What are the benefits of using nitrogen to fill bike tires instead of regular air?
Properly inflating tires on motorcycles is much more important than for cars.
The majority of road users use normal air to fill their tires. Only a small percentage of road users fill nitrogen, and they are not aware of the many benefits. Normal air is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% water vapor. Pure nitrogen has many benefits. Although nitrogen-filled tires are a great way to tweak the characteristics of race cars, road users can also reap the benefits of the gas by making fewer trips to the tire pump. These points are a few reasons nitrogen is important, particularly for bike tires.
Racing uses nitrogen-filled tires because they heat up less with temperature increases.
Reducing Pressure Loss Over time, normal air moves through the tire walls, reducing air pressure. For longer periods, nitrogen tends to stay in the tire.
Reliable filling stations – Nitrogen refilling stations use modern, well-calibrated machines to fill the tires with nitrogen. Normal air is more readily available, but the gauges and machines are often inaccurate.
Due to the water particles in normal air, steel rims can rust from the inside.
Prevents Rusting Normal air contains water vapor, which settles on the rims. This causes corrosion and damages the steel rims. Pure nitrogen gas is free from water particles. You can check for water particles by pressing the valve with your thumb to release air. Your thumb may get wet if there are water particles inside the tire.
A Better Tyre Life Many people ride with low tire pressures until the tire is visible underinflated. The tread’s outer layer wears faster, which can cause a decrease in tire life. This is where nitrogen wins out over regular air. Tires with nitrogen last longer and maintain their pressures longer.
Proper tire pressures are crucial for bike riders. Bikes can balance on two wheels, and the rider can immediately notice any pressure variations. If the pressures are too low, a 2-wheeler can lose its grip and become unstable when cornering. This can lead to a crash that could prove fatal. Here nitrogen can help. Because it passes through tires at a slower pace, nitrogen has a longer interval before it needs to be topped up. The pressure variation is less, and the handling remains stable despite temperature changes.