Right angle valve stems, opinions please.

Mike:p

Mike:p

Don’t be a Hero, be consistent.
I'm going to to put on a set of Q3s next week and I have thought about right angle valve stems. How well do they hold up at speed? Any down sides? I'm just trying to make the necessary task checking tire pressure a little easier. Any input would be appreciated, since I have zero experience with them on any vehicle.
 
borislav

borislav

Control Rider
You will thank yourself for doing it first time you come off the track and want to check your tire pressure while rotors are blazingly hot!
 
HondaGalToo

HondaGalToo

Control Rider
They work amazing! No down side, only up side! I put them on my street bike, too, Much easier to check tire pressure, and since they're metal, they don't flex. I like the aluminum ones from KurveyGirl.
 
Mike:p

Mike:p

Don’t be a Hero, be consistent.
Do you replace them with every tire change like you would with standard rubber valve stems?
 
raineman021

raineman021

Eric Raine
That is the next thing I am buying when I mount new tires - Long over due. Great idea swapping them out. Idk how I have not done it already, haha - Good call Mike
 
D-Zum

D-Zum

My 13 year old is faster than your President
What everyone else has said already plus....not to get nerdy but...

Regular valve stems have a greater potential for air loss/leak at speed. When you're wheel is spinning fast it creates G-Forces, much like one of those
carnival rides does. So if you're a spring, like the one in a valve stem core, those G forces are going to cause you to compress. Air may allow be allowed
to escape.

With an angled valve stem, the spring is perpendicular to the G-Force being applied in the wheel's rotation and won't be at risk to compress.

Straight stems on car tires are generally at about a 80-90 degree angle when the wheel is mounted on the car. So straight stems work better for cars.

So angled stems for motorcycles provide both a ergonomic and functional benefit. It's a 2 for 1!

You'll love them Mike.
 
Mike:p

Mike:p

Don’t be a Hero, be consistent.
D-Zum said:
What everyone else has said already plus....not to get nerdy but...

Regular valve stems have a greater potential for air loss/leak at speed. When you're wheel is spinning fast it creates G-Forces, much like one of those
carnival rides does. So if you're a spring, like the one in a valve stem core, those G forces are going to cause you to compress. Air may allow be allowed
to escape.

With an angled valve stem, the spring is perpendicular to the G-Force being applied in the wheel's rotation and won't be at risk to compress.

Straight stems on car tires are generally at about a 80-90 degree angle when the wheel is mounted on the car. So straight stems work better for cars.

So angled stems for motorcycles provide both a ergonomic and functional benefit. It's a 2 for 1!

You'll love them Mike.
Click to expand...
I thought about the spring on the core compressing at high rpm but I thought I was over thinking it.
 
Motofun352

Motofun352

Control Rider
I have right angle valve stems on my race bike wheels because of hot rotors, taking pressure readings with tire warmers on, and it's hard to get my hands and a tire chuck in between the large rotors on the front wheel. Having said that, I've never had a problem with the rubber valve stems in 40 years and 18 MCs. This is not an issue to worry about in my opinion. If you change over to 90 degree stems, follow the torque specs and use a drop of blue loctite on the internal nut. Plus 1 for Kurvey girl for parts.
 
wmhjr

wmhjr

Grandpa
Control Rider
Run - don't walk - to get them. On some wheel/rotor combinations, it's really awkward to get good pressure readings with standard stems. With good machined aluminum angled stems, it's easy. Since tire pressure may well be the most important component of your suspension, the faster you go - the bigger difference it makes. I check my pressure every single session. If I didn't have angled stems, I'd probably be lazy every once in a while because it's such a PITA.

BTW, another recommendation. GET A GOOD PRESSURE GAUGE. Some are wildly inaccurate. Spend a little extra and get a good quality pressure gauge - and check/calibrate it against another good gauge every once in a while. There is an N2 member that I will not name, that in the past 2 weeks rebuilt his entire suspension chasing an issue - only to finally discover that his pressure gauge was WAY off, resulting in actual pressures being more than 15lbs higher than indicated on the gauge. What's worse than having rebuilt his entire suspension is the fact that he was riding hard and fast with 40lbs in his tires..... Thinking that they were 31/26 or so.
 
