Harley TPMS sensor and aftermarket wheels

HDUSA1 said:

In the process of ordering a CoolTrikes Grand Touring conversion kit for our 2020 HD Ultra Limited.

Sorting out some of the details on what needs to be done including the ABS and Bank Angle sensor for example and reprograming the BCM to think it's a trike.

One of the questions that has me stumped right now are Harley's TPMS sensors for the rear when you do a conversion kit using aftermarket 5 bolt (car) rims.

After searching on this forum, I know that the Harley TPMS sensors will work on a trike setup once it's been reprogrammed to a trike. I also know that they use a small diameter stem and that I may need to order the FOBO grommets to make them work in the larger tire stem hole.

The issue is the Harley TPMS sensor is a right angle stem. The Harley OEM rim has the stem hole drilled in the centerline of the rim facing the axle, so the right angle stem faces out towards you when airing up the tire.

On an aftermarket car rim, all that I have found have the stem hole drilled in a vertical lip just inside the rim face so that the hole faces out towards you. If you install the right angle Harley TPMS sensor in the hole, it will face up towards the axle which may look goofy.

Aside from that, my bigger concern is the small box that mounts inside the rim to the backside of the stem. Where the hole is drilled in the narrow lip around the rim, is there enough clearance for the small box to mount up against the stem?

Anyone done this and have a pic they could post?

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cycle7447 said:

When I posted this question some time ago, everyone, including my original dealer, told me it could not be done. Well, I found a dealer that said - bring it in during the winter and we will figure it out. He did.

What he told me is that he didn't actually use the entire Harley TPMS. Instead, all he used was the sensor - and he mounted that to the inside of the rim. That stem was not needed since he was using the wheel stem to air up the tire. The mounted sensor could detect the air pressure.

When he was done, my original 2 wheel Ultra showed this.

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HDUSA1 said:

Thank you, that's what I was looking for!

Curious, do you have any idea how they would have mounted the sensor inside the rim? Wondering if they might have used 3M VHB tape and stuck it to the inside of the rim, banded it, or if they drilled and tapped a hole to mount it with a screw? If you don't know, would you mind sharing who the dealer was that mounted it?

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cycle7447 said:

I recall them saying they simply tapped it with a small screw. Didn't want the tape to fall off.

I had mine done in October 2023 and all has been well. Bike now has 12,500 miles on it. Thought the dealer had a great idea - especially when he said that all he needed was the sensor.

Hopefully someday someone will come out with an adapter. One of the guys here, when I was looking, said he found and used an adapter. I asked home a million time - but he never told me what worked for him. This led me to believe that there wasn't one.

If there was an adapter, my bet is the dealer would have known about this and done it. My dealer, Ray C in Lapeer, Mi is very good at finding solutions.

My bike is a 2021 Ultra that was converted to a CSC trike. Harley has a new VHC module that allows the bike to use hill assist while in neutral. The Harley triglides don't have hill assist (because they don't have side stands). Everyone told me that since I no longer have a side stand, the upgraded module would not work for me.

Dealer siad - bring it in - and guess what, all is working perfectly.

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HDUSA1 said:

Thank you for the post! I've been doing some thinking since then and found a couple of things that just might work!

Found where PerformanceMachine.com makes a Harley TPMS adapter for aftermarket wheels. I've searched on their website and can't find it, but eBay sells them for $45. You basically use a threaded valve stem to hold a flat plate with a stud on it inside the wheel. Then you mount the Harley TPMS over the stud and secure it with a nylon locking nut. Pretty simple actually. I happened to find someone who posted the directions on another website and posted them below for reference.

The other thought is to use a TPMS replacement mounting band for a Ford wheel. They sell them on eBay for $26. It's essentially a large stainless worm clamp that holds a bracket in place. You then snap a factory Ford TPMS wheel sensor in to the bracket. Obviously the Harley TPMS sensor is made differently, but I don't know why you couldn't drill a hole in the bracket and bolt the sensor to it, then band it to the rim.

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