Tire Pressure Gauges

[nickjpass]

What do you use?

[rojoracing53]

i prefer the kind that read in psi

[csmith12]

I think he is asking about brand, make or model.

I can 100% guarantee you will not like my answer and that is a fact. So here it is...

Dollar General $2 gauge, when Kevin is with me, I will use his expensive one. For full disclosure though, I have had my dollar store gauge tested for accuracy by a vendor that has the tooling to test gauges. It is 1lb off and has been for years. At this point it has served me well... AFTER earning my trust and double checking it against other known accurate gauges.

[cadd]

I have 3 gauges. All give me a different reading. FML.

[Ghostt]

I too have an inexpensive pencil type, it suits me fine.

Here some reviews on other types by the friendly fokes at WebBikeWorld

http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcyc...compressor.htm

[Mechanikrazy]

Another for random cheapo pencil type. I don't think I've ever owned a nice, branded gauge.

Using it back to back with other people's gauges, it is close enough that I can't tell the difference.

But also, as I have told others, I am not at the level of being able to tell the effects of small tire pressure changes. I can sense 3 modes: way too low, range that works, and over pressure. If it's in the range that works, I can't tell you the difference in a psi up or down.

[VaFish]

I have several cheap gages and the tire chuck on my compressor has a gage as well. They all read about the same. For street riding withing a pound or two is accurate enough for me.

Although I just realized that this was in the Ninjettes at Speed section and there probably are many track racers that 1 PSI does make a difference for.

[tgold]

Since this question was posted in the "speed" forum, I'll answer it this way:

What really matters isn't so much the number on the gauge, but the results that you get in tire performance. As long as your gauge is consistent in the readings that you get with a given pressure, you can use it to accurately make relative adjustments for your tires. For example: if my gauge consistently reads 2psi below any actual given pressure that's ok because I can still make use of it for consistent adjustments to get the desired end result. What is important when you want to be consistent is to use the same tire gauge every time.
I have a little digital gauge that was given to me by a salesman in the mid-Nineties. Amazingly, it is still working on the original battery even though it is 20 years old! That is the only gauge that I use.
Remember, that the faster you go, the more accurate tire pressure adjustments will matter.

[Yakaru]

dis one: https://amzn.com/B004APM12G

[InvisiBill]

Originally Posted by cadd

I have 3 gauges. All give me a different reading. FML.

A man with a watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure.

I used to have an Accutire similar to the one Yakaru linked, but without the depth gauge. It worked well enough for my basic needs.

I now have this one from Slime. The illumination is handy, and the angled tip can make it easier to deal with small clearances between the valve stem and wheel hub (the drum brake on the Vulcan rear was a pain).

[VaFish]

Originally Posted by tgold

Since this question was posted in the "speed" forum, I'll answer it this way:

What really matters isn't so much the number on the gauge, but the results that you get in tire performance. As long as your gauge is consistent in the readings that you get with a given pressure, you can use it to accurately make relative adjustments for your tires. For example: if my gauge consistently reads 2psi below any actual given pressure that's ok because I can still make use of it for consistent adjustments to get the desired end result. What is important when you want to be consistent is to use the same tire gauge every time.
I have a little digital gauge that was given to me by a salesman in the mid-Nineties. Amazingly, it is still working on the original battery even though it is 20 years old! That is the only gauge that I use.
Remember, that the faster you go, the more accurate tire pressure adjustments will matter.

That's true as long as you have your gauge.

Best thing would be to have a gauge that has been perfectly calibrated, and if you don't have your gauge, to have another perfectly calibrated gauge instead.

[tgold]

Originally Posted by VaFish

That's true as long as you have your gauge.

Best thing would be to have a gauge that has been perfectly calibrated, and if you don't have your gauge, to have another perfectly calibrated gauge instead.

There is no such thing as a perfectly calibrated gauge. Only ones that are accurate enough to do the job.

[Hellmutt]

I had a crap stick gauge lie to me, and ultimately cost me a prematurely worn out front tire, so this is all I use. It's pricey, but about as close to spot on as an air gauge can get...

[Alex]

Prior tire pressure gauge thread.

[adouglas]

At mid-O I discovered that my dial gauge, which I thought was decent, was wildly off.

Dropped by Summit Racing on the way home and bought a liquid-filled dial gauge.

As soon as I arrived back in CT Cycle Gear ran a Father's Day special on a digital gauge, for a lot less than the liquid-filled one had cost... and I've heard/read nothing but good stuff about the accuracy of digital gauges. So back the Summit gauge goes. This is what's now in my box:



Liking it so far, and the right-angle chuck works well on bike tires (for those who don't ride a larger bike, the dual front discs can be a huge PITA). If I ever get the opportunity to check it I will.

I believe that the guts of many of these digital gauges are the same. The $90 Motion Pro pictured below has the exact same display and buttons as my $25 Cycle Gear special.

[nickjpass]

I've been debating the investment of the very accurate motion pro gauge.

[RacinNinja]

I've got an Accugage and have been using it for 3 years now. When I set the Ninja's tires to the Dunlop specs, every time off the track they read a perfect 10% increase in pressure. I'd say it's pretty accurate and reflects pressure changes accurately too. IMO, the range of the gauge will also help determine it's accuracy. For example, a dial gauge that only reads to 50 PSI would show a much smaller variation in pressure than a gauge that goes to 100 PSI. Probably similar with digital also but I'm not 100% certain on that. Ideally, with most things, you want the pressure or reading you will be using to fall in the middle of the range of the device.

Also use it on the Vintage race bikes, of course keeping a log of tire temperatures and other things and it's been determined to be accurate, or at least consistent, there as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Accu-gage-Tir.../dp/B0006O2S0U

[adouglas]

That's the same one that started reading about 10 psi high on me.

The way we determined this was by checking against an inflator with a digital gauge, and also a second gauge that agreed with the inflator.

When I got home and had both the Summit liquid-filled gauge and the just-purchased digital gauge at the same time, I did a three-way compare and yep.... the AccuGauge was off.

Mine had a rubber housing and a different chuck, but it was the same face.

Lesson is that these are mechanical devices and therefore may fail.

[RacinNinja]

Originally Posted by adouglas

That's the same one that started reading about 10 psi high on me.

The way we determined this was by checking against an inflator with a digital gauge, and also a second gauge that agreed with the inflator.

When I got home and had both the Summit liquid-filled gauge and the just-purchased digital gauge at the same time, I did a three-way compare and yep.... the AccuGauge was off.

Mine had a rubber housing and a different chuck, but it was the same face.

Lesson is that these are mechanical devices and therefore may fail.

Oh, absolutely! I have two other gauges in my shop and I do check them against each other occasionally.

[HoneyBadgerRy]

I use a cheapo tire pressure gauge. Its accurate to itself within a half pound. The actual pressure doesn't matter at all, as long as its the best for Mr, my bike, and the place I'm riding. I experiment whats best, remember it, and only test with my gauge. On my MX bike I've gotten to the point I don't even use a gauge. I feel the tire with my hand and get it close enough for the first practice, and then at the track I use a compressed air tank and dial it in by feel.