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25 Oct 2021
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Oxford UK
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Homers GSA
Just for giggles, can anyone here remember the air inflator that was a long hose with an air fitting on one end, and a spark plug thread on the other.
Unscrew a spark plug, start the car and it pumps the tire up.
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What were they called? A Schrader valve or something like that. Had one back in the 70's. As you say, not much use on a single but it worked well enough on multi cylinder engines with normal sized plugs - ie cars! Most of the Japanese bikes we all rode back then had smaller plugs that it wouldn't fit.
Biggest worry was that you'd be filling your tyre with petrol vapour rather than air. The manufacturers said no, everyone else said yes. I had no idea but I do remember making sure nobody was smoking nearby when we were checking tyre pressures!
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26 Oct 2021
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Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Denmark
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ouroboros2015
I've read too many reviews for mini air compressors and always end up being put off by the small number of negative reviews: "it failed after one use"; "it takes 30 minutes to inflate the tyre"; "it made me bald" etc (OK, maybe not the last one).
So anybody here who can suggest a compact, robust, reliable tyre inflator in the UK?
Cheers 
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I am not an expert, but here is my experience:
3500m above sea level, (North Pakistan) 2 pc compressor dead, at the same time, incl. the AnTyx shows. Maybe because the thin air?
Not funny.
I now carry, 3 pcs co2 cartridge, and the cheap one, Toyark links to.
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26 Oct 2021
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I have the motopumps.com version, and am well impressed with it. Small and quick to inflate. I ALSO carry 2 of the LARGE 45gm CO2 cartridges in case the bead is broken and needs re-seating (on tubeless - on tube type the pump will do fine).
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Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com
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28 Oct 2021
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Join Date: Jul 2012
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pan
I am not an expert, but here is my experience:
3500m above sea level, (North Pakistan) 2 pc compressor dead, at the same time, incl. the AnTyx shows. Maybe because the thin air?
Not funny.
I now carry, 3 pcs co2 cartridge, and the cheap one, Toyark links to.
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I've had similar experiences with 12V compressors. They all died from overheating while trying to set the bead after a puncture repair. My weapon of choice now is a biker's dream foot pump. It's simple and works reliably. And with the high volume / high pressure toggle the effort required of doing it manually (pedially?) is limited.
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29 Oct 2021
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My KTM 790 has two small storage compartments, one each side. In one I carry Stop 'n' Go tubeless repair kit, in the other I carry the smallest electric pump I could find which is from Rocky Creek Designs.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016MA2KHC/horizonsunlimi0a
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2 Nov 2021
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Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Esperance, Western Australia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by backofbeyond
What were they called? A Schrader valve or something like that. Had one back in the 70's. As you say, not much use on a single but it worked well enough on multi cylinder engines with normal sized plugs - ie cars! Most of the Japanese bikes we all rode back then had smaller plugs that it wouldn't fit.
Biggest worry was that you'd be filling your tyre with petrol vapour rather than air. The manufacturers said no, everyone else said yes. I had no idea but I do remember making sure nobody was smoking nearby when we were checking tyre pressures!
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I was once told Schrader pumps didn't use the compressed gas from the engine's cylinder as I recall, they used the cylinder pressure to drive a separate pump piston in the pump body.
Not too sure if this is true though.
What is true is that they were pretty useless.
Ted Simon set out with one, but there was never any mention in Jupiter's of him actually using it.
I had one in the late 70's and found that the hand pump that used to be supplied with BMW's, back in the day when they were made by Bavarians who prided their national product, was much quicker.
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2 Nov 2021
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That was the 'official' line, that the pumping cylinder didn't pull in fuel during its induction stroke and just pumped air, but 70's Facebook forums (your biker mates in the pub basically  ) thought otherwise. I can't say I ever remember sniffing the tyre valve to check but we did use one a few times on mini bus / van trips until it fell apart. It was a bit slow but it did work.
The Japanese used to supply hand pumps with some of their early bikes - mainly 60's stuff but I do remember a couple of early 70's Suzukis coming with them. The frame on my 1970 Yamaha 250 has the lugs for a pump but they stopped including the actual pump with the previous model. Whenever I look at that part of the frame I wonder about how much job satisfaction some Japanese welder got knowing that his day was spent doing something completely pointless.
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