Tire Inflators

Anybody have any recommendations for a tire inflator to keep in my topcase? On other sites most people seem to recommend cyclepump. It's also seems to be the most expensive on the market and though I don't mind spending the extra $$$ just wanted to know if anybody here had any recommendations.

 

I've had my CyclePump from BestRest for 12 years now. Also have the in line gauge. It is never off the bike I'm riding along with my tire plug kit. I keep all these items together is a pouch along with a wash cloth and some handi wipes. I check my tire pressures every other day when traveling and never leave the garage at home without checking tire pressure. So for me the CyclePump is the choice. Even at $100 it has now cost $8 per year and going down each year.

 

For quite a few years I used a $10 Walmart pump and removed it from the case to make it smaller.
Gave it a drop or 2 of oil each year and it worked fine.
A little on the ugly side and you had to be careful how you held it when running.


For a couple years I used a Slime pump. Lists for $30 and works good but bigger than my Walmart special.

Last year I bought a Moto Pump Air Shot from a vendor on ADV.
Smaller than the Slime, about the same size as the Walmart special but slower than the Slime.
It does not overheat.
One nice feature with the Air Shot is you remove the red cap to check the pressure with a tire gauge while you're pumping.





I retired the Walmart pump and carry the Slime pump in my day trip tank bag.
I carry the Air Shot in my trip tank bag.
ADV Air Shot thread http://advrider.com/index.php?threa...ator-with-adv-discount-available-now.1148145/

The pump with the best reputation is the one Darrell mentioned.

 

I use the motopressor pump from nippy normans. Looks like the stripped down Walmart one, comes in a neoprene bag. Added a sticky string plug kit and a pen type pressure guage and small pair of pliers to remove offending nail or screw from the tyre. The whole lot lives under the seat (just) so it is always with me. Very robust pump with 5 year warranty.

 

Hmmmm ... first I have heard about this CyclePump. Looks good and will definitely be a consideration if I am in the market again. I presently have a Stop & Go kit that includes the pump and a whole bunch of plugs etc that also lives on the bike in the infernal top box.

 

Like GG, I also have a Stop & Go kit. Have had it several years and haven't had to use it other than trying the pump when new. It's very compact though.

 

One point you make everyone should consider is when you are going to replace a tire (even if in the dealer parking lot) drill a small hole in the tire releasing the air and practice with the kit you carry. A good example this week riding with a very good friend was when he ran over something that created a hole in the front tire on his K1600GT. I asked him if he had a repair kit and he did but when he pulled out the instruction sheet I asked what he was doing. He said he had never plugged a tire or used the pump. So along side the road we do a tutorial on plugging a tire. Sadly I have plugged 3 rear tires on my RS just in the first 32,000 miles. 5 sets of tires and 3 of the sets had plugged rear tires when pulled off the bike. Never once did it take longer than 20 minutes to get the kit out, repair the tire and get back on the road. So I suggest practice with the plug kit and the pump you carry.

 

I too have had the very low cost Stop and Go for several years now. Sill works fine. (pumps up faster with the engine running). I do strongly recommend getting new pugs every year as they age and "dry" out.

ps since i've had it I had to plug a tire only once!!!

 

Dynaplug also makes a nice small electrical motorcycle tire compressor kit and sells it at a reasonable price. And my recollection is that they claim that it draws less than 5 amps and therefore can be powered from the BMW Can'tBust power port.

 

I've had a few over the years, 1 small one offered by Aerostich, a cheap wallmart item and now have the Cycle Pump version. Cycle Pump is by far the best of the three. It's guaranteed for life and re inflates a flat much quicker than the other two.

 

I use mine periodically to air up my tires, mainly to keep an eye on its continued function.

 

Very good advice indeed. When I had the last rear tire replaced under MOA Radside Assistance I used that opportunity to practice not only my plugging but also my patching from the inside using the Stop & Go patch kit I got. Now I have a tire that has two patches on the inside through holes maybe 3/4" to 1" apart, made by an Allen key. Have no idea of the success of the patch, and will have to wait until I have it mounted when this current rear tire wears out.

 

I carry 45 g CO2 cartridges around town and with a spare plugger in my side panels, and there's an electric pump (stop-n-go) - that has occasionally fallen short of 42 PSI - somewhere in my "tool box" pannier ..., but if I had to choose one reliable form of air delivery, it would be my lightweight bicycle pump.
This one's the Topeak TURBO MORPH™ G mountain bike pump with gauge and 160 PSI/11 Bar capability.

 

I have the Stop n go - a friend has just bought a kit that looks identical except it is orange and RAC branded. RAC is like the AA/AAA/ADAC in the UK. Seems they were a sales flop and are being knocked out on Ebay for a song. Less than half what I paid for the black version. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RAC-12v-C...%3A574d925415d0a860f8d2f5ccfff38755%7Ciid%3A1

 

I saw you one morning in Arkansas pumping up your tire with this devise. I should have felt sorry for you and got out my electric pump but you were having too good a time pumping away and likely hoping no one was watching you. Not sure if you stopped because you were worn out or the tire did reach 42 psi. Kidding of course.

 

Yeah. I wasn't going to mention to Ranette the downside - the Freudian image of a big guy with a small pump.... Is this where we check with Bravo or Wessie on the size of their pumps?

For what it's worth - took the rear from 36 to 45 PSI by the pressure monitor, and you might have seen me letting a little air out at the first gas stop.

If I ever have a flat again..., the CO2 will get the nod - a more rapid inflation, which might better reseat the tire, if necessary.

Meanwhile, our appreciation - leading from the front, you must be picking up all the debris and sparing the rest of us.

(I'm with VtBob on number of flats in recent memory while carrying a Stop-n-go.... Should we be comparing brands of compressors with number of flats they seem to prevent?)

 

Don't want to hijack the thread, but since we are talking tire inflation....I have a question. How accurate are you guys finding your TPS readout when checked against a gauge. I seem to find that my reading on the instrument cluster is a little lower than what I get when check with multiple gauges I would say 2 to 3 PSI lower than the gauges on average. Anyone else checked this?

 

That's OK - you won't. GO HERE - http://r1200rsforums.com/threads/tire-pressure-monitor-system.2981/
and here http://r1200rsforums.com/threads/tyre-pressures.602/
and here http://r1200rsforums.com/threads/tyre-pressure-sensor.2144/
and here http://r1200rsforums.com/threads/a-change-to-psi.1320/

If I recall what the manual says, the pressure is standardized to what the pressure would be at 20 degrees C (about 68 degrees F). If the tire is warmed up on a summer day, the pressure reading from the monitor should be less than what you get with your external piston gauge at the valve. If the tires are cold, the pressure at the valve will be more or less,depending on ambient temperature.... I think I got that right. I seem to recall a pretty long thread on the topic of tire/tyre pressures early on.

 

Thanks for the links Ray. I guess I could have answered my own question with a little reading. I didn't know it was temperature compensated. That explains the difference. I was checking it against the gauges today and it was quite hot. Easily explains the 2 to 3 PSI difference. I also didn't understand why when running hard on a hot day I didn't see much increase in tire pressure. I actually did have more pressure, but the system was temp compensating back to 68, which if I remember correct is the temp used for a "standard" day. We have a lot of informed people here on the forum and willing to share. Thanks again.

 

No problem. The temperature pressure monitors have been a great excuse for me to stop my old practice of measuring cold and hot pressures and then running a calculation for addition of more or less air - which would differ as the day warmed up....
Now I simply watch the monitors, worry less, and ride more.