Tyre pressure is possibly one of the most ignored performance aspects of a motorcycle. Poorly set pressures can reduce performance, increase fuel consumption and accelerate the degradation of your tyres – not to mention make them more susceptible to punctures. Every serious motorcyclist should own (and frequently use) a tyre-pressure gauge and British motorcycle apparel/accessory brand Oxford would like that gauge to be theirs.
The Oxford DigiGauge is a smart little device with a number of useful features built in. The gauge is wrapped in a blue rubbery material that provides grip and also offers some protection while being tossed around in a backpack. The LCD display is back-lit and there’s also a small LED light, both helpful while using the gauge in the dark. Another nice touch comes in the form of a swivel-style head that lets you get at hard-to-reach valves on some motorcycle wheels. The rotating head also lets the Oxford gauge read either Schrader or Presta valves, which means that you can use this for your automobile as well as a bicycle. Finally, the small chrome button at the top engages a bleeder valve that allows you to make small pressure adjustments.
The DigiGauge can read upto 199.9psi in increments of 0.1psi. If you prefer your air pressures displayed in another format it also supports readouts in bar, kPa and kg/cm. I compared this with the precise gauge that Rahul uses for all his meticulous vehicle testing and it was off by just under 0.5psi – so its precision is not bad. The device runs off a CR 2032 battery that can easily be replaced, but I haven’t had the need to do so in the nine odd months that I’ve owned it.
In that time, the Oxford gauge has been tossed into a number of backpacks and has travelled for many thousands of bumpy kilometres with me on two wheels. Aside from some tiny scuffs in the rubber, it’s none the worse for wear and still works perfectly. You will find plenty of cheaper options online, but I’m satisfied with what my Rs 1,900 has fetched me.
Where: highnoteperformance.com
Price: Rs 1,900
Gavin DSouza
Soham Thakur
Lenny D'sa
Saumil Shah
Nikhil Bhatia
