Tire Pseudoscience and Ride-On

[Wcmike]

Today I am the owner of a brand new Michelin Pilot Road 4 rear tire.



It replaced my 20 month old PR4 with 13,000 miles on it. I was very pleased with the old tire and would of given it a viking funeral if it wasn't such a bad ideal to burn tires. But then I remembered that when I put that tire on, I followed OCR's recommendation and used Ride-On. I've seen the videos, but does it really work? Would it really stop a flat? Was it worth the money? Is OCR a wise old man or just plain crazy? (I met him a couple of weeks ago and my working theory is that he is a little of both. ). This is where the pseudoscience comes in. Before I took the old tire off, I was going to run over something sharp and see what happens.

The pseudo-experiment was a simple one. I drilled a 2 1/2 inch wood screw through a 3/4 inch sheet of melamine coated particle board, leaving 1 3/4 inches of screw sticking through. I then placed it in front of the rear tire and, with a sense of sadness, rolled the tire over it.





The screw broke off but not before it was about 1 inch inside the tire.



And then came the moment of truth. I gabbed some pliers and pulled out the screw. In the threads was a good amount of Ride-On. Good news there. But no good news for the tire. Air was leaking fast. The pseudoscience wasn't over, though. Jamming in a 2 1/2 wood screw and ripping it out isn't really a fair test. And Ride-On, the company, will tell you that just spinning the tire won't distribute it well enough to seal a hole. Especially one that big. But I wasn't going to ride the bike like that. And I was really rooting for OCR to be right.

I took the tire off and filled it back up. I bounced it a little in the garage. Rolled it a little. Bounced it a little more. Rolled it a little more. And then the hissing stopped. There was still a lot of air in the tire and the Ride-On had plugged the hole. It stayed plugged even after 24 hours.

So OCR just went into the Wise Old Man category and I put Ride-On in the new tire. I've even gone so far as to buy the OCR recommended $2.50 NGK BKR6E-11 spark plugs. However, I have 10,000 miles before I need to replace the original ones. So I think I will wait for someone else on this forum to do the NGK Spark Plug Pseudoscience first.

 

[Beemerphile]

I have used Ride-on for quite a while and did find a nail in one once when I changed it. I balance the tires before installing the Ride-on so that the Ride-on distributes evenly, rather than concentrating in the area needing balance weights. Even still, the Ride-on does a good job of micro-balancing the tires. Very smooth.

We'll fall into different categories on using $2.50 copper spark plugs to replace iridiums.

 

[MZ5]

I've even gone so far as to buy the OCR recommended $2.50 NGK BKR6E-11 spark plugs. However, I have 10,000 miles before I need to replace the original ones. So I think I will wait for someone else on this forum to do the NGK Spark Plug Pseudoscience first.

No need to wait. I've already replaced mine with the Champion cross-reference for that NGK copper plug. They work perfectly.

 

[miss demeaner]

so, what happens to the ride on if the bike sits for a while? does it just congeal in one spot? does it move freely when the bike is rolling again? inquiring minds want to know. ;-)

 

[Old Can Ride]

so, what happens to the ride on if the bike sits for a while? does it just congeal in one spot? does it move freely when the bike is rolling again? inquiring minds want to know. ;-)

At all times Ride On remains in a simi-liquid state (Gel). It remains in place in the center of the tire once the Ride On is distribited in the tire in a semi-liquid state. Water seaks its own level, so once the tire begins to move the liquid state seeks its own level, thus constantly balancing your tires. The Ride-on remains in the last place you stopped the motorcycle tire at, and does not congeal in one spot.. Like Beemerpile states, "Ride-on does a good job of micro-balancing the tires. Very smooth". Always being in balance does make you tires last a little longer, but not much as you would think. However, on a long road trip your motorcycle is very smooth.

At one time I was the world's greatest "Doubting Thomas" when it came to putting any product into my motorcycle tires. I had ran into a few horrible experiences with customers who put Slime in their motorcycle tires. I own a 1978 Honda Goldwing with over 500,000 miles on it. The Goldwing came from the factory with ComStar rims. These rims are revited together. The front rim is totally impossible to keep in balance. Who ever at Honda thought of using a revit in a motorcycle rim hated mankind. Me and my shop foreman had balanced this rim so many times over the years, and there just was not an answer. Then one day the shop foreman and the Tucker Rocky representative got together and put some Ride-On in these tires without me knowing it. The Tucker rep. told my shop foreman that he would give me a new set of tires, if this did not work. Both of these folks made sure and hide this fact from me, as they knew that I would have come unglued if I knew what they were putting it in my tires. I got on the Goldwing, as I had done for over twenty years to drive the bike home that night. I was not even one mile from the shop, and man did I feel the difference in my old wing. The next morning I asked the shop foreman what he had done to solve my front-in shake on the old wing. His simple answer was Ride On. They convinced this "Doubting Thomas", and I have used it ever since.

