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Adding OEM TPM to R1200GS

kencollier

New member
I just acquired a 2010 R1200GS 30th Anniversary. It has all the goodies except TPM (tire pressure monitor). From what I can tell, it sounds like bikes with the computer are already wired to accept the TPM signal; minus the wheel transmitters and the actual signal receiver module that plugs into the computer.

Has anyone ever looked into adding the OEM TPM after the fact? Is this feasible/practical/cost effective?
 

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Looks like it can't be done

I received this response from my sales guy at the BMW dealer in Phoenix:

Ken

Unfortunately you can not add the BMW TPM after it has left the factory. You could on the 2009's but not on the 2010 or 2011. We have tried on a RT and spoken with other dealers that have tried on the GS. So if you want TPM you will most likely have to go with an after market system that does not display in the dash.

Steve Bittner
Sales Professional
GO AZ Motorcycles
sbittner@goaz.com
(480)609-1800​

If anyone knows differently, I would love to hear about it. Alternatively, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the best after market TPM for a GS (Kisan, Orange, PressurePro, Stop & Go, others?)
 
Based on the response I got from Steve at Go AZ BMW in Phoenix, it sounds like you can. Whether it's cost effective is another question.
 
I received this response from my sales guy at the BMW dealer in Phoenix:

Ken

Unfortunately you can not add the BMW TPM after it has left the factory. You could on the 2009's but not on the 2010 or 2011. We have tried on a RT and spoken with other dealers that have tried on the GS. So if you want TPM you will most likely have to go with an after market system that does not display in the dash.

Steve Bittner
Sales Professional
GO AZ Motorcycles
sbittner@goaz.com
(480)609-1800​

If anyone knows differently, I would love to hear about it. Alternatively, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the best after market TPM for a GS (Kisan, Orange, PressurePro, Stop & Go, others?)

I've heard you can't with an RT. Is this true? I'd like to have TPM on my 2009 RT.
 
You can't on any hexhead. The reason being - BMW won't sell you the enabling code needed to turn on the TPM in the instrument cluster. You can buy all the parts (at a rather high price..) but getting the code to make it work is impossible (I know several dealers who tried..)

I'd suggest aftermarket. I'm trying a new one (so far I like it) from the UK. They don't have a US distributor (yet..) so it has to be ordered from the UK. Delivered price was under $175 - which is about what one TPM sender will cost from BMW for the factory system. This one is available with internally mounted sensors (they use a band type mount.)

Here's the info on it:
http://www.mobiletron.com.tw/b_eng_products_list.asp?FkindNo=F000004&SkindNo=S000032

You can order it - sorta - here: https://www.tyre-track.net/

I'd suggest contacting Hannah Whittle at: "Sales" <Sales@mobiletron.co.uk> - feel free to mention my name. Hannah was very helpful. I initially called her - then we conducted the rest of the business via email. Price was about what's shown on the website - with shipping costs replacing the VAT tax which isn't applied for items shipped to the US.

I'm also looking at some others just out of general interest - but so far - the responses from the vendors has been very delayed and spotty, which doesn't give me a lot of confidence in their down-the-road support.
 
You can't on any hexhead. The reason being - BMW won't sell you the enabling code needed to turn on the TPM in the instrument cluster. You can buy all the parts (at a rather high price..) but getting the code to make it work is impossible (I know several dealers who tried..)

I'd suggest aftermarket. I'm trying a new one (so far I like it) from the UK. They don't have a US distributor (yet..) so it has to be ordered from the UK. Delivered price was under $175 - which is about what one TPM sender will cost from BMW for the factory system. This one is available with internally mounted sensors (they use a band type mount.)

Here's the info on it:
http://www.mobiletron.com.tw/b_eng_products_list.asp?FkindNo=F000004&SkindNo=S000032

You can order it - sorta - here: https://www.tyre-track.net/

I'd suggest contacting Hannah Whittle at: "Sales" <Sales@mobiletron.co.uk> - feel free to mention my name. Hannah was very helpful. I initially called her - then we conducted the rest of the business via email. Price was about what's shown on the website - with shipping costs replacing the VAT tax which isn't applied for items shipped to the US.

I'm also looking at some others just out of general interest - but so far - the responses from the vendors has been very delayed and spotty, which doesn't give me a lot of confidence in their down-the-road support.

