Nitrofill Nitrgen Tire Inflation. Anyone done this on their FLHXS?
#12
01-19-2015 | 11:43 AM
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 344
Likes: 8
From: Parker CO
My N2 was included with my bike. Also Costco will top it off for free if it's needed. Might be a bit of a pain but it's not too bad since I've yet to touch them.
#13
01-19-2015 | 12:29 PM
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,214
Likes: 658
From: Prior Lake, MN
The tire shops pushed N2 really hard when it first came out, whenever I took my cars in for oil changes and when you bought new tires they really tried to upsell the stuff, at $5 per tire. They had posters on the walls listing all the benefits, etc. The last couple years now, not one word- I've bought 2 sets of tires in the past 18 or so months, they didn't even list N2 as an option in the estimates at several shops. Maybe consumers rejected it or something. I sure don't hear much about it anymore.
#14
01-19-2015 | 12:36 PM
Exactly 79%+-N2, 20.9%+-O2, spend your money how you wish. - I have access to all the N2 I could never want and the only time I have put it in a tire was when I had a leak and needed to pressure up to get home.
#15
01-19-2015 | 01:42 PM
#16
01-19-2015 | 02:15 PM
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,008
Likes: 227
From: Saskatchewan
Any research or reviews I have read claim the only real benefit the average consumer will see is pressure/temp stability. My Glide came with nitrogen in the tires. I have still had to top them off a few times, but that may be do to me regularly checking my pressures. Considering the benefits I will still grab my air compressor hose to top them off before a road trip rather than driving to a tire shop to pay them to add a little nitrogen. Even if they top it off for free, I would prefer to top it off before I leave my driveway.
Being no expert, I have also wondered if the air is required to be purged out of a newly mounted tire. Purging may not be required, but if needed and not done, are you losing any of the benefits nitrogen has to offer?
Being no expert, I have also wondered if the air is required to be purged out of a newly mounted tire. Purging may not be required, but if needed and not done, are you losing any of the benefits nitrogen has to offer?
#17
01-19-2015 | 06:24 PM
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,214
Likes: 658
From: Prior Lake, MN
#18
01-19-2015 | 11:37 PM
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,624
Likes: 12
From: Fort Worth
Use it or don't use it. If it is free for you, then I say go for it. I have a supply and use it in my tires but also will be more than happy to top off with my home compressor. Those that are saying that nitrogen doesn't change with temps is flat out wrong. I deal with nitrogen filled tires on a daily basis. Just today, I had to decrease the pressure in tires because when I filled them, it was 30 degrees and now that the aircraft id back, it was 78.
Here's a post I did on another thread: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...cold-temp.html
Here's a post I did on another thread: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...cold-temp.html
Fill them when they are cold and don't worry about it. You are much more prone to tire failure due to under inflation than over inflation.
I saw in a post above where someone said that it's an inert gas and pressure does not change with temps. This is 100% incorrect information. Pressures for nitrogen filled tires will change as the temps change. Nitrogen and oxygen respond to temperature changes in a similar way and the gas being inert has no effect on it regarding temps as inert is all about a chemical reaction. Inert gasses are used to stop oxidation and hydrolysis reactions with the O2 and moisture in air.
Anyone heard of the Ideal Gas Law? I have because I use it in the corporate aviation business. Aircraft tires are serviced with nitrogen and I have to account for changes in where the aircraft leaves and where it is going for tire pressures.
A good rule of thumb for our tires filled with air or nitrogen... For every 10F degree change in temperature, the pressure will change by 1.9%. These changes occur as the temperature rises and falls no matter what gas is used in filling the tires.
