Why aren't tyre gauges certified and tested?

[Paul in NZ]

You could start a whole thread on tyre pressures.
Personally I reckon you shouldn't be too anal about it....I mean do people adjust tyre pressures depending on the prevailing weather conditions? A tyre at 38psi is going to react quite differently in 5deg C conditons as opposed to 30deg C, not to mention whether you are trundling through traffic or whoopin' through the twisties. .

I agree....

[Kickaha]

And does anyone know if the SCU checks tyre pressures after serious crashes?

Yes they do, and the results from some of them are quite interesting

We have our gauges checked and calibrated yearly, but the general public don't normally get to use them, it cost us about $180 to get three gauges checked

[kiwi cowboy]

Because no-one is prepared to pay for it, least of all 99.9% of patrons.
What would be the point anyway, how many times do you see people just drop the gauge etc on the forecourt concrete?

shell station in mosgiel dunedin has a gauge that u didigitly dial in the presure u want in a pannel on the wall then u just put the end on the valve and it beeps [from memory] when preasure is up and has a fitting that u can get on bikes.seemed to be pretty accurate an safe from abuse.

[Kickaha]

.seemed to be pretty accurate an safe from abuse.

A common misconception that I see is that a digital gauge is more accurate than a analog gauge, any gauge is only as accurate as the guy who calibrated it

[sunhuntin]

we had our airhose removed by the boss. people would just throw it on the ground, where it would then get run over or stepped on. my first year, we spent something like $200 getting it repaired. so now its gone entirely. cant say i miss it... i never trusted it either, and it was a bitch getting dragged away from more important jobs to go squat in the rain doing some ol biddys tyres.

people bitch and moan about us not having one, but i tell them how much was wasted getting it fixed, and then say 'if we could charge $2 or $3 per tyre to recover our costs, it would be there. but then youd be complaining about air being charged for instead!' now i just say it got stolen... stops the complaints, lol.

[FROSTY:Me]

I bought my gauge from a performance car shop. Cost me $60.00
its got a rubber cover around it to protect it from shock damage.
Re the electronic gauges.I agree they are no more accurate than the other kind BUT at least they don't get dropped and loose acuracy that way

[kiwi cowboy]

A common misconception that I see is that a digital gauge is more accurate than a analog gauge, any gauge is only as accurate as the guy who calibrated it

maybe but at least with the control unit on the wall its less likely to get damaged from abuse.

[Chrislost]

I normally use my own gauge as like most sane bikers I know that petrol station gauges are usually innacurate. Unfortunately though I was going for a fang in the weekend and had the need to rely on a petrol station gauge. I called off my ride because it didn't feel right and I didn't trust the handling. Not happy.

If i had crashed it would have been my fault. But I know better than people like my mother who puts air in her car tyres blindly accepting that the gauge is accurate even though it might be 10psi out.


Cheer.

geez my shot suspension that puts me sideways off most bumps might need looking at!
along with the fact i havnt looked at my tyre preasure for aobut a month :/

each to their own but isnt that taking it abit far!!!!

[pritch]

The local tyre retail chain that I deal with for the vehicle fleet where I work tell me that their gauges are calibrated. The Manager at the local Honda dealer tells me their gauges are also calibrated, tyre pressures being critical for racing bikes.

I bought a Supercheap Auto digital gauge and it read one pound heavier than the calibrated ones so I just allowed for that. Later I bought a more expensive one and it reads spot on.

If that's anal, tough. I chronograph my loads too :-)

[Albino]

Wow, I really did think that most people would have a problem with tyres being out by 10psi. Even in my wagon I wouldn't drive around with 20psi or 40psi, let alone so much on the bike.

Checked the rubber yesterday and it was at 49psi on the back according to my gauge.

[Paul in NZ]

Youre exaggerating - not every servo guage is out by 33%

[Albino]

Youre exaggerating - not every servo guage is out by 33%

Which bit am i exagerating? I went to a service station, the gauge was out by 10psi and I asked why these aren't certified.

Is it the topic or me that's a sore point with you?

[Paul in NZ]

Which bit am i exagerating? I went to a service station, the gauge was out by 10% and I asked why these aren't certified.

Is it the topic or me that's a sore point with you?

No, no axe to grind other than I'm questioning your logic about abandoning a ride because you left your personal tyre guage at home.

If the gauge is out 10% and lets say I run 36 psi in the rear of the Guzzi and the Triumph then there will be a 3.6 psi potential variance, not 10 psi. 10 psi i would notice (but I would not fall off) but 3.6? Given all the other variables in road riding - no I doubt i would either care or notice.

Tyre pressures are not absolute figures - there is no single figure thats perfect for your bike with every tyre summer or winter. In an ideal world - a rough rule of thumb is to set the cold pressure so that when the tyre reaches it's full heat the pressure rises by 10% so even the distance to the gas station is a factor. ie you could check your pressure at home with your sub atomic particle ray calibrated super gauge and it is (say) 32psi. You ride 20 km and pick up your fat mate for a pillion experience and decide you need gas so you drop into the servo and decide you better check that tyre and look at that - the readings different than at home.... um - yes - because the tyres now hot.

In the winter i usually (if I remember) drop my pressures by 10% deliberatly so the tyre picks up heat quicker. If I'm loaded with wife and wifely luggage headed for the open road i crank it up a bit.

Some servo guages will be wildly inaccurate - a very few dangerously so but very very very few of them will be so significantly out that it causes a safety hazard and hence in my opinion, it would be a monumental waste of time and energy to certify the damn things.

Given the wide variety of conditions you face on a ride having my tyre pressures that perfect is my last concern - it just does not make that much difference and if it does to your machine my hats off to you because I admire your dedication in using such a wildly tweaked hi-po race bike on public highways - a true enthusiast.... I'm just a silly old bastard with average bikes runing average tyre pressures measured by a $10 gauge that has lived in my pocket for 15 years... And I never check them against the digital one at the servo - amazin I aint dead i spose...

[bert_is_evil]

I went to BP Roadmaster some time back and it actually let (a dangerous amount of) air out of my tyre, then beeped an error code and refused to work! I told the guy at the shop to stop people using it and limped to another servo grumbling to myself.

[Aerox50]

If the gauge is out 10% and lets say I run 36 psi in the rear of the Guzzi and the Triumph then there will be a 3.6 psi potential variance, not 10 psi. 10 psi i would notice (but I would not fall off) but 3.6? Given all the other variables in road riding - no I doubt i would either care or notice.

Try my pirelli Tyres on the Scooter (Yamaha Aerox). recommended is 23PSi cold.... I notice if they are 19.4! thing accelerates like poos and doesnt handle the best (sure its a scooter and not the best acceleration anyways) but 3.6PSi out is noticable.