I heard that 303 Aerospace Protectant is pretty good as a tire dressing that doesn't leave a slick or oily residue. http://www.303products.com/tech/inde...category_ID=70

 

If you want to clean the sidewalls you can use brake fluid, sparingly! Rub it on and wipe off all residues.

 

Don't use anything but soap and water.

 

I read a post somewhere on here about sugar water, haven't tried it, but going to. Anyone else read that or hear it?

 

+1

Great product. It is water based and when dry is not slick. Even using this product, I only use it on side walls. I clean tires by spraying with Westley's Bleche-Wite, shrub the tires with soft brush, hose off thoroughly, allow to dry, then dress with 303. The 303 doesn't make them shine, but leaves them nice and black.

 

Dry rot??

Go ahead, use the Armor all and wear shorts, you must only ride about 200 miles a year anyway on your garage queen.

I go through a set of tires a year, no worry about dry rot here and I could give a **** less if my tires are shiny.

 

I agree with the others the 303 Protectant is the best stuff out there, expense and hard to find but well worth it just keep it on the side walls and dont spray it directly to the tire, use a rag or sponge and then apply. The cool thing about it is that its stays on and you dont have to reapply weekly like all the other protectants out there. Good luck.

 

People actually care what their tires look like? Wow. Tires serve one purpose, and using anything other than soap and water to clean them is just asking for trouble. I use that 303 spray for my car's interior, and while it's not as slippery as Armor All, I would never, ever put it on my bike's tires.

Tires are for riding on, not for looking good.

 

If you get that stuff too low on the side or tread and you get into some wet weather , you may lose grip to the pavement on turns....

 

Have you ever noticed how an older tire will be all weathered and maybe cracked up on the side that is under the car? Take a new or near new tire and spray it with Armor All and then look at it 20 or 30,000 miles later. It will look new. I don't know where the Armor All myth came from that it damages rubber but it doesn't. Personal experience trumps all internet myths. Does it mess up vinyl? No, it protects it and gives it a really nice look, but it does make it slippery if you don't wipe off the excess.