Slime Portable Tire Inflator

I'm sure portable tire inflators are staples in many garages and trunks here, but somehow I made it through 65 years without knowing about them.

Great product! I bought this Slime brand inflator for $24.95 at my local auto parts store (also at Target, etc.). With the heat of South Florida, I lose a couple pounds of pressure every month. This makes it a breeze to check and fill.

Plug into a power socket/cigarette lighter (another reason I'm glad I installed one in the left cubby). Screw on the valve and get the psi reading, then push the green button to add air. Even has a handy light on the side. Highly recommended.

Remember these things can be great....until you kill the battery.....SilverWing cannot be bump/push started and there is no kick starter-----I know long trip in Maine, I used my electric pump, killed battery, had to get jump starts to get home----these modern batteries cannot be restored, I bought new OEM battery when I got home to TN----Aerostich sells some nice hand pumps! I carry one.

I doubt having engine running during pump use really matters.

I could not find a small enough portable air pump that did not overheat while airing up a completely flat tire. I tried one from HF, but it heated up after six minutes and shutdown. I returned it and was looking at the Slime pump at Walmart, but all the Walmarts in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho were out of the Slime air pump I was looking for. I have an air pump here in Hawaii that I have not used and may take it to Idaho when I return in March next year.

"it heated up after six minutes and shutdown."

Slime (this one) claims flat-to-full car tire in 8 minutes. I have only used it to top off tires. Gets a little warm after 4 car tires, but not hot. I love the convenience. I have been schlepping to gas stations my entire life to put air in tires. No more!

I use a 12 volt pump as a aide... I have actual 120 volt compressors at both my places so majority of my filling is done with those. The portable is for light work, I can't imagine using it to bring up a FLAT tire. But perhaps it will work for that. Sadly a lot of automobile manufacturers (Hyundai for one) no longer provide a spare tire, just Slime and a 12 volt pump. Not sure I would want to drive the Al-Can Highway with that!

I've found the ideal tool for tyre inflation is a cycle track pump. It beats foot pumps, 12v compressors, those rechargeable Airman compressors, and small hand held cycle pumps by a mile. I can pump up a completely flat tyre that's had the valve stem removed to add puncture sealant back up to the recommended pressure in less than a couple of minutes, and that's allowing for pressure checks.

The only disadvantage to a track pump is that they're about 2 feet long and not really convenient to carry on the scooter. But if you regularly check tyre pressures at home and the sealant in the tyres is doing the job there's no need to.

I have the same compressor as Delray. It works very well. I usually air up and adjust pressure with the big compressor in my garage but the little one can be useful. I also carry a package of those plastic screw in tire plugs, you just screw them into the hole until it's flush, snap off the handle and it's done. I've used them on one of my bikes as well as on my brother's bike. Held air pressure very well until we could find a bike shop for more permanent inside repair. If I have any puncture in a front tire I just replace the tire.

"those plastic screw in tire plugs,"

I'm guessing this is not the product name? (although it would be a catchy one). What are they called? This sounds like something I want under the seat.

My Wing mechanic says it's good to over-inflate tires, within the specs of the tire, of course. He says that makes them run cooler, which may be a concession to our white hot roads in the summer. I keep my Metzler Feel Free's at 31/35 (Honda spec is 29/33).

They are "Victor Plug and Go". They work well for a quick repair on a road trip I plugged a nail hole in my brother's bike. It held fine for two hundred miles until he could get it to a bike shop for a more permanent fix.

You just pull the nail or whatever out of the tire and screw in one of these and break off the handle. That's it.
https://www.amazon.com/Victor-22-5-60204-8-Plug-Tire-Repair/dp/B00CRCQFPS?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-ffab-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00CRCQFPS

"They are "Victor Plug and Go"

Thanks.

Still think "Those Plastic Screw in Tire Plugs" would have been a better name.

I have the same Slime tire inflator. Luckily have not had the chance to use it (yes, I knocked on the wood coffee table just now!). But on long rides I carry a Zefal 2 way mini pump from my road bike riding days. And being old school I like those messy snake type tire plugs. As long as its between the treads on the tire I'll plug it and ride on. I did get a flat on my ebike recently. I patched the holes at work and went to pump it up. Its a unregulated air line and BOOM!, the tube explodes covering me in green Slime! Cleaned up the neon green splats and walked to Wally World and bought a new extra thick tube! Ears rang all day from the explosion! I hate the dreaded "F" word called flats!