Is it a liability issue? You can get ASC.
 
...I'd suggest aftermarket. I'm trying a new one (so far I like it) from the UK. They don't have a US distributor (yet..) so it has to be ordered from the UK. Delivered price was under $175 - which is about what one TPM sender will cost from BMW for the factory system. This one is available with internally mounted sensors (they use a band type mount.)...

Don, Thanks for the tip. I like the looks of this unit compared to the others I've been looking at. The Kisan is a close 2nd. How frequently does it refresh its reading? Does it seem pretty close to real time? It looks like it's easy to install and doesn't interfere with your valve stems, which is a plus. Any option for changing temperature reading to fahrenheit?
 
Don, Thanks for the tip. I like the looks of this unit compared to the others I've been looking at. The Kisan is a close 2nd. How frequently does it refresh its reading? Does it seem pretty close to real time? It looks like it's easy to install and doesn't interfere with your valve stems, which is a plus. Any option for changing temperature reading to fahrenheit?

IMHO - Kisan doesn't come close because of the requirement of mounting their sensors near the wheels. I know several people who tried, and returned the Kisan. Until they solve that problem - it's a non-starter for me. And the valve stem lumps won't work on many modern BMWs with the valve stem in a spoke - the lump will make part of it's first rotation and be knocked off by the brake caliper.

Updates seem to be about 5 second intervals. They mention a rapid response mechanism, which I suspect does an immediate update based on rate of change of pressure (like a puncture.) You can change it to display PSI and F.. no big deal, the programming on it is REALLY simple (especially compared to some I've tried - which required running the bike in circles and stopping to try to have the head grab the ID of the sensor..) The sensors on this continually transmit - so on startup in the garage, I know what the pressures in the tires are.

One thing a bit odd - in the owners manual they show the display hooked up to the bike battery for power. It has no on/off function on the display - meaning hooked up that way it would be on all the time (and drawing 65mA..) I put it to a switched circuit. Works fine that way.

My display is mounted at the moment with velcro - the heavy duty stuff. I'll be making a bracket for it (the provided bar-bracket is nice, but I prefer it mounted differently..) to mount it to the bar-clamp bolts on my R12R (which have the BMW threaded ones used for the BMW GPS mount..)

Haven't tried it in rain - but I saw no warnings about getting it wet so hopefully the display is water resistant. The display is very readable, and illuminated for night use (nice - the last one I had wasn't..) - just wish the background color was orange instead of blue.. :)

For the price - it seems a winner, but I only have about 6 hours use on it so far..
 
Is it a liability issue? You can get ASC.
The reason you can get ASC is some police departments were making it a bid requirement - and BMW had bikes in stock without it that otherwise met the bid requirements. I think it's strictly a marketing decision. I can't see how allowing adding TPM would incur any liability that providing it from the factory wouldn't.
 
The reason you can get ASC is some police departments were making it a bid requirement - and BMW had bikes in stock without it that otherwise met the bid requirements. I think it's strictly a marketing decision. I can't see how allowing adding TPM would incur any liability that providing it from the factory wouldn't.

Because a third party installed it. The dealer isn't the factory. If there isn't any liability, then why not sell it?
 
I've heard you can't with an RT. Is this true? I'd like to have TPM on my 2009 RT.
The reply I got from my BMW dealer (above) makes it sound like it IS possible to add the BMW TPM to your 2009 RT. It's the 2010+ models that aren't possible. What I don't know is how much and how difficult. I imagine this is something you'd want a BMW shop to install.
 
Because a third party installed it. The dealer isn't the factory. If there isn't any liability, then why not sell it?

That would be true for any BMW accessory the dealer added - like bags/racks/windshields/etc. I don't think the 3rd party is the problem - I think it's a German marketing decision trying to make it difficult to upgrade an existing bike, they'd rather you buy a new one I suspect.
 
The reply I got from my BMW dealer (above) makes it sound like it IS possible to add the BMW TPM to your 2009 RT. It's the 2010+ models that aren't possible. What I don't know is how much and how difficult. I imagine this is something you'd want a BMW shop to install.

I would ask the dealer if they ever HAVE installed it on an '09..
 
I looked into this several months ago for my '08 GT. Can't add the OEM TPM. I just finished installing the Doran system and it went on without a hitch. You may want to look into their offerings. Nice people and USA company, I believe.
 
