billb@tektronix.UUCP (Bill Baker) (01/06/85)
I just discovered something very surprising that affected the
performance of my motorcycle measurably. It could also have had negative
effects on my safety.
I discovered that the trusty tire pressure gauge that I had been
using for the last 13 years was grossly inaccurate. I'm sure that it was
correct over most of its life, but it had degraded recently in such a
manner that I didn't notice it. It disagreed with my Drager gauge (you
know the kind with the round dial), but I always considered the pen-type
to be the more trustworthy. Besides the Drager was too difficult to use
with the restricted space on my BMW wheels. With the recent cold snap
here in the Northwest, I noticed that the little rod didn't push out as
fast and was, in fact, very slow.
I purchased a new one as a result and discovered a 5-pound
difference. The tires were overinflated. I had been noticing an extreme
sensitivity to rills and cracks in the streets and those clever grooves
that they put in I-5. After readjusting the pressures with the new
gauge, there was considerable imporvement. My paranoia disappeared and
riding was much better.
I noticed, also, that the new gauge agrees much more closely with
the Drager.
I guess my lesson is to either calibrate my gauge with a trusted
standard or buy a new one periodically.
Be careful.
Jere Marrs
Tektronix, Inc.
Beaverton, Oregon
tektronix!teklabs!jerem
-or- tektronix!tekcrd!billb