For the handful of Motorcycle Masochists who ride prepared to do tire work on the roadside, inflation has always been a bulky challenge. I've gone as far as removing a compressor from its plastic box in order to reduce the space it required to carry along. Doing so comes with risks of burns and exposure to moving parts that OSHA would never approve of. Recently while in Leakey I used my Frankenflator and the exposed gear came in contact with some plastic on the bike while it was running and I soon found how it doubles as a lousy, but effective, grinding tool.
Thus, the seed was planted that resulted in a grand scheme. One where I would conjour up an acceptably small enclosure for it of my own design.
Fortunately, before embarking upon that project, I had the foresight to see if the Amazonians may have already introduced an inflator that could save me countless hours in the shop. This rare moment of wisdom on my part paid off, as I found this among the search results.
Dimensions are ~7" long and 2.2" in diameter. It is battery powered and will also run on 12V with included accessory cable.
It will read the current pressure, offers a setting for auto-stop inflation, includes a meager LED flashlight, and it can be used to charge other devices.
There is a storage hole for tidy management of the hose to protect threads and o-ring when not deployed for operation.
It isn't rated for continuous use, so inflating larger items like a camping mattress, pool floatie, or truck tire are out. It should work as well for bicycle, car, and motorcycle tires as my current rig does, without the added feature of further modifying the finish of the Tiger's plastic chain guard, as recently happened with the Frankenflator.
Those
Amazonians offer this jewel for about 50 bucks, which, if it only served as an inflator, would be a little steep for my Germanic, wallet-clutching, penny-pinching soul to consider. However,
- It can also replace a flashlight I carry, further increasing storage space.
- The cordless operation (if I will remember to keep it charged) is another bonus, making those pre-ride tire checks simple. Just connect it to the tire to see the current pressure readout, and press a button to add air if needed.
- The ability to recharge my phone, Sena BT, and other similar devices is handy, and could offer extended use options should circumstances dictate the need.
- It is sleek, small, and easier to store than most of the other offerings.
- It has 12V power redundancy (something many similar products did not have) so it will work off of bike power if its battery is discharged.
The value gained by this modern wonder has overwhelmed my payment-aversion mechanisms that were evolved over millennia. Once it sank in how this device relieves me of the engineering chore of cobbling my existing solution into something that wouldn't nearly be as nice, compact, nor as utilitarian (likely doing so multiple times, per experience with similar efforts) quickly catapulted my mouse-clicking finger into pressing the BUY button.
Once I recovered from the whirlwind of mental fatigue experienced as this battle raged inside I thought it best to share with those of y'all who may be similarly afflicted.