Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Billy]

So If I fill up with air . wait till I lose 20% of my air will I have only Nitrogen left in the tires?          Billy

[hdaliaconis]

 

Highly unlikely, and your claimed results aren't supported by independent tests performed by folks like Consumers Report.  And my own results, mentioned above, also refute your claim.  But let's not turn this guy's thread into another argument full of BS about nitrogen.

Jerry

[greglyon]

Here are a couple of citations on the Nitrogen vs. air discussion

The first states the benefit of nitrogen and talks about moisture in your tire and the 2nd discusses the reason some Nascar teams  use nitrogen in their tires. 

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/repair-questions/4302788

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-racing/nascar/nascar-basics/nascar5.htm

If anyone has any persuasive articles to the contrary, I would appreciate your posting them.   

[Ridgerunr]

Not sure if our tires get as hot as a Nascar would. I can see Nascar wanting to control pressure, don't think my road bike needs that. Now if a failed tire goes flat slower with nitrogen than air, I'm all for it on a motorcycle.

[Quantumracer]

It really doesn't matter if you run air or nitrogen.  It's far more important to maintain good pressure.

Ok, what's "good" pressure?

 

[BDMastiff]

I lose a couple of lbs every 2-3 months.  I've owned quiet a few HD's and never had psi issues.  Maybe its because I live a a warm weather climate (So. Cal).

[GILLY]

Increased nitrogen percentage in a tire does help maintain pressure. It isn't a cure all though as some suggest. I was told by a new car saleman that nitrogen actually increased sidewall strength. Right.  I wouldn't pay for it, but if it truly was free I'd take it. Be careful though, you could get charged secretly for it.
They don't put nitrogen in, they just filter out the oxygen and othere trace gasses. The actual nitrogen percentage is usually around 93%...less if they don't maintain the nitrogen generator.

[Quantumracer]

I lose a couple of lbs every 2-3 months.  I've owned quiet a few HD's and never had psi issues.  Maybe its because I live a a warm weather climate (So. Cal).

It's not a socal thing.  I lived, rode, and raced there for 12 years.  It's a little tougher on folks who actually have 4 seasons though.

 

[greglyon]

It really doesn't matter if you run air or nitrogen.  It's far more important to maintain good pressure.

Ok, what's "good" pressure?

 

Totally agree!!  However, if by using nitrogen I don't have to crawl around filling the bike as often, sometimes with hot pipes between me and the stem, I see some value in using nitrogen,

[FLTRI]

Consider this:
UNLESS the tire is vacuumed to remove the static air, any Nitrogen put into the tire will be in addition to the existing air residing in a flat tire NOT replacing it.
Bottom line reads...if you feel safer or better by adding nitrogen to the existing air in your tires...go fer it!

As mentioned earlier, what IS important is to check and correct tire pressure as often as necessary to maintain proper inflation.
BTW, IMO, it's always better to error on the side of over-inflation than under-inflation.

Best tire pressure practice, IMO, is to read and use the printed "Max Cold Pressure" stamped into all motorcycle tires.

[ultrafxr]

Consider this:
UNLESS the tire is vacuumed to remove the static air, any Nitrogen put into the tire will be in addition to the existing air residing in a flat tire NOT replacing it.
Bottom line reads...if you feel safer or better by adding nitrogen to the existing air in your tires...go fer it!

As mentioned earlier, what IS important is to check and correct tire pressure as often as necessary to maintain proper inflation.
BTW, IMO, it's always better to error on the side of over-inflation than under-inflation.

Best tire pressure practice, IMO, is to read and use the printed "Max Cold Pressure" stamped into all motorcycle tires.

Actually the best practice is to follow the recommendation in the owner's manual.  For my ultras (and all the touring bikes I think - other models may be different) it is 36 front; 40 rear.  The max pressure stamped on the tire is just that - the absolute max pressure.  I wouldn't want to run any tire that high.

