RCinNC
Well-Known Member
I wanted to have a compressor on the bike all the time in case I got a flat, but I didn’t want it to take up room in my luggage. I already had a Slime compressor that I’d chopped up once before to reduce it in size, but I wanted to make it even smaller. So, I pulled the pump out of the old housing and built an entirely new housing. Once done, the final size of the pump is 4” wide by 5” long by 2” high. There aren’t any little nooks and crannies on a Super Tenere to stash a pump, so my original plan was to add a mount for it on top my existing tool tube. Unfortunately, there just wasn’t enough clearance there to easily access it. So, now that the pump is done, I’m in the process of building a new on-board tool box (with the same general dimensions as my old tool tube) that’ll hold all my standard tools plus the compressor. The new pump housing and the housing cover are all made from ABS sheet plastic and aluminum. The sheet plastic comes from a company called TAP Plastics, and the aluminum angle was the stuff you can get at Lowe’s or Home Depot.
To keep the compressor small, I made it so the on/off switch is actually in the power cable rather than taking up room in the compressor housing. The switch is rated for 12 volts and 20 amps. I didn’t really want an illuminated one, but that one was the smallest switch I could find with that amp rating. The power cable plugs into the compressor using a standard two pin connector. My plan is to add a pigtail, either to my PC 8 or directly to the battery, to power the compressor. The power cable will be stored under the right side cowling of the bike. I also made the air hose detachable; it screws into a brass fitting on the end of the compressor, and is removed for storage. Both the pump and the air hose will fit in the new tool box.
Since these little compressors tend to run hot, I added a 12 volt mini fan to the chassis, that draws air in from the outside and circulates it through the housing while the pump is running. If necessary the cover can be removed from the pump for additional cooling, since all the wiring is in the base. The chassis wiring for the pump, and the power cable, are all 14 gauge wire. You could go smaller than that, but 14 gauge will definitely handle the 15 amp draw of the compressor.
The materials are on the way for the new on board toolbox, so the pump will soon have a new home.
This is the original Slime pump
This is the first cut-down version I made. Still too big, and took up too much room in the topcase.
This is the new chassis for the compressor.
A shot of the compressor that shows the ventilation fan.
The completed compressor without the cover.
Compressor with cover.
Compressor with power cable and air hose attached.
There are additional photos here of the compressor under construction, if you want to see more: http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?action=media;sa=album;in=100
To keep the compressor small, I made it so the on/off switch is actually in the power cable rather than taking up room in the compressor housing. The switch is rated for 12 volts and 20 amps. I didn’t really want an illuminated one, but that one was the smallest switch I could find with that amp rating. The power cable plugs into the compressor using a standard two pin connector. My plan is to add a pigtail, either to my PC 8 or directly to the battery, to power the compressor. The power cable will be stored under the right side cowling of the bike. I also made the air hose detachable; it screws into a brass fitting on the end of the compressor, and is removed for storage. Both the pump and the air hose will fit in the new tool box.
Since these little compressors tend to run hot, I added a 12 volt mini fan to the chassis, that draws air in from the outside and circulates it through the housing while the pump is running. If necessary the cover can be removed from the pump for additional cooling, since all the wiring is in the base. The chassis wiring for the pump, and the power cable, are all 14 gauge wire. You could go smaller than that, but 14 gauge will definitely handle the 15 amp draw of the compressor.
The materials are on the way for the new on board toolbox, so the pump will soon have a new home.
This is the original Slime pump
This is the first cut-down version I made. Still too big, and took up too much room in the topcase.
This is the new chassis for the compressor.
A shot of the compressor that shows the ventilation fan.
The completed compressor without the cover.
Compressor with cover.
Compressor with power cable and air hose attached.
There are additional photos here of the compressor under construction, if you want to see more: http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?action=media;sa=album;in=100
