(Tire) Life is good

[sapest]

Maybe I am the only one who missed this boat -
Have you checked out tire inflators lately?
Not the clunky 12V ones with battery clamps and a mess of wire that only fits the case once.
Instead, check out the post COVID crop of rechargeable battery powered handhelds.
I have used this product, and purchased this product.
I bought the latter because I wanted a screw on rather than clamp on hose connection, and its a little smaller.
Both worked quickly and without a fuss.
Now its simple to inflate a cold tire before you start off from home or elsewhere.
No more feeding coins into a gas station machine that runs out just when you get the second tire valve exposed, or finding every machine you come across is broken.

-Steve

 

[rbentnail]

I've contemplated geting a battery one but I've just not had any luck with electronics stored on the bike. Vibrations have killed my AntiGravity jump pack and several LED flashlights. 2 LED bulbs had to be glued back together in my truck. They still worked but literally just fell apart into pieces. It would be just my luck that when I needed it most it would be dead. I installed a 120V AC outlight right where I park so pumping up with a small 40 yr old Black & Decker is easy enough.

I do recommend slipping one of these under the seat. Angled air chucks that lock on can be a PITA sometimes.

 

[RossKean]

Maybe I am the only one who missed this boat -
Have you checked out tire inflators lately?

I went down a bit of a tire inflator rabbit hole a couple of months ago. I currently carry a 10-year-old "Slime" pump when on a trip - not usually day-to-day. Other than the fact that it is getting old, by biggest beef with it is that it doesn't have a gauge - even a dial type. I hate adding air, checking, adding more, checking, releasing air, checking etc. (I wouldn't mind if it was a bit smaller as well.)

I looked on Amazon, eBay and AliExpress at a bewildering variety of inflators - 12 V running off the bike battery, Lithium battery powered and even a couple of dual-power units. I attempted to make up a decision matrix and failed - so ended out postponing the decision - the Slime is OK for now.

The battery powered units are necessarily a bit larger and heavier to accommodate the battery (all else being equal). (At least you don't have a 10-15' power cord to store.) I am concerned that the battery capacity may not be sufficient or that capacity may diminish over time resulting in a "brick" that cannot be practically restored. Not a big deal to plug a corded inflator into a readily accessible SAE plug but I haven't ruled the the battery operated ones out. Dual-power are interesting although you have a separate power cord to manage... Note: If not plugging a 12V inflator into a SUV power socket and using it to inflate those wheels, it may be worth cutting out a chunk of the stock power cord.

I must have looked at 50 or more different units in some detail and read HUNDREDS of reviews. I compared size, weight, shape (storage consideration), gauge types, display, chuck type, features (auto shutoff, data storage). And cost, of course. Auto shutoff upon reaching target pressure is a nice feature to have until it doesn't work! A big deal for some is inflation speed and total capacity - especially capacity for the battery-powered units. While I use one of these mostly for my bike, I also use it to top-off car tires. Conceivably, I would want to be able use it to inflate a car tire from flat. I wouldn't want to run out of juice halfway, take 20 minutes to fill a tire or have to stop to let the unit cool several times. Unfortunately, you have to rely upon the seller's claims for the performance data - product reviews and customer feedback are sometimes a help.

A suggestion to anyone who has an inflator - USE IT FROM TIME-TO-TIME! Sitting on a shelf (or under your bike seat), you may never know if it will work for you until it is too late. Electro-mechanical stuff benefits from regular use although piston seals and the like do wear out eventually.

 

[harper]

I use an AeroStich mini compressor Niehart told me about that I modified to make more robust.

https://www.fjrforum.com/threads/aerostich-pump-with-proper-switch-and-strain-relief.167091/
I used it several times trying to fix an unusual puncture on the way home from the WCG recently. Archer and I tried three times with five strings to repair what turned out to be a tear rather than a puncture on my rear tire. Over a period of a couple hours we inflated the rear tire from flat to 42 psig with this pump several times. With the modifications it was never too hot to handle. It is connected to a dual purpose pigtail for compressor or battery tender that is fused to 15A that I installed with audiowize. With the engine running there is no threat of draining the battery.

 

[Archer]

Bottom line, with the modification, I'm confident that the compressor will work when needed and is substantially more robust than before.

Will attest to its' performance when needed three times in two hours just to get us down the mountains and into a tire swap garage in Kelso WA! Fun stuff.

 

[mophead]

This is what you need. Fits under the seat and works like a champ.

 

[RossKean]

View attachment 5112
This is what you need. Fits under the seat and works like a champ.

Nice, but I am not inclined to spend close to $200 for a tire inflator - especially one where the (analog) gauge is extra.
Lifetime warranty, yes. But you still have to ship it to them for repairs along with $20 for "processing" and return shipment. So a "free" warranty claim might cost you $40 and however much time it takes them to turn it around.

Not saying that it isn't a great pump, just that there are far less expensive options that will meet my needs.

 

[JQL]

I've been carrying an Oasser battery tyre pump on both my bikes for years.

On my commuter bike, I would check and top up my tyre pressures with it every day when commuting (5 days a week) and it survived about 100,000 miles in a pannier before giving up the ghost (stopped charging). It was used to inflate my tyres after a number of punctures. It could, and did, inflate a rear motorcycle tyre from flat 3 times in one day before I got to the garage to change the tyre.

Oasser used to do a smaller pump, now sadly discontinued, which was small enough to fit under the seat on my FJR. Over the last 4 years it has been used to check and top up the tyre pressure. It gets used about once or twice a week.


They can be charged via the vehicle 12v socket or mains household electricity.

