I'm always wondering if it's myth or not to add nitrogen to tires. One reason is I am asked by my customers to only use it when adjusting pressures in some cars and it is becoming more prevalent in the tire industry and we sell a fair number of tires.
Here's a good site to see the claimed benefits and the ins and outs of the nitrogen argument:
http://www.getnitrogen.org/They Note:"Nitrogen in tires is becoming a popular replacement for standard air. Nitrogen is all around us... the air we breathe is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and the rest is small amounts of other gasses. When it comes to tire inflation, nitrogen has many advantages over oxygen. With nitrogen tire inflation, improvements can be noted in a vehicle's handling, fuel efficiency and tire life through better tire pressure retention, improved fuel economy and cooler running tire temperatures. Here at the Get Nitrogen Institute our goal is to provide consumers, over-the-road truckers, fleet managers and others information about the benefits of using nitrogen in tires."
Bottom line for me is, it can't hurt anything and may in fact help significantly. It is certainly more important to a 4 wheeled vehicle or large trucks with lots of tires than a motorcycle. It is also more important to folks that don't check tire pressures often.
Most riders check the bikes tire pressures regularly and with proper inflation regardless of air or nitrogen the tire wear issue is voided.
One interesting point I found running around the internet however that not many have spoken to is the moisture in air vs nitrogen and the degenerative effects of moisture on rims. I would think with the SEEG issues on wheels that the use on nitrogen to "possibly" help keep corrosion to a minimum could be worthwhile.
Other benefits:
"Improved TPMS Performance – If you have a new car, you likely are plagued by a flashing light telling you your tire pressure is low. For example, one woman's light was going off every four to five weeks. After inflating with nitrogen, her light didn't reappear for 53 weeks!
More Predictable Pressure Fluctuation – NASCAR teams use nitrogen so they can more accurately predict tire pressure fluctuation. Regular compressed air can fluctuate considerably when water vapor is present.
Longer Rim Life – Rim rust caused by condensation from water vapor and other gases can get caught in valves and create slow leaks in tires. Nitrogen is completely dry, so it eliminates the potential for condensation. "
At the end of the day we will most likely keep doing what we are doing, but those that switch to nitrogen may see some positive effects.
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Topic: what do you put in you're rubber? (Read 8186 times)