An accessory worth the cost

Post by **LonestaRR** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:39 am

I found these at Sierra BMW and put some on my bike and really like them. I've double checked them for accuracy a couple of times since I put them on and they seem to be doing what they say they will do. It is a lot easier to look at the color than to have to actually check the pressure.

http://www.accupressurecaps.com/?source ... IgodoTWmTg

domekrome · Post by **domekrome** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:50 am

Those look like a great thing. I may need to get those. Being in a slightly cooler clime, I often worry that my tires have lost pressure during the cooler stretches.

Post by **mcooperstein** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 2:46 am

They do look coolio, however I might want to do a bit more investigation before endorsing them. My concern is the extra weight that they add on to the valve stem. Remember the LED light thingeys that attach to the valve stems? There have been stories of the extra weight causing the valve to fly off and fail at high speeds. A sudden loss of tire pressure on a motorcycle is not a fun thing! If this is even remotely possible with this gadget, then don't use it, but like I said, someone needs to do a bit of research...

Mark

member #3

R4R&R · Post by **R4R&R** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:00 am

Mark,
I don't think these are LED based valve caps, but more of a pressure sensor that pushes one plunger over another according to air pressure. I too thought about the extra weight, and it may be safe to re-balance the wheel. With the valve stems being 90 degrees to the wheel I would think centrifugal force would be applied straight down on the valve stem and should not pose a problem affecting the cap.

You should see the valve stem i have on my rear wheel - it's a truck valve stem - about three inches long!

Hey - it was all I could find on a sunday afternoon.

Post by **LonestaRR** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:08 am

They are almost as light as the original valve stem cover. Just taller where the plastic is. No LED in them.

Post by **yjleesvrr** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:09 am

I recall reading a review of these in a motorcycle mag - Cycle World I think (or maybe Motorcyclist), when they came out over a year ago. Back then, these caps were not very accurate in showing the psi. The conclusion was that it's a great idea poorly executed by the maker.

Post by **LonestaRR** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:23 am

I took the time to go out and do a couple of checks on the psi to see if it appears to be reading correctly, since I started the thread.

They were showing green, which means they are within 4 pounds of what I chose as the ideal pressure. I used two different gauges to check the pressure. They have not lost any pressure since I put the valve caps on over a week ago (over 150 miles of riding). I let out over 4 pounds of air, put the cap back on: it showed yellow. I checked the pressure again and sure enough they were 5 pounds under desired psi. I didn't bother to go all the way to the red mark since I would add air at yellow anyway.

Maybe there is a variance from one cap to another: So I checked both tires. Both proved to check out fine with the accu-pressure caps.

If a magazine says they aren't worth it, then you may not want to invest the 7-8 dollars it costs to get them. As for me: They work great.

Post by **yjleesvrr** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:44 am

Kristi - It's very well possible that the manufacturer improved their product since the review I read. I hope so, because I'd like to get these myself.

Post by **LonestaRR** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:02 pm

Sorry yjleesvrr. Re-reading my last paragraph; it sounded sarcastic. I didn't mean for it to sound that way.

Post by **yjleesvrr** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:34 pm

No problem Kristi - I realized afterwards that I may have hurt your feelings by poo-pooing something you had spent money on. That's wasn't my intent either.

Post by **socalrob** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:51 pm

Kristi,

I've had these on my bike for over a year now. No problems & seem to work great. I look at the cap & see that tire is ok without breaking out the gage.

I do think that under inflated tires are responsible for almost all tire failures these days. Thats why the car manufacturers are pretty much all ofering low preasure monitors. Standard on Ford Explorers with their roll over problems.

Post by **bimrluvr** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 12:52 am

Thank you Kristi,

As a result of your starting this thread, I remembered that I had a pair of those caps sitting unused in a drawer. I stopped using them after reading the reviews questioning their accuracy.

But, by G-d, I never considered actually testing them like you did. My hat's off to you. I've put them back on my bike and I figure that you're right! They're not for accuracy, they're to tell you when something is grossly wrong well before it gets dangerous.

Post by **mcooperstein** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 4:47 pm

Kristi and all... I wasn't trying to say that these are LED based, just that they're *like* the LED thingeys that screw on to the valve stem. IOW, they will add a bit of extra weight which may or may not be an issue. I do know that the LED lights people use to screw on did cause some catastrophic failures.

I wrote the distributor about my questions concerning safety. I got a reply:

"The accupresure caps replace your existing valve stems. To my knowledge they will not tear off. If you'd like additional feedback on them you can contact the manufacturer. Their website is: http://www.accu-pressure.com. It contains their contact information. "

Well, the above is not entirely accurate. They do NOT replace the valve stems, just the valve stem caps!
Mark