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[pluto]

Hi folks, I just recently put a deposit on my local dealer's 2012 Zero XU showroom model, planning to pick it up next month when the weather improves up here in the Great White North. The 2012 XU suits my needs for range and speed and with the end of year + cash for carbon incentives it was too good to pass up.

My question is whether anyone has successfully used an aftermarket Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) with a Zero bike. The one I am interested in is the Orange Electronics unit, which the sensor installs inside the tire.

I'm thinking of getting a set for my gas bike (2010 Triumph Bonneville) too as I'm notoriously bad at checking my tire pressure regularly. I didn't have any experience with it until our new car (2012 Chevy Volt) came with it as standard equipment.

[flar]

Another option is replacement valve caps that blink or show a red strip when the pressure drops.  Some are available pre-calibrated to a particular PSI and others self-calibrate to the pressure when you install them.  There were 2 different kinds available at my local motorcycle dealer and a few are available on amazon.  Caveat - I haven't tried these yet, but I did buy a pair to try - I'm waiting for the next service where I can have the wheel balance checked with the new caps installed.  I'm also considering other brands in the meantime because the brand I bought has an annoying Catch 22 in its indicators - they are off when the pressure is normal, and also when the battery is dead.  They do blink for 50 hours while the battery is dying, but I could easily miss that by not taking a good look at my bike for 2 days...D'oh!  Other models on Amazon show red or green strips as the pressure changes.

[amahoser]

I do not have an XU but since it has wire wheels, the bike has tubes in the wheels. With tubes. you cannot put an internal TPMS sensor on the wheel because the valve stem (which you replace with the sensor) is actually part of the inner tube. You would have to go with a system that has external sensors that mount to the valve stem.

Jose Soriano

[trikester]

Wouldn't do me much good, since I have run my DS tires as low as 8 pounds for sand. 

Trikester

[dahlheim]

i've had bad luck with a couple of the screw-in types which replace the valve stem cap.  it's been a few years, but i avoid them.  i just check my pressures regularly, particularly when the temperature changes.

[pluto]

since it has wire wheels, the bike has tubes in the wheels. With tubes. you cannot put an internal TPMS sensor on the wheel because the valve stem (which you replace with the sensor) is actually part of the inner tube.

Hmm that didn't even occur to me. Thanks for that. How difficult would it be to swap the wire wheels at some point in the future for cast wheels? Is that something you can even do on a Zero motorcycle? From the little bit of reading I've done it seems that tubeless tires are in general superior to tubes, yet many modern motorcycles still use wire wheels and tubes, I assume to keep costs down?

i've had bad luck with a couple of the screw-in types which replace the valve stem cap.  it's been a few years, but i avoid them

Yeah that is what I read when I started researching the various TPMS systems on the market. That and they are quite easily stolen!

[protomech]

Suspect it's a combination of weight and styling.

[ZeroSinMA]

since it has wire wheels, the bike has tubes in the wheels. With tubes. you cannot put an internal TPMS sensor on the wheel because the valve stem (which you replace with the sensor) is actually part of the inner tube.

Hmm that didn't even occur to me. Thanks for that. How difficult would it be to swap the wire wheels at some point in the future for cast wheels? Is that something you can even do on a Zero motorcycle? From the little bit of reading I've done it seems that tubeless tires are in general superior to tubes, yet many modern motorcycles still use wire wheels and tubes, I assume to keep costs down?

i've had bad luck with a couple of the screw-in types which replace the valve stem cap.  it's been a few years, but i avoid them

Yeah that is what I read when I started researching the various TPMS systems on the market. That and they are quite easily stolen!

Air molecules leak through thin inner tubes far faster than the thick tires of a cast wheel, tubeless tire. With my 2011 I used to have to add air before every ride. With my 2012 with the tubless maybe add air once a month.

[amahoser]

Hmm that didn't even occur to me. Thanks for that. How difficult would it be to swap the wire wheels at some point in the future for cast wheels? Is that something you can even do on a Zero motorcycle? From the little bit of reading I've done it seems that tubeless tires are in general superior to tubes, yet many modern motorcycles still use wire wheels and tubes, I assume to keep costs down?

I would check with Harlan at Hollywood Electrics and see if the Model S wheels would fit the XU... But I doubt it...

Wire wheels are strong, light and have a bit of give before they break. Perfect for off road. Also Having tubes allows you to air down the tires to a VERY low pressure for low traction situations. The XU is a capable off road bike. Once you put cast wheels on it, it loses much of its off road capability.. If you never plan to go off road, I can see why you would consider swapping out the wheels. But in my opinion, it aint worth it.

Jose Soriano

[trikester]

Also Having tubes allows you to air down the tires to a VERY low pressure for low traction situations.

Yes! I've posted before that I run my DS as low as 8 lbs front and 12 lbs rear, when I know I'm going to encounter a lot of sand on a dirt ride. It makes a huge difference in handling improvement.

Trikester

[Harlan]

The 2012 cast wheels will not fit on the 2012 XU.

[NoiseBoy]

since it has wire wheels, the bike has tubes in the wheels. With tubes. you cannot put an internal TPMS sensor on the wheel because the valve stem (which you replace with the sensor) is actually part of the inner tube.

Hmm that didn't even occur to me. Thanks for that. How difficult would it be to swap the wire wheels at some point in the future for cast wheels? Is that something you can even do on a Zero motorcycle? From the little bit of reading I've done it seems that tubeless tires are in general superior to tubes, yet many modern motorcycles still use wire wheels and tubes, I assume to keep costs down?

i've had bad luck with a couple of the screw-in types which replace the valve stem cap.  it's been a few years, but i avoid them

Yeah that is what I read when I started researching the various TPMS systems on the market. That and they are quite easily stolen!

Air molecules leak through thin inner tubes far faster than the thick tires of a cast wheel, tubeless tire. With my 2011 I used to have to add air before every ride. With my 2012 with the tubless maybe add air once a month.

Buy some decent tubes.  My tyres needed adjusting maybe every 3 months tops on my KTM even with daily use and that was mostly due to temperature changes.

[pluto]

Now that I've got my XU I noticed on the tires themselves it says 'Tubeless Tire'

Tubeless tires pneumatic tires that do not require a separate inner tube.
Unlike traditional pneumatic tires which use a separate inner tube, tubeless tires have continuous ribs molded integrally into the bead of the tire so that they are forced by the pressure of the air inside the tire to seal with the flanges of the metal rim of the wheel. - Wikipedia

So now I'm really confused!

[RickSteeb]

Now that I've got my XU I noticed on the tires themselves it says 'Tubeless Tire'

The tire itself is tubeless "capable" but the rims aren't air-tight so you need the tubes!