to the other and install a pressure gauge on the fork. Wasn't accurate, but you tell if it was more or or if it was less. I still have a couple of kits).
How do you ADD 1/2psi accurately?
The Gold Wing iteration wasn't TOO bad, (IIRC) it would run 10-12psi, not SO bad (a pressure gauge like almost everything used to measure, is more accurate in the middle of the range, so if you had a 0-20 gauge, you're set) and the land barge isn't terrible sensitive to change... something close to 10psi? you're good.
The Yamaha setup ran 0 to a max of 3 psi and that range went from SOLID through pogo stick to mush... at 1/4 lb increments. It was AWFUL. Where do you get an air gauge that is accurate that low. (the hot setup was to vent one side to the other and install a pressure gauge on the fork. Wasn't accurate, but you tell if it was more or or if it was less. I still have a couple of kits).
How do you ADD 1/2psi accurately?
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