Topic: Gas soaked tire...

[Industrial Cafe]

this one time, at band camp, we soaked a tire in gas...
and I stuck a flute in my tail pipe.

[BobbyR]

Not wanting to get into an argument myself mate, but I think it was actually a Chinese proverb you were thinking of, which goes: "He who strikes the first blow admits he's lost the argument".

Here's another one I thought interesting: "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people, so full of doubts".

And back to the original poster, mate, if you value your life as much as most people do, pony up the dough and buy yourself a new tire. If your insurance company saw this thread, they'd cancel your insurance. Cheers, Terry.

+1

[spill]

Not sure if this will make sense to anyone but me, but I'll shoot anyway: I give people the benefit of doubt; er, rather, I give peoples' first instincts the benefit of doubt. I find that most people that have some reservation or fear over something (let's say the performance of a gasoline soaked bulging tire), that fear or reservation will affect their outcome of action. You should feel quite secure in the functionality of something when your life depends, at least partially, on that functionality. Damn reality. If it doesn't feel right, wait til your next paycheck. It's only a missed weekend; not a missed life. Man, that reads preachy.  

[Retro Rocket]

I am glad there is an overwhelming view that it is unsafe to ride on that tyre.
there are more than 200 different materials, both natural and synthetic, used in the construction of a motorcycle tyre: carbon black, silica, sulfur, plastics, vulcanizing agents,and Kevlar cords just to name a few. Some of these components will be effected by being soaked in water, gasoline or even oil, not to mention the fact that our bikes also use tubes which are even more prone to contamination from foreign fluids.  When it comes to motorcycle or even car tyres, if you have to ask the question " is this tyre safe " then change it immediately, your life may depend on it.

Mick

[Brown Bomber]

Solvents, gasoline in this case, will dissolve into the rubber, the tire, and cause the rubber to swell.  

This is a reversible process.  When the source of gasoline is cut off, then the gasoline dissolved in the rubber diffuses to the envelope of the tire and evaporates away.  Ideally this process is completely reversible with no real change in the rubber "structure" or dispersion of rubber chemicals.  

Reversible! Does this mean old tires could be revived simply by soaking them in gasoline?
Whoa! What about ride quality, and safety?, aw forget that, think of the money saved.
Wonder what it would do if you mixed some Wintergreen with the gasoline. Should we use 95 octane, or is 87 good enough for tires?

[Industrial Cafe]