Nitrogen in the tires

I was at the space and rocket museum this past weekend in Huntsville. One of the displays is a tire from the space shuttle. The placard stated that NASA fills the tires with nitrogen because it's more "stable". Would there be any benefit to doing this on a bike. I have heard of it on cars, but not bikes.

stability on the space shuttle is probably defined a bit different than on a bike..but I couldnt say for sure...hhhmmm

Now I have heard of it being in space craft tires before due to it going into outer space where the gravity is less and it doesn't do to much to the compound of it as it does the air.(such as in out tires) I never heard of it in tires before except for in outer space. Do you have anything on it or looked it up as before I do??

Now I have heard of it being in space craft tires before due to it going into outer space where the gravity is less and it doesn't do to much to the compound of it as it does the air.(such as in out tires) I never heard of it in tires before except for in outer space. Do you have anything on it or looked it up as before I do?? u might as well, shan probably wont be on till morning... :doh: beat ya to it..LOL here's a few links I found on it, but nothing yet on bike tires though.. http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=2399797 http://www.trailerlife.com/cforum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/14397899.cfm this too.. (http://www.bridgestonetire.com/racing/bsracing.asp) Is there a lot a difference in the mounting and balancing process for a race tire compared with a passenger tire? Much of the same type of equipment is used, and the process for mounting and balancing is very similar. Because race tires are subject to much higher operating temperatures, the air to inflate them is filtered to remove moisture. Moisture inside a race tire could become steam, creating potential problems. Most teams actually replace this filtered air with nitrogen. The balancing process for a race tire requires greater precision, simply because the higher speeds on the track increase the rotation of the tires, and can magnify any imbalance. This imbalance could lead to wear and handling problems.

u might as well, shan probably wont be on till morning... Will do and post it for ppl to read as well if they want to. I will also look into it being in our MC tires. :dthumb:

It is awsome. I rode a bike NOS in the tries and there is a big differnece. Its firm, tight and handles better. Kinda like fake boobs

It is awsome. I rode a bike NOS in the tries and there is a big differnece. Its firm, tight and handles better. Kinda like fake boobs oh boy, could this thread ever get jacked real quick.. :rolleyes: Was that bike on the track I assume?

It is awsome. I rode a bike NOS in the tries and there is a big differnece. Its firm, tight and handles better. Kinda like fake boobs Hmmmm. :lol:

oh boy, could this thread ever get jacked real quick.. :rolleyes: Was that bike on the track I assume? Yeah....I hate to say it but a R1 :bash:

Yeah....I hate to say it but a R1 :bash: wow twisty on an R1..i bet MP wishes he had some blackmail pics of this??!! So its really that much different performance wise? why dont more riders/bikes use them ?

Some sanctions ban it.

Some sanctions ban it. well thats weird, atleast to me. hhmmmm

Nascar, Twisty's favorite sport, does it because the tire pressure won't change with Nitrogen (unless it leaks out) unlike air where temperature changes can change your pressure.

so my question is, if its so good, why is being banned on some tracks, and why isnt everyone using it? :confused:

so my question is, if its so good, why is being banned on some tracks, and why isnt everyone using it? :confused: I'm not sure why it would be banned, but it does help keep tire pressures regulated. However, it is more expensive and more difficult to obtain, which is why not everyone uses it.

I'm not sure why it would be banned, but it does help keep tire pressures regulated. However, it is more expensive and more difficult to obtain, which is why not everyone uses it. Not only this but it is more explosive then regular air. :)

I'm not sure why it would be banned, but it does help keep tire pressures regulated. However, it is more expensive and more difficult to obtain, which is why not everyone uses it. eventually, you'd think we'll all be using this in our tires...if the space shuttle is using it, it'll eventually trickle down..

Yeah then what? Would nitrogen at the gas station be like $20 or something? MFP. Air is fine in cars bro. We are not doing $200 in our everyday cages for 500 straight miles...

the hell with nitrogen, by the time that comes around, we'll be flying around in little space ships anyways...

OK OK, the official Gas Man checking in again!!! Were not talkin about Nitrous Oxide. Nitrogen gas. Or get the liquid and you'll get more from a small container. You get liquid Nitrogen and when you open the container it expands into a gas/vapor state. This is similar to your propane on your grills. Nitrogen is NOT flammable and can even be vented into the atmosphere without any worry from the EPA. I know, because we use Nitrogen all the time at work for many reasons. The Nitrogen should act very similar to air as you are rolling on it. Nitrogen expends when heated, therefor causing increased pressure. Just as your standard air does in your tires. My only worry is the likelyness of it to expand when heated from the sun beating on the tire in a parking lot. Our nitrogen tanks at work do this all the time and "blow off" the excess pressure thru a pressure relief valve. I'm not saying it's a good thing for the tires but intresting anyway.

FWIW, motorcycle race teams use it because it is more stable than air. I am sure it still expands, but when it does it is more predictable and consistant. This is also why it is used in shocks. Larry

I believe it was already said, but Nitrogen molecules do not expand/ contract the same way air molecules do. Oxygen molecules can also transform into water/ moisture where as Notrogen will not due to its composition. I believe it is also less likely for nitrogen to leak like air can over time due to Nitrogens larger molecules. I have Nitrogen in my Jeep and its nice because the tire pressure stays constant rather than being low when cold and going up as the tires heat up (oxygen molecules expand). My local Costco (wholesale club) does it for free. They dont even use air when they fill tires there anymore. I asked if they could do my bike and they just said bring it in (which I will do in the spring)