I would gladly recommend Oasser tyre pumps to anyone for both car and motorcycle use. They have served me extremely well in a rough environment.

 

[torch]

Buy the smallest cheap 12v pump with a guage you can find, cut the 15' cord off to about 6', and splice in an SAE plug (or whatever plug your battery tender inlet uses). You can make it even smaller by cutting it open and discarding the plastic shell. Don't use it for car tires, they get too hot and wear out quickly when run for long periods but they are fine for topping off a motorcycle tire.

Just my 2¢.

 

[raesewell]

https://desertfox.bike/desert-fox-motorcycle-mini-compressor/
Not the smallest but very powerful, enough to seat the bead. Pumps up a rear tyre for zero to 42psi in three minutes, pumps up a front tyre in 90 seconds.

 

[RossKean]

Buy the smallest cheap 12v pump with a guage you can find, cut the 15' cord off to about 6', and splice in an SAE plug (or whatever plug your battery tender inlet uses). You can make it even smaller by cutting it open and discarding the plastic shell. Don't use it for car tires, they get too hot and wear out quickly when run for long periods but they are fine for topping off a motorcycle tire.

Just my 2¢.

Probably as good an approach as anything - at least for an emergency pump that is going to live on the bike. I would recommend that (especially for a cheap unit) it should be initially tested in the comfort of your garage to make sure that it works properly and can readily attain a target pressure of 42+ psi from flat. I would also test it at least a couple of times per year - not a bad idea to use it to "adjust" pressures on a regular basis so you KNOW it will work when needed. The "exercise" will distribute lubricants and evaporate condensed moisture which might initiate corrosion. Regular (light) use will give you a good idea if the pump is on its way out - i.e. slow to attain pressure, leaky chuck, running hot, excessive noise etc.

 

[RossKean]

Oasser used to do a smaller pump, now sadly discontinued, which was small enough to fit under the seat on my FJR.

FWIW, Oasser lists three compact battery operated pumps on Amazon.ca (including the one you linked).
Two of them are dual power so not a disaster if the battery dies (can still run off bike battery).
Oasser - 1
Oasser - 2
Oasser - 3

 

[mophead]

Nice, but I am not inclined to spend close to $200 for a tire inflator - especially one where the (analog) gauge is extra.
Lifetime warranty, yes. But you still have to ship it to them for repairs along with $20 for "processing" and return shipment. So a "free" warranty claim might cost you $40 and however much time it takes them to turn it around.

Not saying that it isn't a great pump, just that there are far less expensive options that will meet my needs.

I have two of these that I have had for a long time. Pretty sure I paid $85 each. Did not realize they are now $150 and up. CyclePump does an excellent job but have to agree there is probably less expensive pumps that will do the job. Whatever you get just be sure the wire and fuse size are adequate. I have 15 amp fuses in my wiring and never blown one yet.

 

[JQL]

FWIW, Oasser lists three compact battery operated pumps on Amazon.ca (including the one you linked).
Two of them are dual power so not a disaster if the battery dies (can still run off bike battery).
Oasser - 1
Oasser - 2
Oasser - 3

I use the third one you listed. The Second one looks like the hose could be a bit short. The first one looks ideal, it may even fit under the seat. For some reason they are not listed on my Amazon site!

The prices in Canada seem a lot higher...

 

[Ciscoz]

FWIW, Oasser lists three compact battery operated pumps on Amazon.ca (including the one you linked).
Two of them are dual power so not a disaster if the battery dies (can still run off bike battery).
Oasser - 1
Oasser - 2
Oasser - 3

Thanks for this discussion JQL and RossKean. I just ordered the smallest size Oasser from Amazon.ca, along with a hose extension that offers 24" of extra length, and a quick attach/detach end. The main criticism of the smallest Oasser was the hose length, and from some users, the screw-on hose end. I already have a heavy duty portable air compressor for RV and Truck use I purchased from Harbor Freight that requires hooking directly to the battery due to the amperage load, but that one is far too big for Motorcycle use, and I hate the inconvenience of the screw-on hose end. This little Oasser will complement that big Harbor Freight model on the RV trips, and also be my go-to for motorcycle trips now. Until now I've simply packed a manual mini bicycle air pump for my trips, which works, but takes forever to add any significant amount of air. This Oasser looks like it will replace the manual pump perfectly, and take no more space. I looked at the other Oasser models, but found them larger in size, so were heavier, and may pump quicker, but for my bike trips I'm in no big rush if I need to air up my tires, I simply want reliability and this little model gets mostly great reviews. This one appears to be the smallest physical size model, but has the middle sized battery at 4000mAh (vs 2000mAh for the flashlight shaped one, and 6000mAh for the largest model). The extension hose I'm buying will work with both the little Oasser and any other compressor with a standard tire valve thread, so will allow me to use it with my larger HF model too. Price for this Oasser is currently only $40, but one reviewer said it used to be $69, so good time to buy one if you're looking. The hose extensions can be had for as little as $8, but the one I went with was a little longer, and comes with a second direct conversion attachment from threaded end to quick attach for $17. Here are the Amazon links if anyone is interested:

Oasser Inflator $40
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BSLD62GS?psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_ct_S1F1CTF13FA6ZYM8738S

Extension Hose $18
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BJQHX19F?psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_ct_S1F1CTF13FA6ZYM8738S

 

[RossKean]

I just ordered the smallest size Oasser from Amazon.ca, along with a hose extension that offers 24" of extra length, and a quick attach/detach end.

Let us know how it works out. This, and similar models with dual power capability are of interest to me as long as they remain reasonably compact.