One benefit to using nitrogen is that it does not contain the same quantities of moisture and other contaminants found in compressed air so, as you ride and the tires get hot, nitrogen tires will have less of a change in temperature and pressure than air filled tires while driving because of the lack of contaminants, mainly moisture. Unless you are using medical grade nitrogen (amber colored bottle), there will be a small quantity of moisture and contaminants. I think it is 94% and 98% but will have to double check this when I get back to the office. We use nitrogen in aircraft tires for two reasons: compressed air has O2 and you don't want any of that stuff around areas that could possibly get hot and start a fire. Also, it has far fewer contaminants and lessens the chance for corrosion inside the wheel.
For some tires in aviation, we see pressures in the 200 and up to 300 # range. For example, the pressure on a Michelin tire on a Falcon 2000 is 217# +/- 10. So, if you are at 217 and you have a 25 degree in temp change, you could now be out of limits and cause a tire failure due to lack of pressure. And yes, this does happen more than most think. I was an expert witness at trial. An operator serviced a tire in Phoenix on one of the hottest days in very late summer. I think the temp was 109, the aircraft left, and went to Point Barrow, AK. When they departed the next day, it was 26 degrees and they had a tire failure on departure that damaged the aircraft. The tire got too hot, too quick and the fuse plug didn't do it's job.
I saw in a post above where someone said that it's an inert gas and pressure does not change with temps. This is 100% incorrect information. Pressures for nitrogen filled tires will change as the temps change. Nitrogen and oxygen respond to temperature changes in a similar way and the gas being inert has no effect on it regarding temps as inert is all about a chemical reaction. Inert gasses are used to stop oxidation and hydrolysis reactions with the O2 and moisture in air.
Anyone heard of the Ideal Gas Law? I have because I use it in the corporate aviation business. Aircraft tires are serviced with nitrogen and I have to account for changes in where the aircraft leaves and where it is going for tire pressures.
A good rule of thumb for our tires filled with air or nitrogen... For every 10F degree change in temperature, the pressure will change by 1.9%. These changes occur as the temperature rises and falls no matter what gas is used in filling the tires.
One benefit to using nitrogen is that it does not contain the same quantities of moisture and other contaminants found in compressed air so, as you ride and the tires get hot, nitrogen tires will have less of a change in temperature and pressure than air filled tires while driving because of the lack of contaminants, mainly moisture. Unless you are using medical grade nitrogen (amber colored bottle), there will be a small quantity of moisture and contaminants. I think it is 94% and 98% but will have to double check this when I get back to the office. We use nitrogen in aircraft tires for two reasons: compressed air has O2 and you don't want any of that stuff around areas that could possibly get hot and start a fire. Also, it has far fewer contaminants and lessens the chance for corrosion inside the wheel.
For some tires in aviation, we see pressures in the 200 and up to 300 # range. For example, the pressure on a Michelin tire on a Falcon 2000 is 217# +/- 10. So, if you are at 217 and you have a 25 degree in temp change, you could now be out of limits and cause a tire failure due to lack of pressure. And yes, this does happen more than most think. I was an expert witness at trial. An operator serviced a tire in Phoenix on one of the hottest days in very late summer. I think the temp was 109, the aircraft left, and went to Point Barrow, AK. When they departed the next day, it was 26 degrees and they had a tire failure on departure that damaged the aircraft. The tire got too hot, too quick and the fuse plug didn't do it's job.
#20
01-20-2015 | 12:26 AM
For a lot of years I pumped between 15 and 25 MILLION SCF N2 per day at 6,000-9,000 psi.... and 150,000scfm, pumping it through numerous heat exchangers at that rate to bring it from -327ºF (common used temp, boiling point is actually -321.4ºF) to between 80ºF and 100ºF at those rates and pressures.
That is 30-50 tractor trailer loads of liquid N2 each day, 4 to 5 days per week.
I understand how pressure and temperature affects N2. And for the miniscule amount of difference between air and N2 in the very limited capacity of a tire.....
I'll run air.
To those that don't think I know what I'm talking about, here's a challenge:
Find DOCUMENTATION of the pressure changes and difference between air filled motorcycle tires and N2 filled motorcycle tires.