nitrogen vs air

[lightnin]

When I bought my 2016 the tires were filled with nitrogen. They looked low after a cold front hit and were so I brought them up with compressed air. IMO, I don't think I hurt a thing. When I was flying airplanes their tires were filled with nitrogen based on the theory that they wouldn't change pressure with ambient temp changes. It don't work on my tri glide so, so much for that theory

[pioneer11]

When I bought my 2016 the tires were filled with nitrogen. They looked low after a cold front hit and were so I brought them up with compressed air. IMO, I don't think I hurt a thing. When I was flying airplanes their tires were filled with nitrogen based on the theory that they wouldn't change pressure with ambient temp changes. It don't work on my tri glide so, so much for that theory

PV=nRT: any gas loses pressure when the temperature goes down.

For almost any road purpose, air (about 80% nitrogen) is just fine and pure nitrogen is a waste of money.

[jc1300]

When I bought my 2016 the tires were filled with nitrogen. They looked low after a cold front hit and were so I brought them up with compressed air. IMO, I don't think I hurt a thing. When I was flying airplanes their tires were filled with nitrogen based on the theory that they wouldn't change pressure with ambient temp changes. It don't work on my tri glide so, so much for that theory

Air is 78 percent nitrogen and just under 21 percent oxygen, and the rest is WATER vapor, CO2, and small concentrations of noble gases such as neon and argon.



There are several compelling reasons to use pure nitrogen in tires. First is that nitrogen is less likely to migrate through tire rubber than is oxygen, which means that your tire pressures will remain more stable over the long term. Racers figured out pretty quickly that tires filled with nitrogen rather than air also exhibit less pressure change with temperature swings. Temperature swing in TIRE temps…

How is WATER relevant to a nitrogen discussion? Any system that delivers pure nitrogen is also going to deliver dry nitrogen. Filling tires with nitrogen involves filling and purging several times in succession, serially diluting the concentration of oxygen in the tire. This will also remove any water.

This is were the process usually breaks down….That said, the cost has dropped a ton since the craze started….I’ve had really good luck in mine for many years. So..I see no negatives to the Nitrogen tires now that it’s just a few bucks…JMO

[PosseRider]

Mostly hype & a waste of $$ for me. When on the open road, if tires get low, where will you find to refill ??. Tried it years ago & will not use again. Do whatever flips yer trigger..

[hogcowboy]

I use Ride-On in my bike tires and I have a lot fewer times I have to air up. But big temp swings over several weeks like winter into spring and I won't add any air at all as what's in the tire expands. But same holds true with summer into fall. But then I have to add air more often as the air inside contracts. But I have TPMS on my bike so I watch those readings as a start off, cold. I don't have to keep checking the tire pressure with a gauge which lets the air out. Between the TPMS and Ride-On I just don't have to add air as often. I do wonder if I added nitrogen instead of plain air, if I would have to add the stuff even less.

[CrystalPistol]

AIR for mine, no green caps here.

[rhino 2]

Nitrogen in pleasure vehicles tires was gimmick started by The Florida New Car Dealers Association as a way to make the old people spend more of their Children/Grand Children's inheritance, So they the New Car Dealers will have more money to give to their Children/Grand Children when they the New Car Dealer kick's the bucket.........

[jc1300]

Curious as basically all Race cars across the board use Nitrogen in their tires, how that would not play into daily use in our vehicles? Understanding that most of these race teams have $hit loads of money, so cost is not in the equation for them....but the discussion isn't about cost, just the benefits...or if you think there are none.

[Sidecarbill]

I'm not a believer in it. Quite some time ago when it was fashsionable, some guy did some calculations. And based on the percent of nitrogen in air, he said if the nitrogen doesn't leak at the same rate as oxygen, then when a tire gets low on air it will have been the oxygen that leaked out. He did some calculations. I don't remember the numbers but basicaly airing up a tire evertime it went low after 3 or 4 times you would end up with mostly nitrogen anyway. There are people that think they can detect the difference in 1 lb of tire pressure I don't believe that either.

[rhino 2]

Curious as basically all Race cars across the board use Nitrogen in their tires, how that would not play into daily use in our vehicles? Understanding that most of these race teams have $hit loads of money, so cost is not in the equation for them....but the discussion isn't about cost, just the benefits...or if you think there are none.

When i used to race, [Drag Race] I would cut and index my spark plugs, Set the air in the tires to the track conditions, Set and reset the timing Sometimes for each race....And many-many other big and little things to lower my ET By one thousands of a second .. Thats one of the reasons they use Nitrogen...Once i stoped racing [69] all that stuff in the real world has no benefit.....But thats just my opinion....But most likely not the opinion of the guy selling the Nitrogen .......

[hogcowboy]

I'm not a believer in it. Quite some time ago when it was fashsionable, some guy did some calculations. And based on the percent of nitrogen in air, he said if the nitrogen doesn't leak at the same rate as oxygen, then when a tire gets low on air it will have been the oxygen that leaked out. He did some calculations. I don't remember the numbers but basicaly airing up a tire evertime it went low after 3 or 4 times you would end up with mostly nitrogen anyway. There are people that think they can detect the difference in 1 lb of tire pressure I don't believe that either.

I don't believe either. It takes 2 pounds for me to feel it. No joke. When I back the bike out of the garage and start to turn the handlebars, it will feel sluggish. And during the ride in parking lot type places where I'm going slower, the bike just doesn't snap around and make turn there as easy. Once again, sluggish. But 1 pound, nope, can't tell. And remember, I have the TPMS on my bike so, at least cold, I can look and see I'm down 2 pounds. If I had a trike I doubt I could feel the difference. Also, I run my tires above factory recommended so I get that snap I'm looking for in turns. 4 pounds above. Yes, I might get fewer miles and the center will wear more, but my last front had 25K on them and I could have gone longer. But my rear TPMS sensor stopped working so it was going to be replaced under warranty so I just said put a new tire on when you do that one and then had the front done too. So I only got charge for the front. Sneaky sucker I thought.