Nitrogen in bike tires?

[ca1ic0cat]

Put new tires on the Passat and the shop used nitrogen to fill them. This is more stable with respect to temperature changes. Supposedly better for tire wear and fuel economy too. So I'm wondering, is this something that should be done with bike tires? Since I'm heading into fall I can expect at least 20F shifts in temp from the morning commute to the ride home. 30F shifts can really get the tire pressures up from what they were in the morning.

Anybody using nitrogen? Is it worth it?

[marc]

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...instead-of-air

Short answer: air is about 78% nitrogen

[Wolfgang]

I would wonder if the air in a new tire was to be added to or vacuumed out & then the N gas put in therefore removing all other parts of whatever make up our breathing air.

Perhaps a tube is the best way to get your 100% nitrogen....right.

[Baiazid]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

I would wonder if the air in a new tire was to be added to or vacuumed out & then the N gas put in therefore removing all other parts of whatever make up our breathing air.

Perhaps a tube is the best way to get your 100% nitrogen....right.

What I write here will be from what I remember from high school (so don't throw rock at me please because I graduated long time ago)

As far as I know, our atmosphere contains 74-75% N.

The air pressure surrounding us is 1 atm = 101325 Pa
(atm = atmosphere, Pa = pascal)

If we pump 35PSI (241316.5 Pa) -> the ratio tire_pressure:external pressure will be around 2.3 (~70% N vs ~30% air (who contains 75% N also)).

This does not include the air to nitrogen comprimation coeficient.

My opinion is not to bother removing air from the tyre before adding N.

[Baiazid]

Originally Posted by Priedor09

I was listening to a local automotive call in talk show and they were talking about putting nitrogen in your tires.

They were claiming the primary benefit to doing this is that the air pressure in your ties will stay the same at all times and wont fluctuate up and down like you get using just air.

Anybody heard any details about any of this?

That is the only advantage

[micq]

I asked a friend about putting nitrogen in tyres last weekend , when he stopped laughing he quoted trials done in mines in Mt Isa & a few other places about ten years ago by a major tyre company . He said there was no benefit to anyone other than the person selling the nitrogen . This friend owns a big tyre dealership servicing a few large mines .

[Baiazid]

Originally Posted by micq

I asked a friend about putting nitrogen in tyres last weekend , when he stopped laughing he quoted trials done in mines in Mt Isa & a few other places about ten years ago by a major tyre company . He said there was no benefit to anyone other than the person selling the nitrogen . This friend owns a big tyre dealership servicing a few large mines .

It is possible. The commercials in Europe stated that Nitrogen perform better on big temperature differences.

[billahrens]

Go back to high school chemistry. There is absolutly no difference in the effect of temperature on the pressure in the tire, be it 100% nitrogen or 100 % air, oxygen etc.

Airlines use nitrogen in tires for 2 reasons.

1. It is absolutly dry, no ice formation at extremely low temperatures encountered at altitude.
2. Nitrogen will not support combustion, may help in really high temperatures encountered in landings.

Others say it prevents oxidation of the inside of the tire. The outside wil be oxidized long before the inside is a consideration. Ozone, sunlight etc.

[brumbackkid]

Great Comments...I am new to this forum and a new GS owner having spent lots of miles in the saddle of a DL1000 V-strom. COSTCO is a bi pusher of the nitrogen usage in our area but for the life of me I can't figure out how motorcyclist can buy into the effort...though I have several friends who swear by it. On a typically 5 to 10 K mile ride I bet we adjust tire pressure a half a dozen times....NEVER at a Costco but usually the truck stop or trading post. Perhaps the breakfast ride crowd can foll with the Nitro, but for my gang the 'ol 12V compressor is the way to go

[Pastor Passum]

Originally Posted by brumbackkid

Great Comments...I am new to this forum and a new GS owner having spent lots of miles in the saddle of a DL1000 V-strom. COSTCO is a bi pusher of the nitrogen usage in our area but for the life of me I can't figure out how motorcyclist can buy into the effort...though I have several friends who swear by it. On a typically 5 to 10 K mile ride I bet we adjust tire pressure a half a dozen times....NEVER at a Costco but usually the truck stop or trading post. Perhaps the breakfast ride crowd can foll with the Nitro, but for my gang the 'ol 12V compressor is the way to go

Personally I wouldn't bother with Nitrogen in bike tires. While I have used it in my 4 wheel vehicles (just because I buy my tires from Costco and they fill with nitrogen) it's not worth trying to find it on the road to check your tire pressures.

On this point...while my typical rides aren't nearly 5 to 10,000 miles long, I can't remember ever having to add air while on a trip. I've done over 300,000 miles on BMW's and my longest trip to date has been just under 7,000 miles in 3 weeks but even then I check pressures every 2 or 3 days, always in the morning while the tires are cold. There's never enough variance to have to add air while on a trip. Maybe the tire gods are with me but I can't imagine having to adjust pressures half a dozen times while on the road

Jim