Wheeler dealers: Best motorcycle wheel and tyre accessories

Published: 25 July 2023 Updated: 02 April 2024

The best motorcycle wheel and tyre accessories and tools are handy in specific situations. Whether that’s fitting some better motorcycle tyres to improve performance, or customising rims to make them look better. Whatever the circumstance, there is likely an accessory or tool to meet the needs of every biker.

It’s amazing though how many riders overlook one of the most crucial aspects of their bikes. When they want to uprate performance, wheels and tyres are not always considered. Yet that’s the bike part in contact with the ground. The condition of your tyres in terms of wear and how well they’re inflated can impact on handling. Optimising them via pressure gauges and pumps as well as wear gauges should be a priority.

A roadside puncture repair kit is one of the best motorcycle wheel accessories you can buy. So are puncture-preventative sealants. The wheels themselves need to be balanced correctly as well. This can be done with self-adhesive motorcycle weights to make the process easier and faster. Plus of course, you can customise the look of your bike with things like rim stickers, ‘tyre art’ or other aesthetic wheel and tyre accessories.

There are lots of products for motorcycles. But one of the most important are tyre pumps and inflators. To get the most from your bike, it is paramount they are optimised. That way the bike can perform to its optimum capability. Here’s our round-up of some of the best motorcycle wheel and tyres accessories – and where you can buy them.

The best motorcycle wheel and tyre accessories and tools

Ring Automotive RTC2000 digital tyre inflator

Best multi-use tyre inflator and pressure gauge

Rrp: £42.99

Price: £37.26

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Tested by Adam Binnie for ten months. I keep finding more and more uses for this Ring digital pressure gauge and inflator - whether it's my pushbike tyres, my wife's car tyres or my own motorbike, this gadget can tell you what your pressures are and top them up accordingly. It can also pump up the kids' footballs and has an LED light in case you need to top up your air in the dark.

It's rechargeable and you can use its battery as a powerbank. The 5200mAh capacity isn't huge, but is enough to top your phone off in an emergency. As such it makes a great addition to a motorbike tour or even a long mountain bike ride (it even comes with a bottle cage for mounting it to your frame). Just bear in mind if you use it to charge something else, it won't have enough juice to function as an inflator.

My only complaint is that it has a USB Micro charging socket, not a USB-C like all my other gadgets, but that's splitting hairs, really.

Quality

4.0
Value

5.0

Ryobi 18V One+ Tyre Inflator

Rrp: £41.99

Price: £29.99

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Tested by Richard Newland for six months. The joy of never being able to think of sensible (non-bike-shaped) Christmas and birthday present ideas is that I sometimes have moments of inspiration and end up owning things I’d never buy for myself. This Ryobi high-pressure inflator is a case in point. Gifted by my sister at Xmas, it’s been pressed into action now across my six bikes, two cars and a camper van – as well as several mountain bikes, a paddling pool and one inflatable camping bed. It’s certainly got plenty of huff to puff.

You don’t get a battery with it – I didn’t need one as I’ve got other Ryobi tools already and the batteries fit all tools – but the 4.0Ah unit I’ve got would set you back another £66.99. The unit will chug out a decent 16 litres of air per minute and can deliver up to 150psi (10.34bar) of pressure, which is dramatically more than you’ll need for any bike or car tyre. The hose is 20in long and comes with a right-angled connector for the valve. I’ve not had any difficulty connecting it to my various different bikes’ valve arrangements. It comes with a set of connectors for your other inflatable needs, too – whatever they may be!

It’s a doddle to use. Simply slot your battery in place, connect to the valve of your chosen inflation victim, and squeeze the trigger. It’s not the quietest thing ever, but is completely in line with every other electric powered inflator I’ve used. As the pressure builds, the analogue dial will give you a reasonable idea of the psi/bar figure – but I’ve noticed that it’s not super-accurate, or necessarily consistent. Overall, I’d say it over-reads by around 5-10% most of the time, so I tend to overinflate by about that figure, then check the pressure manually with a Venhill gauge for accuracy. Afterall, 10% out is 3 or 4psi on a bike tyre, which can make a fair bit of difference to feel and tyre performance on some bikes.
Verdict: So, it’s not the cheapest, nor the most accurate – but if you’ve got a fleet of vehicles and an aversion to manual labour, it’s a pleasing way to dodge some effort.

Quality

3.0
Value

3.0

Oxford Airtrack Workshop + Steel Floorpump + Gauge

Price: £28.00

www.demon-tweeks.com

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Tested by Gareth Evans for five months. I’ve been taking this pump to track days to alter tyre pressures and it performs the task flawlessly. I’m a huge fan of the design for several reasons – first, the gauge is large and easy to read, but it’s accurate too, matching the other pressure gauge I’ve got perfectly.

The amount of air it pumps is well-measured, so while you can accurately increase in 1psi increments, it’s also not too much hard work adding 10psi or more when needs be, and it’s far less cumbersome than a foot pump. It’ll go up to 160psi, and you’ve got a choice of fittings, too. Finally, I love the way the long air pipe stows away, looping over the handle and clipping in on either side. One of the best wheel and tyre accessories.

Quality

5.0
Value

4.0

Oxford Tyre Gauge Pro

Price: £19.55

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Tested by Gareth Evans over seven months. When you’re at a track day, one of the most important considerations is tyre pressure. I’ve been running 36PSI front and 42PSI rear on my R7 with Pirelli’s wonderful Diablo Rosso IVs on the road, but drop that to 32PSI at both ends for circuit use as I strive to complete my mission and ride all the BSB circuits this year.

