The best tire pressure gauges for keeping your tires in great shape, tried and tested by MCN
Checking your motorcycle tire pressure can be considered an inconvenience, meaning (believe it or not) some don’t even bother! But this is a mistake. Wrong tire pressures can ruin your fun at best, harm your fuel economy, and cause an accident at worst. Identifying the best motorcycle tire pressure gauges is not always easy though. It can be hard to know where to start.
Why check your tire pressure?
The correct tire pressure will make sure that the tire is contacting the road in the right way – the way it has been designed to. That means it will adopt the correct shape and present the optimum amount of contact with the road. If the pressure is low, then the tire won’t be the right shape and will distort as you ride, leading to a loss of feeling for the road and a definite looseness to the bike’s behaviour. If your tire pressure is too low you will require a tire inflator to put them right.
Related: How to look after your tires
If it’s too low, then as well as the bike handling badly, the tire could start to become damaged and worse, it won’t be able to sustain the levels of braking that you would be used to, increasing potential danger to you and other road users. Conversely, if the pressure is too high, then this will also affect handling by making the tire too rigid and preventing it from presenting the right contact patch on the road.
The solution is simple. You can check your tire pressures regularly with a gauge. This should be done once a week and perhaps more often if you use the bike daily. There are different types of tire pressure gauges available.
They range from simple pencil-style slide-out ones, through analogue gauge-style items, to digital ones with separate displays and hoses. The easier to use, the better – it’ll mean you’re more likely to check your bike. Also think about how and where the valve on your bike is and the best way to get a gauge on it. A compact version should definitely be in your packing list for your luggage on your touring bike if traveling long distances.
The best motorcycle tire pressure gauges
Our best piece of advice is simply to use the same gauge at all times. Some may not be as precisely calibrated as others (with petrol station forecourts being notoriously unreliable), but the same gauge will pretty much always read the same pressure.
With this in mind, consistency is key: always use the same one and find the pressures that work for you, over-inflating slightly with a tire compressor before letting air out to the desired pressure.
However, here are some top tips on tire pressure gauges of various types:
"When you’re at a track day, one of the most important considerations is tire pressure. I’ve been running 36PSI front and 42PSI rear on my R7 with Pirelli’s wonderful Diablo Rosso IVs on the road, but drop that to 32PSI at both ends for circuit use as I strive to complete my mission and ride all the BSB circuits this year.
"It means I need a way to accurately drop pressures, so step forward this useful 'classically styled' gauge from Oxford.
"It’s a solidly built gauge that holds the peak pressure reading until you press the reset button, allowing you to use it in confined spaces such as a garage.
"The reset button also bleeds air pressure from the tire, meaning you can accurately measure the precise pounds-per-square-inch needed for your hoops to perform perfectly.
"The gauge itself is large and simple to read, with a tough acrylic window that has stood up to everything I’ve thrown at it.
"My only criticism is the 360-degree swivelling head, which can prove fiddly to get onto the valve at times. I’d prefer one that attached to the valve rather than having to hold it on to operate. The 36cm hose is extremely solid and thus tough to bend, which can make accessing the valve a little tricky as well.
"However, for the money I’m impressed. It’s been with me on multiple track days so far, and I’ve always been glad of its compact dimensions when cramming my kit into a rucksack. It’ll work up to 60PSI, so would be suitable for a small trailer or caravan as well as your bike and any cars you’ve got access to."
Pros
- Easy to read
- It's good quality
- Precise readings
Cons
- Can be a bit fiddly
"I’ve used this DigiGauge since 2010 and maybe replaced the battery once in all that time. I’ve got a lovely Venhill VT32 like Rich’s too, which makes me feel a bit more of a pro, but more often I reach for this.
"It’s small, light and compact enough to fit in a pocket, can be used one-handed, and the 180° rotating head ensures you can always find an angle. The backlit LCD display is surprisingly handy when scurrying about in a gloomy garage; the LED ‘torch’ less so. Shows psi, bar, kPa and something else that I’ve never used, has a bleed valve, and also works with Presta bicycle valves.
"It might look a bit plasticky and you can’t quite imagine MotoGP guys using one, but it’s proven accurate to within 1psi of a calibrated gauge."
Pros
- Easy access
- Backlit display
| Display | LCD |
| Pressure shown | PSI or Bar to <span style |
| Size | 13.49 x 5.51 x 2.69 cm; 50g |
- Auto-off function
- Angled head
- Ergonomic design
Others to consider
How MCN tests tire pressure gauges
Here at MCN, we make it our mission to help you find the right kit for you, at the right price for your budget. We test our levers the same way you’ll use yours; by fitting them to the bike and riding with them. Our word is backed by at least eight years of testing per product, and in some cases up to 14 years. You can rely on our verdicts.
While testing, we predominantly focus on build quality, and accuracy. When we write up our full reviews, we’ll give each gauge a rating out of five stars for quality and value. This page is only for the best motorcycle tire pressure gauges, so every one you’ll see has been awarded at least four stars overall – that’s the passing grade – but here’s what each score really means:
Scoring explained
Products are given a score from 1 to 5 stars. Beyond the ratings tab, you’ll find in-depth info on product and gear performance and attributes.
- 1 Star – Avoid at all costs.
- 2 Stars – Barely acceptable.
- 3 Stars – Average or adequate.
- 4 Stars – Above average.
- 5 Stars – Excellent performance.
To find out more, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.
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