W
hilst doing some research for the
2016 Elephant Rally, it’s reported that it would
be a bad idea to use your own lungs to inflate
your airbed and pillow due to the moisture
freezing. They recommend that the air bed is
inflated using a different method, and that
means either a hand pump or a 12v electric
pump. Since I carry one on the bike in case
needed to inflate my or others tires, then it
makes sense to use this. In order to power this,
I need a 12v socket sized based on the old car
cigar lighter unit. I normally have one of these
units mounted on the handlebar for this
purpose, and it also doubles as a connection
for my battery trickle charger. I have been told
that the DIN sockets found on BMWs and
Triumphs lately are a "better" connection than
the old cigar socket 12v, although I don't know
what this would be.
I have such DIN sockets on my bikes as
supplied, however I always prefer to have a
"wired direct to the battery" 12v socket
connection. The option I have chosen for my
rebuild project bike is a combination 12v and
USB connector socket. This is very much an "as
and when needed" connection whilst in transit.
If I had to charge "something" such as batteries
(for the SPOT or a camera), a laptop, or
whatever, I would put the chargeable item(s) in
a tank bag with sufficient cable so as not foul
when the handlebar moves. As a side note, the
Triumph Explorer 1200 which I have has a
"direct to battery" DIN socket mounted just
behind the yoke stem bolt hole thus making an
ideal power point for items in a tank bag.
The BMW GSA 1200 has its spare DIN socket
located just below the front side of the pillion
seat so powering an item in a bag strapped
behind the rider is a possible. Some bikes have
powered top-boxes now which would also be a
positive for this function.