The problem with any of the systems with the external lump sensor - the sensor is big enough to conflict with the front brake caliper on bikes with the valve-in-spoke rim design BMW is using on lots of models.

There are several other reasons I wouldn't consider that design:

First and foremost - IMHO it increases the risk of a leak, by the need to keep the valve core open so the sensor can measure the tire pressure. That would be similar to removing a valve core and relying on a valve cap to seal the tire. I wouldn't be comfortable with that - and I'm not comfortable with the lumps.

Second problem is the need to remove the lump to adjust tire pressure. Most of the lumps lock on using tiny allen screws that grub into the threads on the valve stem. Aside from losing the tiny allen wrench, the need to try to unscrew these - with my eyes that won't focus much below 15" or so - would be really frustrating.

The chance of damaging the thread on the valve stem with the grub screws concerns me - as does the almost inevitable loss of a few PSI while screwing the thing back on.

And finally - as makers who offer both will tell you - tire air temperature measurement is very hard to do with the lump - and not very accurate. I use the temperature and pressure to tell me if my tires are behaving correctly, and if the tire is warmed up enough to start to have some fun. I'd really miss that ability with the lump based systems.
 
My Mobiletron TPMS Just Arrived

I'd suggest aftermarket. I'm trying a new one (so far I like it) from the UK. They don't have a US distributor (yet..) so it has to be ordered from the UK. Delivered price was under $175 - which is about what one TPM sender will cost from BMW for the factory system. This one is available with internally mounted sensors (they use a band type mount.)

Here's the info on it:
http://www.mobiletron.com.tw/b_eng_products_list.asp?FkindNo=F000004&SkindNo=S000032

You can order it - sorta - here: https://www.tyre-track.net/

I'd suggest contacting Hannah Whittle at: "Sales" <Sales@mobiletron.co.uk> - feel free to mention my name...

After reviewing all the aftermarket TPM options I could find I kept coming back to this one that Don recommended. I especially like the way the sensors are installed with a band around the rim rather than on the valve stem. I ordered one per Don's recommendation above and found Hannah and the crew at Mobiletron to be very professional and easy to work with. The product appears to be very well constructed.

They are in the process of setting up North American distribution, but meanwhile you can order on the site above and it takes about 3-weeks for delivery. Mine arrived last week and I'm still working on getting it installed.

To that end - Don, did you take any pictures during your installation? I'll be wiring mine into a Centech AP-2 fuse block on my 2010 R1200GS. I'd love any tips you have based on your installation.
 
To that end - Don, did you take any pictures during your installation? I'll be wiring mine into a Centech AP-2 fuse block on my 2010 R1200GS. I'd love any tips you have based on your installation.
I seem to recall taking a few - but if you're using their bracket - it's pretty much a brain dead operation. Just remember red is positive and black is ground (somehow a brain fart overcame me with that - but no damage done, they obviously anticipated brain farts and have protective reverse voltage diodes on the power circuit.)

Oh - also - DO follow their directions on snipping off the excess band - it can snap off by itself if you don't. Don't ask me how I know this.. (luckily - no damage done..)

If you run into any problems - feel free to yell, but I can't begin to imagine what the problems could be. :D
 
Mobiletron TPMS Installed and Working Great

Since I started this thread I thought I should bring it full circle and report the outcome. On the advice of Don Eilenberger I ordered this Mobiletron TPMS from the UK for my 2010 R1200GS.

After much research I favored this design because the sensors are installed inside the tire rather than externally like most others. This design minimizes the stress placed on the valve stem, and doesn't require removing the sensor to add/remove air from the tire.

Hannah Whittle at Mobiletron was great to work with and I was able to order the unit for about $175 USD including shipping.

My new found friend Gary McLeod has a great shop with Coats tire removal and balancing equipment and he helped me install the sensors and re-balance the wheels. Thanks Gary.

The rear sensor installed without any difficulty. Unfortunately the front was not so simple. My tubeless spoked front wheel is a 19" rim with a 25.85mm channel around the middle. This channel is too narrow for the Mobiletron sensor to seat into.

(Internal sensor too wide for BMW R1200GS spoked front wheel. Note the strap extension needed for 19ÔÇØ wheels)

<continued>
 

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