It means I need a way to accurately drop pressures, so step forward this useful gadget from Oxford. It’s a solidly built gauge that holds the peak pressure reading until you press the reset button, allowing you to use it in confined spaces such as a garage.

The reset button also bleeds air pressure from the tyre, meaning you can accurately measure the precise pounds-per-square-inch needed for your hoops to perform perfectly. The gauge itself is large and simple to read, with a tough acrylic window that has stood up to everything I’ve thrown at it.

My only criticism is the 360-degree swivelling head, which can prove fiddly to get onto the valve at times. I’d prefer one that attached to the valve rather than having to hold it on to operate. The 36cm hose is extremely solid and thus tough to bend, which can make accessing the valve a little tricky as well.

However, for the money I’m impressed. It’s been with me on multiple track days so far, and I’ve always been glad of its compact dimensions when cramming my kit into a rucksack. It’ll work up to 60PSI, so would be suitable for a small trailer or caravan as well as your bike and any cars you’ve got access to.

Quality

4.0
Value

5.0

Draper Tyre Pressure Gauge

Editor's Pick - We've tested this product and would spend our own money on it

Price: £11.57

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A decent pressure gauge should be a must for all bikers, after all, how many times have you struggled with those poorly-fitting and notoriously inaccurate air lines at petrol stations? This one from respected UK tool specialists Draper comes heavily recommended and at a great price.

There’s a large, easy-to-read scale graduated in increments of just 2psi; the gauge is mechanical for long-life accuracy; there’s a 250mm long, flexible reinforced rubber hose and a precision bleed button for accurate deflation.

Other options to consider

Draper Double Twin Cylinder Foot Pump with Gauge

Price: £19.72

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A twin cylinder foot pump with a built in pressure gauge, it'll comfortably pump up to 100psi, which will cover you for all motorcycle use cases. A solid value and relatively compact option, with no batteries needed.

Jansite TPMS Tyre Pressure Monitoring System

Price: £32.99

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More and more new bikes today come with the option of a factory-fitted tyre pressure monitoring system, which is a great boon for keeping an eye on the pressure of your tyres. But if yours didn't, what do you do?

An aftermarket, wheel and tyre accessories version like this is the solution. You simply fit the two special caps that wirelessly connect to the display which monitors the pressures. Easy, simple and surprisingly cheap!

Gear Gremlin Emergency Tubeless Tyre Repair Kit

Price: £29.99

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Motorcycles don't have the luxury like most cars of coming equipped with a spare wheel in the case of a puncture, so the next best thing is carrying a compact roadside puncture repair kit with you. This one from Gear Gremlin comes highly recommended. It's suitable for all types of tubeless tyre and comes with all tools, cement and inflation canisters all packed in a convenient storage pouch.

Goop Motorcycle Tubeless Tyre Sealant

Price: £10.99

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A popular alternative to carrying a puncture repair kit is to install a tyre sealant such as this into the tyre or tube through the valve BEFORE you have a puncture. As the wheel rotates it's evenly distributed around the inside of the tyre or tube, ready to seal punctures as they occur.

When a puncture does occur, the escaping air pressure forces Goop into the hole immediately forming a strong, airtight seal, and will seal as many punctures as may occur. It can also seal leaking rims meaning it can work on both tubed and tubeless tyres.

It will last the lifetime of the tyre or tube and simply washes away with water without leaving a sticky residue behind when a new tyre or tube is fitted.

VEEAPE Portable Air Compressor

Price: £39.98

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There's not much use being able to accurately measure your tyre pressure or repairing a punctured tyre if you're unable to then inflate it to the correct pressure with either a decent foot pump, or preferably, a mini air-compressor designed for the job such as this one from VEEAPE.

It’s cordless, running off a rechargeable battery so you can use it anywhere, is suitable for motorcycles, rated up to 120PSI and has two clear LCD digital displays – one for the preset pressure you require, the other for its current pressure.

Bike It Pressure Alert Valve Cap

Price: £5.99

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

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A cheaper, simpler alternative to sophisticated tyre-pressure monitoring systems are these mechanical valve caps which constantly monitor tyre pressure and alert you of pressure loss. Each cap has a minimum pressure rating, when tyre pressure is above the minimum a green ring shows, meaning that all is OK.

If the pressure drops below the minimum rating, a red ring shows – meaning it’s time to check and inflate your tyres. Simple but effective.

Oxford Wheel Stripe Kit

Price: £13.48 (was £14.99)

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

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Fancy smarting up your bike's wheels? Then how about this easy to apply wheel stripe kit from reputable UK manufacturer Oxford Products? They're 7mm in width, come in six different colours and they come with an applicator to get that wrinkle-free finish which means they can be applied in minutes. They also offer increased visibility to other road users. Designed to fit 17-inch wheels.

Gear Gremlin Stirrup Pump

Price: £9.99

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

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Again, if you need to be able to inflate your bike's tyres but don't want to go to the complexity (and expense) of an electric air-compressor, what you need is a good old fashioned foot or, as here, the even easier-to-use stirrup pump type.

This one is by Gear Gremlin, comes with all adapters, is easy to use and is suitable not just for motorcycles but also scooters, bicycles, footballs, basketballs and even inflatable watercraft.

About the author: After qualifying as a mechanical engineer, Jim Blackstock began working on magazines in the early 1990s. He remains passionate about product testing to ensure readers know what products offer good value and why. He relishes torrential rain to see if riding kit keeps water out and an hour or two to tinker on a project bike in his workshop.

- Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this page, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us.

By Jim Blackstock

Keen wet weather rider and dedicated product tester for MCN and sister publication RiDE Magazine.

Biek it Pressure Alert