Finding out you have a flat tire while riding sucks!
Not having a way to put air back in your tires sucks even more.
It happened to me a while ago, I felt there was something wrong with the bike. I was able to pull safely to the side that day.
It is especially infuriating when you realize that it might only be a slow leak.
In that case, you could get away limping back home or a nearby shop to repair the bike.
If only you had a way to put air back in your tire.
Best Portable Mini Air Compressor for Motorcycles Tires
One of the best available solutions for filling up air in motorcycle tires in any situation is to use the Stop & Go RPC Portable mini-air Compressor.
This is my personal unit, and so far, I only have good things to say since I got it.
You can get the pump for around 40$.
Money well invested here by buying this item if you ask me. A towing will cost you way more than that.
I did some tests and this unit will fill up a completely flat motorcycle tire in about 4 to 6 minutes.
If you run tubeless motorcycle tires, Add 20$ for a tubeless tire patch kit and you are golden.
This kit fits nicely in my saddlebag, and I know it will fit in the compartment under the seat of many motorcycles.
This compressor comes with convenient alligator clamps to connect to your motorcycle battery or any other 12 Volt such as a car battery.
You can bypass the ”getting to your battery step” if you already have an SAE connector installed and linked to your bike electrical system.
Just plug in the compressor, and voila!
You can also use the provided 12-volt plug cable if you have a 12-volt socket available.
Side note,
Based on the review I read on this compressor, the gauge has a tendency to be problematic. Ethier, it will give a false reading over usage or it could fail plain and simple.
For redundancy purposes, carry a small pen gauge to take tire pressure readings.
Although they are not the most reliable for precision they will do the trick in a pinch. Also, there ain’t really a reason not to have one since a pen gauge cost next to nothing.
What This Small Motorcycle Pump Did for Me so Far
Since I got it three years ago, this mini compressor got me out of a jam once, and I could help two more bikers in trouble.
Plus, I was able to put a car back on the road with it.
I made my good deed of a biker to a car driver that day 🙂
Yet I don’t recommend that you use it for that purpose.
The reason is that a small compressor unit will heat up quite rapidly the longer it works.
It could be problematic in hot weather conditions.
Since filling up a car tire can take up to 10 minutes, damage due to overheating can be an issue.
Also, keep in mind that the electrical cable of the pump is only 5 feet long.
This is not enough for most cars to plug the pump into the battery under the hood and reach the back tires of the car.
The solution would be to take off the wheel. Then bring the tire to the front of the vehicle to be inflated.
It took a long time to fill the car tire of that lady XD. It was so hot outside that day, I had to let the compressor cool by giving it some breaks from time to time.
Still, it did what it is supposed to do.
If you are interested, you can get your Stop & Go Mini Compressor Here.
Experimentations I Did with This Mini Compressor
I was curious to actually put a timer between the two ways I have to inflate my bike tire.
Mini-air compressor VS Manual air hand pump which one is quicker?
I did a little contest, to find out.
I had to use my car battery since I had already taken away the one from the bike for winter.
So I emptied my rear bike tire of any air and I used the mini-compressor first.
It filled the tire back up to the recommended 29psi in 3minutes and 45 seconds.
Mind you, this motorcycle is small and so is its tire size. So for beefier tires, add a minute or two give or take.
Next up I emptied my tire again and plugged in my small bicycle hand pump.
Let the pumping begin.
I was very surprised when I finished pumping 29psi into that tube. At a steady but smooth pace, I thought for sure it would take longer.
I did it in 3 minutes and 43 seconds.
Interesting. It is almost the same as the 3:45 of the mini-compressor.
I conveniently had my car’s summer tire in the trunk since I just changed my set
So I took the opportunity to experiment further.
Same as before on an empty tire. I let the pump run until it reach the recommended pressures.
At 33psi, the mini compressor did it in 8 minutes
And for you clowns who will point out that I am missing filling the car tire with a hand pump, keep dreaming.
I am not doing it, I am too lazy for that 🙂
Portable Manual Air Hand Pump for Motorcycle
Even when carrying a mini-compressor, it is recommended to get a small hand pump in case the compressor fails. A durable and portable air pump designed for bicycles can also get a motorcyclist out of a jam.
I will be honest, I mostly carry a mini electric compressor on my motorcycle because I am a lazy bastard XD.
But I am also paranoid and I like redundancy. So I still carry a small hand pump in case the compressor hits the dust.
If you need to fill up your motorcycle tire with a tiny hand pump, be prepared to be patient. Pumping with this thing get old very quickly.
You could also put a minimal amount of psi in your tire. Then ride to the nearest gas station with a compressor and use it to finish the job.
If that is your plan, remember to ride slowly until the tire is properly inflated.
You can check out the bicycle pump I use by clicking here.
Since my manual air pump is tube-shaped and small, there are many places I can put it on my motorcycle to carry around.
In my case, I got it attached to the bike with heavy-duty wrap-ties beside my rear tire and attached to my swing arm.
It is also wrapped up in a rolled-up plastic bag to avoid damage from water, gravel, and other road debris.
It is there if I need it if my compressor fails.
Battery Operated Portable Air Compressor for Motorcycle Tire
There are USB rechargeable battery-operated types of portable air compressors. They make an interesting solution to filling your motorcycle tire with air.
This is the kind of item I am talking about.
Click here to check the recent price for it.
Yet, I have a problem with the ”portable” point of these kinds of compressors.
I get why they would be considered portable for cars, but some of them are not that small for carrying on a motorcycle.
Yet, some models are still an acceptable size for a motorcyclist.
Although I’ll give it to them that this item can also act as a portable battery for a phone, I’m considering getting one.
It is up to you if you feel that it is the best option for you.
Motorcycle Portable Air Pump Price. What Should You Pay?
You should be covered with a portable air pump for your motorcycle tires by spending around 40$ to 60$.
A complete and compact repair kit against tire flat will cost around 60-80$, including the pump.
But this depends on what tire type you have on your motorcycle.
If you have tubeless tires, you have the option to temporarily repair your tire with a ”rope” type of tire plug.
Fill it up with your air pump, and you are ready to go back on the road in five minutes.
Bear in mind that this is a temporary type of repair, and you should go easy on speeding over 85mph.
Going over this speed will compromise your safety since your tire repair plug could fail at high speed.
If you have air tubes in your tires, you will most likely need to remove the wheel with the flat.
Then you will need to remove the tire from the wheel to get access to the air tube to patch the leak.
Keep in mind that tires that run on tubes will need additional tools to deal with a flat.
If you are not sure if you have tire tubes or not, I got a dedicated article on the subject to help you figure it out.
With tubes, you should still be okay with a repair kit costing you around a 100$ to 120$ with the pump included.
Final Word on Motorcycle Air Pump for Your Tires
Please don’t make my mistake and get stranded on the road.
When you think about it, buying a portable air pump and a basic tire repair kit will probably cost half of what a towing would cost you.
You never know when bad luck will strike, so always have a motorcycle air pump with you just in case!
Also, practice different scenarios of minor repairs to do for practice and review your repair kit often.
I hope this article has helped you learn how to choose the best motorcycle tire pump for your needs.
Ride safe.