One good thing about a bicycle pump is that it won't burn out. The operator does. In a previous century when I was a teenager I was riding my bicycle out to my job at the Edwards commissary when I found a woman stopped on the road with a flat tire. She didn't know how to change it so I volunteered (anyone who volunteers didn't understand the question) to change her tire. All went well until I got the spare on and discovered it was barely inflated enough to keep the rim ff the ground. I took the pump off my bike and started pumping to get enough air in the tire so she could go to the service station about five miles away. It was one of the most tiring things I've ever done. Has anyone ever tried to inflate a car tire with a bike pump? In a word, DON'T. It took over half an hour, switching my hands around on the pump to ease cramping, but I got 15lbs into that damnable tire and she drove away to the gas station.

BTW if you use a 12v pump connected to your battery, be sure to keep the engine idling and run it up now and then if the pump is putting a lot of air in the tire. One thing for sure, you can't push start a Silver Wing, like you can with a motorcycle.

exavid wrote:

One good thing about a bicycle pump is that it won't burn out. The operator does. In a previous century when I was a teenager I was riding my bicycle out to my job at the Edwards commissary when I found a woman stopped on the road with a flat tire. She didn't know how to change it so I volunteered (anyone who volunteers didn't understand the question) to change her tire. All went well until I got the spare on and discovered it was barely inflated enough to keep the rim ff the ground. I took the pump off my bike and started pumping to get enough air in the tire so she could go to the service station about five miles away. It was one of the most tiring things I've ever done. Has anyone ever tried to inflate a car tire with a bike pump? In a word, DON'T. It took over half an hour, switching my hands around on the pump to ease cramping, but I got 15lbs into that damnable tire and she drove away to the gas station.

"No good deed goes unpunished."

That one didn't.

While topping off my van tires the 12v pump overheated and blew out the hose.

HF was out and so was rural king, so I went to Wallyworld .... and they had a hand pump in the automotive section that was about 3 inches in diameter and about 18 inches overall.
I decided to give it a try, it was less than ten bucks...
Will pump the tire to 30psi in relatively short order and it fits under the seat.
No dead battery!

Having an onboard air compressor with PSI readout was one of the nicer things the Goldwing had. I miss that.

I do miss the TPMS system on the BMW C650GT though. It would be especially nice with the Silver Wing's difficult to reach rear tire stem. It's single sided swing arm was nice too. But a belt change and just about any work other than on a tire was more bother than it is on the SW.

BTW what side is the stem supposed to point at? Mine is aimed at  the right. The tire is set on to rotate the proper way but it seems that it would have made more sense to have the stem point to the left side. The way it is I'll have to put the bike on the lift to get at it. Meant to do it the other day when I had it up. It's the usual old age problem, memory leaks.

Delray wrote:

"those plastic screw in tire plugs,"


My Wing mechanic says it's good to over-inflate tires, within the specs of the tire, of course. He says that makes them run cooler, which may be a concession to our white hot roads in the summer. I keep my Metzler Feel Free's at 31/35 (Honda spec is 29/33).

I'll never understand why these "experts" think they know more about tyre pressures, brake pads, you name it than the multi billion pound research developed manufacturer of the bike does.

If this manufacturer gives you a tyre pressure, then that is what you should use.
I'm as much into experimenting as anyone else, but the whole point of trying different things is that you have a solid datum to go back to. When these bikes were developed Honda spent a lot of time and money developing the bike suspension to work in tandem with tyres set at a certain pressure.

As far as I am aware, it takes more "effort" to deflect an over pressured tyre than it does a properly inflated tyre. This extra effort either heats the tyre up more, or transmits that effort to the suspension which will heat up quicker. You don't gain anything from going over what the manufacturer specifies. Do you put more oil in the engine because you don't think the manufacturer knew what he was doing when he designed the dip stick?

Well. Same thing.
Your "mechanic" is an idiot.

Tire pressure changes depending on the road temperature. I've seen 6-10 lbs increase here in Hawaii. I can only imagine other areas where temperatures are above 100F. So starting with a little above/below spec shouldn't matter much. Delray's 2 lbs over spec should not matter. My 2¢.

No mate, tyre pressures change with ambient air temperature. That's why the best time to check is when the tyres are cold, preferably after being left overnight and before the day warms up. I can check one side of our car that has had morning sun on it and those tyres will have higher pressures than the ones still in the shade.

My scooter parked up out of the sun in the garage with cold tyres will be at the Handbook front and rear recommended pressures, or maybe minus a couple of lbs of pressure. Then I can easily pump them up again, the added bonus with a Forza there's no crawling about on the floor to do these checks.

Obviously driving or riding any motor vehicle will generate heat in the tyres too, that's why it's not a good idea to drive to a service station to check or inflate your tyres, and the pressure gauges there are about as reliable as the Rythmn Method.

