Portable tire inflator

PmodelinUS

PmodelinUS

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Joined
Jul 22, 2021
Messages
273
Age
56
Location
Gages Lakes, IL
Bike
1993 Honda ST1100
2024 Miles
000200
I have ridden many years and been lucky enough to not have a flat tire at least until last year. That was my first. I was close to home and got away with it. I am taking that as a sign. So with a long ride ahead of me to Ferry STOC I have decided to get a portable tire inflator for the bike. As I look around the internets there are so many out there. Can I please get some feed back on what others use.

Thanks.
 
airman-uk.com

Tour Adventure Compressor - AirMan UK

Tyre Sealants, Tyre Repair Kits & Air Compressors, our range of products are all vehicle manufacturer approved and designed in Germany.
airman-uk.com airman-uk.com
I don't know if you'll get these stateside or not but if so they're a great piece of kit. Very powerful and will tackle totally flat tyres in seconds. They come with a good selection of leads etc. Nice and compact too.
Upt.
 
I recommend the AirMan , like Ray ( @Upt' North) above- I think I got mine on eBay. Fits under the back seat well, and I modified it to power up from an SAE plug, so I can hook it to my battery charger port.
 
I have two, a cheap 12volt unit that works really well and this rechargeable one. The 12 volt one is noisy. If you remove the plastic housing it is very compact and can be stored in the tail section. I got it for $13 Canadian.
My recent purchase was this unit. I can pump a couple of tires that are completely flat to 42 psi in a few minutes.
I can fit it in my tank bag or pannier but not in the tail section.
 

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I like this rechargeable one I bought a few years ago and works great, very compact and has a light as well. But it's a little pricey.
Air pump.png
 
Once you've purchased one I recommend you try it at home, assuming you have a regular compressor on hand just in case. Put the bike on the center stand, let out 10lb of air or so and then connect up and run the portable to see thst it functions properly.
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It is a good idea to test the new compressor, I test mine at the start of every riding season. There is no need to deflate the tire to do so however. If the new compressor doesn't work and you don't have another means of reinflating the tire you have created a problem. Just inflate the tire to a higher pressure than it is currently at to see if the new compressor works, and then deflate it back to where you normally keep your air pressure afterwards. Same test results, safer outcome if the new compressor doesn't work.
 
If you want to carry it at all times then smallest possible would seem the best in my opinion. I carry one in each of my bikes along with a gummy worm plugs and an insertion tool or two and a small tube of tire cement. Chances are you'll use once a year at best but you will have it when needed.

Get the cheapest slime inflator Walmart has, now $27 sorry Andrew, and take all the case off that just makes a small pump bigger. lose the pressure guage it's way too big and you have the regular pencil guage anyway. I plugged mine where the pressure line was as can be seen with a nail I think. Keep the switch for on off and tape up what needs taped. Throw it all in a small gear bag like an old fashion bank deposit bag and you're set.

Renew the pump and gummy plugs every few years, the rubber parts of the pumps do dry up and fail. Keep your finger out of the gears!

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W0QNX said:
Get the cheapest slime inflator Walmart has, now $27 sorry Andrew,
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Shows how long it has been since I bought mine. I remember paying $9.99 for just the compressor. I just arbitrarily added another $5.00 but obviously it has appreciated quite a bit more.
 
The problem with the "best" tire inflator is that it doesn't exist. They wear out as they don't get used, so even going with a "high-end" one means replacing it every couple years. So with that, lean toward cheap and functional, and you'll get what you're looking for.

Here is a $20 inflator on Amazon that's small and has a digital gauge, and uses a 12V barrel connector. If you don't have a 12V "cigarette lighter" socket, you can easily add an SAE to barrel connector and be good to go if you already have a battery tender line installed.
 
My slime has been in the fairing pocket since 2015. Had to use it once in 2022. Worked great. If I got another one it would be slime again or the dynaplug one
 
I also have a Slime and have used it frequently on long trips to inflate tires at motels rather than find a tire shop. For that it works great. I am prepared for a flat, there for it probably won't happen
 
I purchased this one >> Airmoto Tire Inflator Portable Compressor after reading a review on Adv Rider. I've been pleased with it so far. It is rechargeable and has an air bleed off valve. It includes a pressure gauge (which agrees with my stand-alone gauge), can be adjusted for motorcycles, bicycles, cars, etc. and comes with a built-in flashlight.
 
PmodelinUS said:
I have ridden many years and been lucky enough to not have a flat tire at least until last year. That was my first. I was close to home and got away with it. I am taking that as a sign. So with a long ride ahead of me to Ferry STOC I have decided to get a portable tire inflator for the bike. As I look around the internets there are so many out there. Can I please get some feed back on what others use.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
My bike was set up to b self sufficient, which included a accessor usb socket. Ill never own a pump that has its own battery. I went to napa and bought a little slime pump. All was well. I took a lot of flats because i had the habit of pulling into the safety lane for pics. Lots of trash!
the pumps that have their own battery wear out and weigh a ton. Neither of those issues with my slime. I make sure the lbike is running when i use the pump.
an additional bennie to the accessory socket is that i can charge my phone, earbuds, camp lite etc.
 
tpasco1995 said:
The problem with the "best" tire inflator is that it doesn't exist. They wear out as they don't get used, so even going with a "high-end" one means replacing it every couple years. So with that, lean toward cheap and functional, and you'll get what you're looking for.

Here is a $20 inflator on Amazon that's small and has a digital gauge, and uses a 12V barrel connector. If you don't have a 12V "cigarette lighter" socket, you can easily add an SAE to barrel connector and be good to go if you already have a battery tender line installed.
Click to expand...

My CyclePump inflator has a lifetime warranty. I have owned it for at least 15 years and it is still going strong. I don't know how much I paid for it back then but it currently looks like it is selling for around $150, and I would have a hard time justifying buying it at that price point.



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I would recommend the Stop & Go tire plugger kit that uses the 'mushroom' plugs instead of worms
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Nice air pump gitsum. But I'll have to disagree on the plugs. They did not work for me. Hard to install and the plugs dried out sitting in the package. I do still use the bag for my other plug stuff.

And my gummy plug installer of choice:

Home | Nealey Kool Tools

www.nealeytirerepairkit.com www.nealeytirerepairkit.com

I have used it twice and it works good.
 
I have the same compressor that Bruce shows in his post and it is still working great 4 or 5 years after purchase. The battery still holds a good charge, if I remember right it was about $70. I have used it on trips just to check the tires and lent it to riders that needed to top up their tires.
 
I have used the Stop N Go mushroom plugs MANY times without fail. If you follow the instructions, they are fairly easy to install. I added a small needle nose vise grips and side cutter to my kit to help pull the nail/screw/staple/etc out of the tire. I also added a t-handle reamer tool to make reaming the hole for the plugs easier.
I have used my Slime pump many times as well.
 
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