Regular vs. Premium

So.... i've been checking my tire pressure, and the front is definitely dropping a couple PSI every day, which is why it eneded up below 20psi by the end of my second tank, so i'll keep topping it up till i have time to take it in to be checked. Maybe this alone will make a little blip in the mileage.

 

I was debating putting nitrogen in my tires. Does it improve mpg or is it all just hype?

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Hype - Just remember back to school when they told you that Nitrogen comprises roughly 80% of fresh air - so why pay over the top prices to fill your tires with pure Nitrogen? Just making sure you stick enough air in the tire should help give you better MPG!

OK some car and motorbike race teams have opted for nitrogen as pure Nitrogen has a marginally lower molecular porosity ratio than an 80/20 Nitrogen/oxygen mix - this extreme choice is only justified in an event where arriving a fraction of second earlier over a few hours of racing with 100% effort just might help win the race. As for the chemistry you might want to read this helpful treatise http://www.getnitrogen.org/pdf/graham.pdf

The key bit being that whilst a molecule of O2(oxygen) does have a greater molecular weight (32) than a molecule of Nitrogen N2 (28), an O2 molucule is actually smaller in size. Thus, O2 is able to fit through the relatively tight passageways between polymer chains within rubber fractionally more easily than does N2. The difference in size between O2 and N2 is however very small, only about 0.3 times 10 to the -10th meters (0.00000000003 meters).

I doubt any road rider would be aware of any difference between tires filled with fresh air and pure nitrogen. On a more practical note if you are having to top up tire presssures regularly then you really should check for a leak.


Skimad4x4

Proud Member 6th Gen Militia #218 - European 1st Division

 

Wow. Thank you for that extremely informative post. Glad I didn't have them filled then!

words.

 

yes i been told that 91 octane fine so used that in my 92 vfr 750 seems to run fine on it

 

What does your owner's manual say to run?

 

Is this horse beaten to death yet?

 

Take a run out to the local airport and ask them for a fill up of their AV gas - it's 107 octane, costs $7 a gallon, but your vfr will do a BaZillion MPH with it, and make sure you wear your heavy boots so you stay on the ground!