Ideal Tire repair kit and portable air pump recommendations?

[setasai]

Going to be riding down to SoCal to visit some friends but havent had the chance to prepare a toolkit. What do you recommend for tire repair and a portable inflator? I've heard people use CO2 cartridges, are those any good?

[Alex]

I've had good luck with the "stopngo" kits over the years. The CO2 cartridges are better than nothing, but they will only get enough pressure to get you to the next air station. Having a tiny electric pump on board is much more useful, and makes you that much more self sufficient if you do get stuck out in the middle of nowhere. But - it takes a little more space.

With electric pump:

http://www.stopngo.com/products/TUBE...URE-PILOT.html

With CO2 cartridges:

http://www.stopngo.com/products/Pock...Inflation.html

[setasai]

Originally Posted by Alex

I've had good luck with the "stopngo" kits over the years. The CO2 cartridges are better than nothing, but they will only get enough pressure to get you to the next air station. Having a tiny electric pump on board is much more useful, and makes you that much more self sufficient if you do get stuck out in the middle of nowhere. But - it takes a little more space.

With electric pump:

http://www.stopngo.com/products/TUBE...URE-PILOT.html

With CO2 cartridges:

http://www.stopngo.com/products/Pock...Inflation.html

Hmm... ok that looks neat. I dont mind so much carrying an electric pump. How does those plugs compare with the other generic gooey type?

[Alex]

Both have their fans. I like the mushroom plugs. Others swear by the gooey string type.

[NathanUc]

I always keep a tire repair kit in my rear seat cowl. It's a Bike Master kit and users CO2. Can't tell you how it works thankfully.

[setasai]

Originally Posted by NathanUc

I always keep a tire repair kit in my rear seat cowl. It's a Bike Master kit and users CO2. Can't tell you how it works thankfully.

Yea, I'm hoping I'll never need to use it. Even in the car, I've only ever had 1 flat tire in over 10 years and that was because my friend drove my car over the center divider. Long story. In anycase, I'd have to be stuck without a spare and in this case the space is a tire repair kit.

Originally Posted by Alex

Both have their fans. I like the mushroom plugs. Others swear by the gooey string type.

Guess I'll have to give both a try. I'll start with the cheaper one but since I'll be on PCH I should get an electric air compressor since I dont know when the closest gas station would be.

Is there another air compressor you would recommend instead of the stopngo kit? At $60 It's a little steep for me right now. Anything decent around $20?

[Alex]

Haven't seen one in the $20 range. Here's a link on the aerostich site with a bunch of different ones. I have the "cyclepump" one, which was thrown in on a used bike I bought awhile back. I hadn't realized how pricey a new one was going for at this point, but it works great.

[bob706]

Originally Posted by setasai

Is there another air compressor you would recommend instead of the stopngo kit? At $60 It's a little steep for me right now. Anything decent around $20?

Walmart sells a tiny air compressor for $10 that fits really nicely in the seat cowl.

http://www.slime.com/product/911/Tir...f-(40020).html

[setasai]

Originally Posted by bob706

Walmart sells a tiny air compressor for $10 that fits really nicely in the seat cowl.

http://www.slime.com/product/911/Tir...f-(40020).html

Very cool. Looks like I could splice it with a quick connect to the battery tender port and on my way. Thanks.

[n4mwd]

This is the one I carry:
http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1...&item=INN_2425



Compressors, hand pumps and CO2 inflators all have their advantages and disadvantages. If you go with CO2, I recommend that you get one like above that uses regular CO2 cartridges. Most of them that I have seen use special threaded cartridges. It takes about 2 cartridges to fully inflate a Ninja tire.

[setasai]

Originally Posted by n4mwd

This is the one I carry:
http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1...&item=INN_2425



Compressors, hand pumps and CO2 inflators all have their advantages and disadvantages. If you go with CO2, I recommend that you get one like above that uses regular CO2 cartridges. Most of them that I have seen use special threaded cartridges. It takes about 2 cartridges to fully inflate a Ninja tire.

Only 2? that's pretty cool too. Hmm wow choices. How about plugs? any cheap but adequate suggestions? I see the gooey ones for pretty cheap but not sure which brand makes decent ones.

[n4mwd]

Originally Posted by setasai

Only 2? that's pretty cool too. Hmm wow choices. How about plugs? any cheap but adequate suggestions? I see the gooey ones for pretty cheap but not sure which brand makes decent ones.

I don't know which is better on the plugs. I carry the gooey ones with me and bought a kit at the hardware store for about $10. It came with the two tools, about 5 plugs and a small tube of rubber cement. I have used them on car tires with good success, but I have never had to use them on the bike.

I have heard that whatever plug you use, its just to get you to the tire store and not for regular riding. Again, I don't know if that is true or not. I would love to hear what people say here about that.

[bettysmith]

Originally Posted by n4mwd

I don't know which is better on the plugs. I carry the gooey ones with me and bought a kit at the hardware store for about $10. It came with the two tools, about 5 plugs and a small tube of rubber cement. I have used them on car tires with good success, but I have never had to use them on the bike.

I have heard that whatever plug you use, its just to get you to the tire store and not for regular riding. Again, I don't know if that is true or not. I would love to hear what people say here about that.

There was a pretty big thread over on SBN about this a little while back. A lot of people had said they have never seen a tire plug (non mushroom) fail, including those in motorcycle tires. A few people noted that certain track day organizations even allow plugged tires.