NITROGEN IN TYRES : PROS AND CONS

A few years ago, the use of nitrogen in tyres had been introduced. The idea was to replace the free air provided at petrol pumps with Nitrogen gas for a nominal charge. The concept did not gain much mileage and nitrogen gas providers shut down at some places.

But today, there are many 250cc bikes available in the market. The price of high speed bikes is well within the reach of the middle class consumer. At continuous high speeds, the tyres in these bikes can inflate quickly. Here, tyres filled with nitrogen gas prove their superiority over tyres filled with air. Let’s have a look at the benefits and shortcomings of nitrogen in tyres.

Advantage of nitrogen in tyres:

–    Nitrogen is lighter than air. So, the bounce you feel sometimes at high speeds is reduced to a very great degree. This translates into a smoother ride for you.

–    Nitrogen gas remains cool, which is a characteristic trait of the element. So the temperature of the tyres while riding at high speeds also remains cooler compared to air.

–    The tyre pressure remains constant at different speeds regardless of heavy / light load on the vehicle. It remains quite stable regardless of the temperature of the tyre.

–    The life of the tyre gets an extension. Since the wear and tear has slowed down, the durability of the tyre increases.

–    There is also a noticeable reduction in rusting of the rims or wheel as nitrogen is chemically inactive.

–    The rate of nitrogen pressure leaking from the tyre is 10 times less than the compressed air. So one can fill the tyres with nitrogen gas and then check the pressure again after 3-4 months or even more.

There are not many disadvantages of nitrogen in tyres but those that exist cannot be ignored.

–    The process is expensive. When it was introduced, it cost approximately Rs.100 for a two-wheeler and the cost was double for a four-wheeler.

–    Even today the gas is not available widely. Only a handful of tyre dealers provide it.

–    It’s useful for high speed bikes. Compared to the amount of commuter bikes the ratio is fairly low.

–    If a tyre gets punctured, after repairing the puncture, you have to repeat the process of filling nitrogen in the tyre.

Despite the shortcomings one can still opt to fill their bike tyres with nitrogen and get rid of the risk of tyres running at high temperatures. Perhaps you can even save your tyre from getting burst due to inflation. These advantages surely outweigh any cost disadvantage that nitrogen gas may have.