With one of my goals this year being longer, more frequent trips, I’ve started acquiring some additional gear to fill in the gaps in my standard trip payload. There’s a good chance at least some of my travels will be riding solo, so I figured I ought to have a tire repair kit of some kind since flat tires are one of the most common mechanical mishaps that can befall a rider. My friend Forrest tipped me off to the Slime Power Sport Tire Inflator.
I acquired my Slime tire inflator at Autozone in exchange for $35. This mini marvel measures a mere 6 inches by 6 inches when packed inside its case. Here’s what the case looks like when opened:
Very neat, yes? The compressor itself is quite small: 4 inches by 3.5 inches. An instruction manual rests underneath the compressor, and a pocket-sized tire pressure gauge was tucked into one of the edges. The clear vinyl bag is stuffed full of goodies. I unpacked everything and took a photo so you can see the entire kit’s contents:
In addition to the compressor and tire gauge, the bag contains an air hose, an 8 foot long power cable, and three power connections: alligator clips, cigarette lighter, and ring terminal. Using the inflator is as simple as attaching the air hose to the compressor, hooking up the power cable, and attaching the right power connector to the end. The alligator clips will probably be the easiest option for use on my SV650.
I had a feeling that it was going to be tough getting everything back into that clear bag, but somehow I made it work. Consider it a puzzle. Or, if you know exactly what kind of connector you need and don’t want to feel like carrying the Swiss Army Knife of tire inflators, you can leave some of the bits at home and make more room that way.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have anything that needed to be immediately inflated, so aside from briefly turning the compressor on to make sure it worked, I haven’t gotten a chance to try it out yet. If fortune finds me on the side of the road with a flat tire, y’all will be the first to know how things turned out.
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
looks like a nifty unit, except I already have a few of those small 12v compressors. I also have an SV650n and you have to remove the side cover to gain access to the battery, much easier to install one of those "connectors", which can also be used for a battery maintainer, or heated vest.
Like yourself, I have never used a tire patch kit. I purchased the Stop'Ngo mushroom type, and now I read that nobody likes them, so now I have those wirey/wire plugs so I'm all set. Only thing to do now is get someone to show me how to use it, or use it under field conditions for the 1st time
I've successfully used the StopNGo style plugs- in fact, I've used them while north of the Arctic Circle. Make sure to practice- just drill a hole in your tire and see if you can fix it. A good time to do this is right before changing your tires
I've had lots of practice so I don't mind taking off the seat to get to the battery. I'm not a fan of loose connectors dangling hither and yon so the alligator clips will be easiest for me.
So are you carrying some sort of tire plug/repair kit? What about a gauge to know your air pressure?
Hate to say it, but RTFM!
heh. I missed the "pocket-sized tire pressure gauge". Still don't see anything about the patch kit.
Patch kit is next on the list. I also need to practice since I know how to patch in theory but haven't actually done it yet.
Powerlet is nice if you end up doing it a lot, and you can also use whatever connector you need for a heated vest (such as SAE).
I end up with a lot of Powerlet jacks on the bike- for the compressor, radar, inverter, two heated vests, etc.. but on my "simple" bike I just have one SAE plug sticking out that I use on a battery charger and for the compressor.
Nothing to inflate? Your motorcycle has two tires. Let the air out of one.
Now you have something to inflate.
You read my mind. Ride some place with air so in case this little guy isn't up to the job you can still get your tire aired back up.
fasthair
I'll let air out of all four tires on the car before I do something like that to my bike.
Well, that'd be an even better test, wouldn't it?
I take one of these with me on any longer trip. Luckily haven't needed to use it to fix a flat yet (along with a bottle of Slime and a patch kit) but it's very useful for keeping tires at the correct pressure, even in the garage.
The gauge exploded the second time I used it though. Good thing it was pointed the other direction.
I'll have to keep that in mind when I try out the gauge. Thankfully, I already have a better quality one.