[tweeter13]

When nascar runs nitrogen true.  But nitrogen build pressure as tempeture increases. 

If you add compresses air and just put a air drier on it and tried read the moisture content and figure in the air pressure increase if each tire temp by tenths of pounds.  Running the numbers would be a waste of time. 

So for nascar where money is no object and concesetncy week end and week out and different altitudes and humidities climates.  The numbers for nitrogen will be the same.  The compressed air will be changing. 

As for checking for leaks for a few pounds over weeks on tires checking for bubbles.  Take them off put them in a tank and submerge them.  It may take a few hrs I bet to see a bubble. 

But I don't understand why people don't want to check the tire pressure on there bike.  This part of the fun of owning a Harley.  Also make sure you are putting good oil and moisture free air in the tire.  I am not a chemist but when moisture goes in and it seporates it takes up less room thus the tire pressure goes down.   Water is 2 parts hydrogen and 1 oxygen. 

I spent a lot of money on my air drier for my compressor.  I run Dunlop tires I may have to add air may be one or two pounds all summer.   

Remember chemistry class.  A gas is smaller than a liquid and a liquid is sometimes smaller than a solid.  So if you freeze a liquid it expands.  And so if you take a liquid water (moisture) from the little bit the sprays out of the air line when you pump up your tire.   You may not be able to even see it.  But when it was compressed it was moisture now it needs to be a gas.  This may not see like much.  But your only talking a few pounds any how. 

Now hydrogen molecules are larger molecules than a oxygen molecules.  So some of the sales litature I have read on nitrogen have said oxygen molecules can escape through porosity of the rubber and wheel material.   I am not sure I belive this on a motorcycle due to the fact that a motorcycle has a pretty stiff side wall a wheels are pretty beefy.  About the weakest spot I would think would be the shrader valve itself.

That's just my 2 cents.  I don't know if that makes any sense to anyone or not. 

Todd

[charles05663]

Remember chemistry class.  A gas is smaller than a liquid and a liquid is sometimes smaller than a solid.  So if you freeze a liquid it expands.  And so if you take a liquid water (moisture) from the little bit the sprays out of the air line when you pump up your tire.   You may not be able to even see it.  But when it was compressed it was moisture now it needs to be a gas.  This may not see like much.  But your only talking a few pounds any how. 

Now hydrogen molecules are larger molecules than a oxygen molecules.  So some of the sales litature I have read on nitrogen have said oxygen

Not to be a jerk, but the only natural (not man made) liquid that I know of that expands when it turns from a liquid to a solid is water.  That is what makes water so unique and that is why it floats.  Most solids when they turn to liquid expand.

 

[tweeter13]

Yes Charles05663 I should have been more clear, I was taking about water being moisture coming from the air compressor.  Being it takes cool out side air the it compresses it and then it gets hot when it gets compressed and creates moisture.  This builds up inside air compressor tanks.  Most people don't drain their tanks daily.  Or even weekly.  Most don't even have air driers on them. 

If they do have a drier on them when was that last time they were serviced. 
I have a desiccant cartridge that gets changed when the little red light comes on.  I also have a water seperator  before that.  There is also two very large cheap and right now I can't even remember what the hell they are called, two glass bowls with drains in the bottom.  They catch some water.  but the desiccant does the trick.   Depending on the time of the year and how much the compressor runs.   They may last a month or two. 

I did run a oiler after for the tools but the one I had was a joke.  Couldn't paint anything.  Just go back to putting oil in the tools like I normaly do. 

To get back on track some one mentioned previously in this tread.  Vacuuming down a tire and putting dried air in would be the perfect way but you would still lose air slowly.   I don't know if it's Dunlop it not.  But make sure you are putting good dry air in a tire when you can was the point I was trying to make.   And make sure every one drains their air compressor tanks daily lol.   Them darn things are expensive like our bikes.  Heck I have even cleaned mine a few times. 

Todd. 

[Ridgerunr]

"drains their air compressor tanks daily"