What you all are talking about is a "Tire Pressure Monitoring System" or TPMS for short. The Federal Government has passed a law that says all "light vehicles" sold in the USA after Sept. 1 2007 mustbe equpped with a TPMS. Motorcycles and vehicles with 4 wheels on an axle (i.e. dually pickup)are excluded from the standard.
The indirect system that uses the vehicle's ABS is no longer a viable system in the governments eyes due to the fact that if all 4 tires are equally underinflated it won't trip the warning light. Going forward you will have a direct system which is a sensor as part of the valve stem or a band mounted sensor (sensor strapped to the drop center of the wheel).
I could go on all day about the pro's & con's of this (mostly con's) but as a consumer this is what you need to know, those sensors have a non replaceable battery in them that will eventually go dead and the sensor needs to be replaced, sensor costs at the present time ranges from $50 - $300 per sensor.
Be prepared to pay more for tire services if your vehicle is equipped with TPMS due to the fact that reprograming of the system may be required and your tire dealer has had to spend time training his techs and buying some extra equipment to do the job correctly.In my opinion if you get tire work done toyour vehicle and it's TPMS equipped I would ask what kind of training the guy has had who's going to do the work, if he hasn't had any I would go to a tire dealer who has been trained.
All this due to the fact that the general public does not check the air pressure in thier tires as often as they should so the Feds stepped in to protect us from ourselves.Just my humble .02

oops! forgot to tell you that it's a violation of federal law to disable the TPMS

 

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Why TPMS?






[font="arial, helvetica, verdana"][color=#000000][size=-1]Congress passed the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentations Act, also called the TREAD Act, in 2000 in response to a major recall of defective tires that created unsafe driving conditions.

The TREAD Act mandates that new vehicles less than 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, sold in the United States, be equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems, or TPMS, beginning with the 2006 model year. TPMS systems alert drivers when the pressure in a tire falls more than 25 percent below the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure. The TREAD Act affects passenger cars, light trucks and buses. Light-duty vehicles with dual-rear axles are excluded.

Indirect TPMS systems use the vehicle’s ABS system to calculate the difference in tire diameters and approximate tire pressure.

Direct TPMS systems include small sensors that are installed inside the tires. These sensors monitor tire pressure and continually relay this information, via radio signals, to the vehicle’s electronic control unit (ECU). If tire pressure falls below required limits, a warning light on the instrument panel alerts the driver about the problem.

The TREAD Act requires vehicle manufacturers to equip 20 percent of their 2006 model year vehicles with TPMS. The number increases to 70 percent of 2007 model vehicles, and to 100 percent of all 2008 model vehicles.

System Performance Requirements
The TREAD Act outlines a number of specific TPMS performance requirements:
[ul][*]New vehicles must be equipped with sensors that monitor tire pressure in all four tires. Monitoring the spare is not required.[*]The TPMS system must operate when the vehicle ignition is on and warn when tires are under-inflated by 25 percent or more.[*]The TPMS system must alert the driver when there is a system malfunction.[*]The TPMS warning light must stay on until the tire is inflated to the proper pressure or the system malfunction is corrected.[*]A “bulb check” of the warning light on the instrument panel must occur whenever the ignition is turned on.[*]Vehicle owner’s manuals must contain warnings about potential incompatible replacement tires for the vehicle.[/ul]Safety & Performance
Monitoring and maintaining proper tire pressure increases driver safety and improves vehicle performance in a number of important ways. Properly inflated tires:
[ul][*]Improve vehicle handling[*]Reduce braking distances[*]Lower the risk of hydroplaning[*]Decrease tire wear[*]Improve fuel efficiency [/ul]TPMS Can Save Lives
Most people ignore their tires, yet tires are undoubtedly one of the most critical safety components on a vehicle. Where the rubber meets the road affects traction, handling, steering, stability and braking. Because of this, a sudden tire failure can have serious consequences, especially if it occurs when operating at highway speeds.

[ul][*]Nearly 250,000 accidents occur in the United States per year due to low tire pressure.[*]About 75 percent of roadside flats are preceded by a slow leak or under inflation.[*]According to a recent survey, America could reduce its fuel consumption by 10 percent and save a collective $2 billion a year by keeping tires properly inflated.[*]A tire can lose up to half of its air pressure without appearing to be under inflated.[*]NHTSA estimates that tire pressure monitoring systems could prevent as many as 79 deaths an

 

How hard is it to just check the tire pressure before you go ride!!!!!!

 

kick the tires and light the fire

 

That ain't crap. My doctor has a flow meter you pee in to see if you need a ream job. Now that's progress by god. but I don't want one on my bike

 

NAPA sells these monitors that go on your valve stems, you buy the ones rated at the pressure you want.