"Do you put more oil in the engine because you don't think the manufacturer knew what he was doing when he designed the dip stick? Well. Same thing. Your "mechanic" is an idiot."

Um, how can I say this nicely? I think your analogy needs some work.

My mechanic lives where i live, where it's reliably 90/80 degrees for 4 to 6 months. Cooler tires are advantageous. I inflate mine to the max spec'd on the tire and don't ride for hours where they could heat up and get overpressurized. I also like the improved ride I get.

"Our expert at Goodyear says you may safely inflate your tires up to the maximum pressure molded into the tire's sidewall. You will get slightly better fuel economy, crisper cornering and better handling should you need it in an evasive maneuver. The tires also will run cooler."

Article the quote is from: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-07-24-9707240172-story.html

Inflating tires to max pressure stated in sidewall gives you lumber wagon ride. Honda put some research into what pressures work best. Why shake your bike apart?

Delray wrote:

Cooler tires are advantageous. I inflate mine to the max spec'd on the tire and don't ride for hours where they could heat up and get overpressurized. I also like the improved ride I get.

You're worrying about over pressurised tyres in Florida! So what do you do if you have do a long journey that might take a few hours or the best part of a day?

In far hotter countries like those in the Middle East, Africa, India, and South East Asia, where a motorcycle or scooter may be the only form of transport, they just get on with riding as normal. I doubt very much if anyone is bricking it worrying about over pressurised tyres.

"You're worrying about over pressurised tyres in Florida! So what do you do if you have do a long journey that might take a few hours or the best part of a day?"

"Worrying" is your assumption, and an incorrect one. I simply stated I don't ride for hours when they could heat up (summer days, in direct sun, a riding state that produces nearly as much discomfort for me as a downpour). I should have clarified that.

If I am traveling hundreds of miles in the summer, I ride at night and in the wee hours. Nothing to do with tire pressure. From June to mid-September it is almost always "91/"feels like 106" with high humidity during the day. Unless there is cloud cover (so rare in these parts it is a refreshing change), I do short runs or take my Prius.

The only time I've ever worried about the state of my tyres was one day in April last year. I had to ride from the P&O Ferry Terminal in Belgium, to the town of Bad Lauterberg, in the Harz Mountains of Lower Saxony in Germany. The weather was in the mid 80's F, and about 320 of the 361 miles I rode that day was on autobahn.

I wasn't particularly concerned about the distance as I've been to Bad Lauterberg before on variety of maxi scooters from 250cc to 650cc, with and without a passenger.

The issue was the all season Continental ContiMove 365 tyres I had on. They were really good grippy tyres for normal all weather riding back at home, but when I inspected them at late afternoon fuel stop they were quite warm and the rear tyre seemed to have worn down considerably.

I was concerned about this, but really there was no need to, as the wear rate didn't appear to get any worse. I enjoyed riding all my favourite Harz roads, I rode the very twisty  Kyffhäuser road both ways one day, and I certainly wouldn’t have done it on dodgy tyres, and went back for a visit to the old walled town of  Mühlhausen where I'd stayed a few years earlier and toured on the Silver Wing.

I still had those Conti tyres on when I sold the Silver Wing and bought my Forza almost a year ago.

That scooter is fitted with Pirelli Diablo tyres and I think they're the best tyres I've ever had on a maxi scooter.

Back in the late 50's I had a scooter (Cushman) that I rode year 'round at Edwards AFB which is located in the Mojave Desert. I aired 'em up to the recommended setting and kept them there during the below freezing days in the winter to the 115F days in the summer. I've done the same with all vehicles I've owned. The recommended tire pressures on the manufacturer's sticker is designed to cover all the North American temperature range. Very unlikely you might get any serious "over pressure" problems. Running any tire on the low side does cause the tire to heat more because of the increased flexing of the sidewalls which generates heat by friction.

I've seen it more than once with boat trailers. When towing boats I've owned. I keep a compressor and my remote reading temperature gauge in the car or truck when hauling a load. That enables you to spot a hot wheel bearing without having to touch it. Useful for anything that has wheel bearings you'll know if the grease in the bearing is in bad shape by the hub temperature rise. Virtually no one I know bothers to check their front wheel temps on a bike or scooter for unusual heat. Brave folks.

General rule for tire pressures every 10° rise in temp. increases pressure 1 PSI. 60° in AM 90° later tire pressure rises 3PSI. That doesn't account for hot roads, load so it could get higher.

I always carry a small pump similar to Slime type but I remove case strip it down to just the internal parts much easier to pack. Don't get fingers caught in gears.!!!!! Don't like screw on type connector CLIP on ones work better loose less air connecting.