Mike:p

Mike:p

Don’t be a Hero, be consistent.
wmhjr said:
Run - don't walk - to get them. On some wheel/rotor combinations, it's really awkward to get good pressure readings with standard stems. With good machined aluminum angled stems, it's easy. Since tire pressure may well be the most important component of your suspension, the faster you go - the bigger difference it makes. I check my pressure every single session. If I didn't have angled stems, I'd probably be lazy every once in a while because it's such a PITA.

BTW, another recommendation. GET A GOOD PRESSURE GAUGE. Some are wildly inaccurate. Spend a little extra and get a good quality pressure gauge - and check/calibrate it against another good gauge every once in a while. There is an N2 member that I will not name, that in the past 2 weeks rebuilt his entire suspension chasing an issue - only to finally discover that his pressure gauge was WAY off, resulting in actual pressures being more than 15lbs higher than indicated on the gauge. What's worse than having rebuilt his entire suspension is the fact that he was riding hard and fast with 40lbs in his tires..... Thinking that they were 31/26 or so.
Click to expand...
Recommendations for a good quality gauge.
 
wmhjr

wmhjr

Grandpa
Control Rider
Great question - with probably all kinds of opinions. Here are a few of my favorites:

Favorite all time performance gauge: Longacre 52011. Bought one of these (or a very similar model) for using on my car on the track. It's BIG, accurate, easy to use, has separate buttons to hold the reading and to release pressure. Quality product.
http://www.amazon.com/Longacre-5201...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

Motion Pro - pretty much any of theirs. Though to be honest, I just had to return mine (model 08-0468) when it failed. They repaired it at no cost, but it cost me shipping and it took them about 6 weeks to get it back to me.

I also have a Joes Racing gauge - don't remember which model. It's not bad.

None have been as good for me as the Longacre. I'm sure other folks have their favorites as well. I tend to keep one in my shop, one in my race trailer, and I check them against each other ever couple months.
 
rhill

rhill

Member
wmhjr said:
BTW, another recommendation. GET A GOOD PRESSURE GAUGE. Some are wildly inaccurate. Spend a little extra and get a good quality pressure gauge - and check/calibrate it against another good gauge every once in a while. There is an N2 member that I will not name, that in the past 2 weeks rebuilt his entire suspension chasing an issue - only to finally discover that his pressure gauge was WAY off, resulting in actual pressures being more than 15lbs higher than indicated on the gauge. What's worse than having rebuilt his entire suspension is the fact that he was riding hard and fast with 40lbs in his tires..... Thinking that they were 31/26 or so.
Click to expand...

Wow, either my story is getting around or someone else that did the same damn thing???

I just had a gauge fail and was reading ~10psi low....so the tires were 10psi high.. 33/43 compared to my normal 23/33 hot off the track. Felt like riding with no suspension at all while at PIRC....the bumps on the north track were sketchy as hell trying to carry speed. Screwed with the dampening to no avail, because I kept using the same unknowingly broken gauge. Tire wear and pressures looked fine throughout the day.

Brought the bike home and pulled the front end off it and replaced it with older forks....because something had to be wrong. Going to install the front tire, I noticed it had some pretty significant ridges running the circumference and the siping had started to chamfer and build on the opposing side. Grabbed the nearest gauge....38 psi in the cool garage. Tested the rear...28psi.

Previously I used one of the cheap $5 keychain digital gauges. Started EVERYDAY verifying it against someone else's Motion Pro or other gauge.....used it for over a year like that and knew immediately when it started reading 4psi off.

Long story short, it only takes a few seconds to compare pressure gauges to verify they are both working well. If they are reading different, get a 3rd and 4th to compare.
 
rhill

rhill

Member
hahahha I should have read the signature....

Someone else, somewhere, has a broken tire gauge and has just set their tire pressure incorrectly.....I am not alone.
 
eskimo

eskimo

Slow guy on a fast bike
wmhjr said:
Favorite all time performance gauge: Longacre 52011. Bought one of these (or a very similar model) for using on my car on the track. It's BIG, accurate, easy to use, has separate buttons to hold the reading and to release pressure. Quality product.
http://www.amazon.com/Longacre-5201...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00
Click to expand...

Mike, this is basically the same as mine that you used at PIRC. (Mine is the 0-60 version). Excellent gauge. Still within 1/2lb of a certified tester unit after several years.

On the valve stems, one tip - make sure they're both pointing the same direction - to the right. Easier checking pressure if the bike is on a kickstand, and keeps you from getting chain schmutz on your arm, too. ;)
 
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