See Video: [video=youtube;De1lI4NStSc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De1lI4NStSc[/video]

 

[L.B.S.]

I think you got a bum set of first gen wheels on your Goldwing, OCR...

I've had four different Hondas with four different styles of ComStars, (granted, I didn't put 500,000 miles on the lot of them, but collectively maybe 550,000 kilometres over the course of 20 years) and I must say I loved them. Not a single issue with vibes or smoothness, out of trueness, or balancing etc., ever.

 

[showkey]

^^^^^^^^^^Similar experience with 20 bikes with a variety of comstar or cast wheels.
Static balance with wheel weights more than good.

Have had a tire or two with a hump or out of round........replacing the tire was the only cure.

 

[DirtFlier]

I've been using Ride-On for years and view it as cheap tire insurance. Originally it was never touted as an aid to balancing and perhaps stating that today helps its marketability? I still balance any new tire with normal weights then install the Ride-On.

 

[MZ5]

My experience with Ride On has been ...fine? I've not had a flat either with or without it, on the NCX. I've not been able to notice a difference in balance with or without it (even also without the factory wheel weights). I was also a bit disappointed with how little of the tread was 'protected' from punctures. In fairness, that may well be 'enough.' It just didn't/doesn't _look_ like much.

My experience changing tires is that the stuff looks absolutely nothing like what that video portrays. Once the tires are worn out, the stuff is darker gray and more runny than that video suggests. The amount of product they have in that tire in the vid also does not _appear to me_ to be the amount they recommend if you are trying to use the product to balance the tires. It also makes quite a mess if you're a home-garage mechanic with absolutely zero tire-changing tools beyond a 5-gallon bucket and a pair of small irons.

In short, I was not unhappy with it while I was running it, possibly excepting for the price, but I became unhappy with it once I had to change tires. I'm not running it now.

 

[draco_1967]

I have changed 2 tires that had Ride On inside. The Ride On didn't make a mess for me at all.

 

[showkey]

W

It also makes quite a mess if you're a home-garage mechanic with absolutely zero tire-changing tools beyond a 5-gallon bucket and a pair of small irons.

In short, I was not unhappy with it while I was running it, possibly excepting for the price, but I became unhappy with it once I had to change tires. I'm not running it now.

^^^^^^^^^^Your not the only concerned with the mess...........I have heard dealer quote double the price for a tire change when any tire sealer (slime etc) is used. They do not want to deal with the clean up as the stuff gets tracked around the shop and fouls the power changer. If they know the liquid is in the tire they often use the manual changer to contain the mess.

 

[Beemerphile]

I have changed a bunch of them with Ride-on. No mess. Slime and aerosol flat fixers are a different story.

 

[Old Can Ride]

I agree with MZ5 that Ride On is a darker color when I change the tire. I change my tires quite often between street and adventure rides. I also remove tires sometimes with hand tools. Like Beemerphile said, Ride On has never made a mess. But even if Ride On did run out that would not be a problem. Unlike other products on the market that dealerships hate because the stuff gets all over the equipment. Ride On just uses water to wash Ride On out the the tire, as most times I will use the tire again on another type road surface. Ride On washes off and out with plain water! No mess!

 

[Wcmike]

I took the wheel off the bike and had a local mechanic swap the tires. No difference in charge due to the tire having the Ride-On. He didn't care a bit. He even had the Ride-on for the same price as online. After being in the tire for 13,000 miles, it was the same color as the tire.

Know what bugs me? I used 11 ounces on the rear. I can only find the stuff in 8 ounce bottles. And the 5 ounces I have left will be sitting in the bottle for a year.

 

[Beemerphile]

Know what bugs me? I used 11 ounces on the rear. I can only find the stuff in 8 ounce bottles. And the 5 ounces I have left will be sitting in the bottle for a year.

Kind of like hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight, huh? Actually, I take two bottles and put a little more than a bottle in the rear and a little less than a bottle in the front.

 

[Old Can Ride]

I use one bottle of Ride On in the front tire, and one and a half bottles in the rear tire. This way I have a half bottle left for the next tire change. Buy three bottles first time then two bottles next time.