TPMS Doran 360M

[stevenolts]

I am considering buying the Doran 360M tire monitoring system.

Does anyone have this system?
What do you think about it?

Does anyone know of a better TPMS tire monitoring system.

Thank you,

Steve

[srt8-in-largo]

Reliable system... but pressure is only updated every 5 minutes... and pressure is not displayed on the screen, you have to press a button, and then press it again to see the rear pressure. I can't recall if the sensor batteries are replaceable, or if you'll need to buy new sensors every a year or two $$$... and what happens if they discontinue the system...

[stevenolts]

Do you know of a better system?

[srt8-in-largo]

Yeah... mine: http://hondaf6b.com/showthread.php?4266-TPMS-DIY-and-Design-Anatomy&p=70248#post70248 . But I may not get around to wrapping it up until later in the year.

If you need one now I'd go with the Mobiletron PTO_VPC02A (http://www.mobiletron.com/b_eng_products_view.asp?FkindNo=F000004&SkindNo=S000032&Pd_Id=3559)... but get the manual and read it carefully to make sure it suits your needs. For example, there's no ability to add more sensors if you ever decide to trike your bike or pull a trailer. Also, there was something about setting the pressure alarm levels that seemed like it wouldn't work well for darksiders. I don't have immediate plan to do any of these, so this is the one I'd get. The display is hard wired to your bike... which means you're not messing around with changing batteries. That's a plus for me, but, idk, maybe you prefer the mobility of a battery powered display.

There's a lot of small features like this that make or break the systems that are currently available.

Another one that I like is the Orange Electronics M202 (http://www.orange-electronic.com/en/orange_retrofit_m202.html), however the last time I checked it was unavailable... I don't recall if it was permanently discontinued or just going through a design update. User reviews are hit or miss on this one though.

The third one on my recommended list is the Kisan TPM-30 and TA-10 (http://kisantech.com/mag/index.php/). The link I have for it no longer works so you'll have to hunt down your own info on it. This was also discontinued when I inquired about it late last year, and again I don't recall if it was permanently discontinued or just going through a design update. Either the Orange or the Kisan was supposed to be available again this year, I just don't remember which one.

The Hawkshead MotoTrack2 only transmits every 5 minutes, which is too infrequent and a deal breaker for me.

The HCI Tire-Safeguard TPM-B20MD is not lit up at night and the display alternates between front and rear instead of displaying both at the same time... deal breakers.

The Murph's Kit TireWatch was close to being on my recommended list... but the display is battery powered only, temperature is only displayed in degrees C, and the temperature alert value can't be changed... deal breakers.

The ShowChrome TireGard 13-315 has a battery powered only display and is not waterproof... and has low user reviews for reliability... deal breakers.

Ditto for Show Chrome TireGard 13-318. I believe the two Show Chromes also need the bike to be in motion in order to get a tire reading... deal breaker x2. I want to check my pressure in the morning BEFORE I start to ride.

The Vulcan Tire Pressure Pro only displays one tire pressure at a time... deal breaker.

The Zadi RTS and Tyredog TD-4100A-X both have displays that are battery powered only... deal breakers.

The Tiregard 94-13318 requires the bike to be in motion to get a reading... deal breaker.

[stevenolts]

I just found this new system on GL800riders forum.

FoBo Bike Bluetooth TPMS $99.00
Does anyone know about this system?

Thank you,

Steve

[srt8-in-largo]

You'll want to go with a straight valve stem... preferably steel... and preferably with a bolt on the outside of the tire IMO.

These are the ones I just got: http://hondaf6b.com/showthread.php?5433-Alligator-V2B-Inflate-Thru-Valve-Cap&p=70711&viewfull=1#post70711

Sensor battery life of "up to two years" is weak, but at least the batteries are replaceable. I didn't see it mentioned how frequently pressure is updated but maybe the low-ish battery life means it transmits often... or maybe BLE transmissions simply require a larger power draw than FSK used on most systems.

Otherwise it looks pretty neat. Having to view data on your phone has it's pluses and minuses.

[stevenolts]

srt8-in-largo
How is the system you are building going?

What do you think of the FoBo Bike Bluetooth TPMS?
I think for $99.00 these should do what I need for now.

I found this on the GL1800rider forum and the guys seem to like it.

Steve

[stevenolts]

srt8-in-largo

FOBO offers these valve stems. (what do you think of them?)

13378$29.00 10mm or $39.00 for 8mm (s pieces)


Steve

[srt8-in-largo]

Steve, the key features that I'm focused on are update rate and alarm method; everything else is a matter of opinion and preference. My focus on these two things are based on being able to capture a pressure loss at high speed and being able to alert the rider quickly enough and obviously enough so that he SEES the alert and has the most time possible to slow down and pull over.

I started working on my system, frankly, after getting a little infuriated by seeing so many systems with 5 or 6 minute update rates... which IMO could give riders a false sense of security. Given the right damage, a tire could be completely deflated within 5 minutes. My sensors are programmed to measure pressure EVERY 3 seconds; and an alert is sent if a pressure loss of 6 psi or more is observed between measurements.

Unfortunately I've been temporarily "reassigned" to finish some projects around the house... a complete gut-n-renew bathroom remodel... installing and weatherproofing about 300 ft of yard fencing... tree trimming... lawn care... auto maintenance...etc, etc :icon_frown: My system is still on the radar... I'm close to being able to start working on it again, at which point test units should be out after a month or two.

Regarding that valve stem, it *may* be just fine... but I'd never recommend it. The fact that the bolts are on the inside of the tire means they can never be checked. I've had some experience doing shock and vibe testing of systems and some of the results I've seen stand out and resonate with me. Under the right vibration conditions, I've seen fasteners "walk" themselves out as if invisible tools were working on them; these fasteners were properly torqued and in some cases even used loctite but still managed to undo themselves.

The shock and vibe on a tire rim is not as harsh as some of the MIL spec tests... but still, I'd rather not put my life in the hands of an unseen bolt.

[Ixol Phaane]

...

The shock and vibe on a tire rim is not as harsh as some of the MIL spec tests... but still, I'd rather not put my life in the hands of an unseen bolt.

Or an unseen NUT!
God knows there are enough of those on the road already!

[srt8-in-largo]

Or an unseen NUT!
God knows there are enough of those on the road already!

+1... (I always say bolt when I mean nut)

What do they say is the most dangerous thing on the road... a loose nut behind the handlebars :icon_biggrin: