"Ride-On"--I can't believe it!!

[Earl in Pensacola]

I can't find any!!  I figured that since my front tire is a little out-of-balance (starts bouncing at 75 mph) and it's 75% worn out, now would be a good time to see if "Ride-On" would work for me. If it smoothed out the high speed bounce, then I'll put it in the new tire, that I'm about ready to order.

I checked at Auto-Zone, Advance Auto, Pep-Boys, O'Riellys, Walmart, Lowes, Homedept and the only open on Monday bike shop.  Some had never heard of it and the rest didn't keep it in stock!!  I guess I'll check the Honda dearlership tomorrow.   

So, where are you guys buying it??

[toetruck21]

Cheapest place I could find it was online at JP Cycle.  I just ordered some for my front being pleased how it worked for the rear. 

[mario]

www.westendmotorsports.com    or

www.phatperformance.com

[hubcapsc]

There's a busy KTM/Kawasaki/Victory dealer in town, so I went there to see if they had
any before i ordered mine online... I figured maybe I'd order it there anyway, since I wanted
it ASAP and figured maybe HDL or whoever might not get it to me for a week or so...

Anyhow, they didn't have it, and nobody there had experience with it, maybe the head parts
guy had heard of it.

They had to flip all around in their accessory catalogs to even find it, but they continued looking
until they found the amount-calculator and were sure of how much to sell me. After they did all
that work, I wanted to order it from them, and got two 8oz bottles (just did my rear tire) for around
$30-$32... it got there in four days...

Sounds like snake-oil to me, and maybe to a lot of other people. I'm sold on it now that I have used
it, though...  

-Mike

[ShiftHappens]

Are two 8 ounce bottles enough for the Valkyrie? I ordered some as filler items to get free shipping but after reading directions seems a shade light.

I have 2500 miles on these tires and wondering if I should wait for new tires and possibly a third bottle.

[Daniel Meyer]

My test:
http://lifeisaroad.com/forum/index.php?topic=749.msg2738#msg2738

[X Ring]

Are two 8 ounce bottles enough for the Valkyrie? I ordered some as filler items to get free shipping but after reading directions seems a shade light.

I have 2500 miles on these tires and wondering if I should wait for new tires and possibly a third bottle.

No, two bottles aren't enough.  Normal dosage is 9 oz in the front and 11 oz in the rear.  The severe use/balancing amounts are 12 oz in the front and 14 oz in the rear.  You're going to need three bottles minimum.

Marty

[six2go #152]

If ya go to the Ride On website there is a calculator so you can figure how much you need for a given tire size. I bought mine right from their site.

[olddog1946]

My test:
http://lifeisaroad.com/forum/index.php?topic=749.msg2738#msg2738

Daniel, don't look now but I believe you've got that test tire mounted on the wrong side of the fork, hehe.

[Farther]

I get mine on EBay.  Maybe I should start shopping around.

[X Ring]

I get mine on EBay.  Maybe I should start shopping around.

Iirc, that's where I got mine from and there wasn't very much difference in price anywhere I looked.

Marty

[Art708]

 Wonder why the ATV type wouldn't work....probably the same cursed thing. Get a half pint of MC stuff for 15 bucks or a quart of ATV stuff for 20 bucks. One probably works as well as the other.

[ShiftHappens]

Wonder why the ATV type wouldn't work....probably the same cursed thing. Get a half pint of MC stuff for 15 bucks or a quart of ATV stuff for 20 bucks. One probably works as well as the other.

from the ride-on website:
YOU SHOULD NOT USE THE ATV FORMULA OF RIDE-ON IN YOUR MOTORCYCLE OR AUTO TIRES. The Auto and ATV formulas ARE NOT RECOMMENDED for motorcycles. 

[NITRO]

My local Honda dealer stocks it in bulk. They charged $10 to do my front wheel.

[JaysGone]

Everybody is different.
Ive used the automotive juice 16 oz to a tire in my bikes for years.
Im mean yeeeeeeeeears.
Never had a problem.
Id imagine that the motorcycle specific is a thinner formula to coat the sides better.

Since I buy it by the gallon sometimes.
My store is next to a Home dePOt and we share the same loading dock area.
With all the dammed nails and crap they drop off back there.
We use it in 5 vans and almost everyones cars.
Me I park the bike out in the front now.
2 wrecked tires for me.
Sidewall screws,,,,,,,,
Id say on an average week.
With any of the 5 vans.
There are 4 to 6 nails screws whatever between the 4 tires in each van.

The stuff WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Art708]

well...if the auto formula is thicker than the bike formula why  not just thin it down a bit with a little water since it's water soluble anyway....then it would be motorcycle thickness. They make it thinner and charge more...hmmmm.

[JaysGone]

Funny thing is Ive never seen what Ride-On looks like say 2 years later.
For what ever reason Ive never been around when a tire has been taken off the rim.
So I dont know if its stays semi liguid or not.
I have also used a product called Tire Goo.
http://truegoo.com/
I bought half a gallon of it when for whatever reason I couldnt get Ride-On when I needed it.
When I had my rear tire taken off the Yamaha 18 months later at a friends shop.
It was still liquid and black as black could be.
It took me an hour just to clean the rim and my friends tire machine.
It was everywhere a real freggin mess.

Ive never heard a tire guy complain about a tire with Ride-On in it.
So as for watering it down??????????

[Earl in Pensacola]

I just checked their website---$15.00 per bottle plus shipping and need two bottles for the front and/or three for the rear???  !!! NO WAY in H is that gon'a happen.   I'll just warn the mounting and balancing person that HE will be redoing the job if it ain't balanced right to begin with.
Thanx for the comments.

[Art708]

Wonder why the ATV type wouldn't work....probably the same cursed thing. Get a half pint of MC stuff for 15 bucks or a quart of ATV stuff for 20 bucks. One probably works as well as the other.

from the ride-on website:
YOU SHOULD NOT USE THE ATV FORMULA OF RIDE-ON IN YOUR MOTORCYCLE OR AUTO TIRES. The Auto and ATV formulas ARE NOT RECOMMENDED for motorcycles. 

   They probably put that there so they can sell the stuff in a bottle labeled for motorcycles and charge 3 times as much as the automotive stuff. I'd be willing there's not much difference.

[2qmedic]

Water is an enemy of a tire of which seems to make its way to the steel belts of the tire causing its own inherent problems.
Heat is an enemy of a tire and underinflation causes more heat due to flexing.
RV owners know that to get the best use out of a tire is to block the tire from VU rays,
Ensure the tire is off the ground (dirt) as to not allow any moisture from wicking up into the tiny cracks on the rubber ect..
and also to keep a tire protectant applied.

Water is a bad idea in a tire.

Cheers

[2qmedic]

Almost forgot...

I use Ride-On ....its awesome stuff !!!
 

[hubcapsc]

I just checked their website---$15.00 per bottle plus shipping and need two bottles for the front and/or three for the rear???  !!! NO WAY in H is that gon'a happen.   I'll just warn the mounting and balancing person that HE will be redoing the job if it ain't balanced right to begin with.
Thanx for the comments.

That is how I felt about it, especially when I suspected it was snake oil anyway.

Recently I changed my mind, big time, when I threw away my weights and fixed a slow leak
in an almost new tire in 5 minutes (not counting the time it took me to obtain the Ride On).
Now that I believe it really works, I'm really sold on the idea of it saving my butt from some
on-the-road flat tires in the future.

Three 8oz bottles will do both tires, 11oz in the back, 9oz in the front.

-Mike

[Highbinder]

I've been using Ride-On since it came out, if fact I had a dealership with them several years ago and visited their plant in Sterling,Va.....works great, doesn't damage the rim and the stuff lasts forever....I put some in a jar with steel wool in the center and till this day the fluid is still loose and no rust on the steel wool....maybe I should check with them and see if my dealership is still valid....I used to go to rallies and sell and install it, use to sell in in bottles and bulk...at that time it was a hard sell...but as time goes on I've noticed more and more people using it...I'll have to check with them about the dealership..

[JetDriver]

Bike Bandit   If you're an AMA member, there's an additional 10% off.

http://www.bikebandit.com/ride-on-tps-motorcycle-tire-balancer-and-sealant

[John U.]

I've been using Ride-On since it came out, if fact I had a dealership with them several years ago and visited their plant in Sterling,Va.....works great, doesn't damage the rim and the stuff lasts forever....I put some in a jar with steel wool in the center and till this day the fluid is still loose and no rust on the steel wool....maybe I should check with them and see if my dealership is still valid....I used to go to rallies and sell and install it, use to sell in in bottles and bulk...at that time it was a hard sell...but as time goes on I've noticed more and more people using it...I'll have to check with them about the dealership..

I guess I must be a 1%er but I have had a rim severely damaged by corrosiion from using Ride-on. Deep pits. I've managed to stop the corrosion and I will be coating the rim inner surfaces with epoxy when I get around to it. It's been suggested that water in the tire air caused the problem. Since other rims were not affected which use the same compressed air, I'm not convinced that water is the problem.
I also wonder how that can be since Ride-on is water soluble, meaning as I understand it that it is part water.

[2qmedic]

Water soluable does not mean "made with water".
Water only disolves the substance, or breaks it down.
IE; sugar disloves in water but there is no water in sugar...

Ride on is made with inert ingrediants meaning they are neutral in their PH balance or chemical reaction to other substances.

I have had motorcycles where the inside of the rim started pitting...could it be moisture in the air system??? or could it have been the lube stuff that they throw on the bead to help install the tire on the rim??? I don't know, but it's really hard to imagine that Ride On caused it with as many people using it and not ever hearing of any issues...

I would call Ride On and talk to them for additional clarification.

[John U.]

Obvoiusly there is no water in sugar, it is a dry substance. Ride on is not dry. If water is not what provides the fluidity to Ride-on I'd like to know what that would be.
As far as lubricants used to mount a tire, I mounted the tire and used No Mar non corrosive vegetable based lube as I always do. I also wiped it off before airing up the tire. I haven't had trouble with corrosion before, but this is the first time I used Ride-on. I have it in one more tire which is not yet ready for replacement. I am afraid of what I will find when I remove that tire.
I have attemped to contact the company I bought the Ride-on from, no response. I will contact Ride-on and let you all know if any light is shed on this.

[NITRO]

Scroll up and read what Daniel Meyer said in his link about tire removal after using ride-on. No corrosion worries there!

[John U.]

Scroll up and read what Daniel Meyer said in his link about tire removal after using ride-on. No corrosion worries there!

I just read Daniel's link. It was certainly an ugly looking mess. So was mine with the addition of rim damage. I noticed this from Daniel: "the wet environment and layers of metal will set you up for some electrolysis...which has the same result as very aggressive corrosion."
Apparently Daniel felt the presence of water also. I have two Valks so my tires are on the bike for much longer than Daniel's and the tire in question was a front as well. The added time may have been the critical difference.

[X Ring]

That could be a reason to find a tire shop that uses nitrogen instead of compressed air.

Marty

[John U.]

That could be a reason to find a tire shop that uses nitrogen instead of compressed air.

Marty

I agree, moisture is not good for a number of reasons., and that is certainly one of the  benefits of using nitrogen. Though, if Ride-on contains water as I think it does, and which I think Daniel was refering to, what difference would a little moisture in the air make?

[Daniel Meyer]

That could be a reason to find a tire shop that uses nitrogen instead of compressed air.

Marty

I agree, moisture is not good for a number of reasons., and that is certainly one of the  benefits of using nitrogen. Though, if Ride-on contains water as I think it does, and which I think Daniel was refering to, what difference would a little moisture in the air make?

My only concern with corrosion/electrolysis is if you have chromed aluminum rims...there is usually a layer of copper or something under the chrome and *could* set you up for corrosion. Straight aluminum I would not expect to corrode, and mine have not.

I still run the Ride-on in the front. It has saved me from half-a-dozen punctures in the last three tires.

[John U.]

Daniel, the quote in your article I posted referred to moisture. Your statement seemed to indicate that ride-on had created a moist environment. I know you were speaking about chromed wheels and the risk of corrosion due to a "wet environment". So I guess the question is what created that wet environment?
The suggestion was made by another member that perhaps moisture had something to do with the wheel damage I experienced.

I believe Ride-on contains water, but I have no idea why my wheel was damaged. I haven't had that problem before.

[2qmedic]

Here goes...

Go to the Ride-On web site and look up the MSDS sheet.
Ride-On is an Ethylene Glycol / water based solution. Also look futher down on that page and see "Note to Physician" I think you will get a kick out of this also!!!  
  
I just spoke to the Exc Manager at Ride-On, George Burns, who has been there for years;      
-I described the concerns here: he said there are a number of issues that could cause the corrosion (especially with a less than perfect Chrome job as a scratch or bubble), also the lub used with mounting and a few other things.
-The black is common (natural from the inside of the tire) but can also be from mounting compounds, or oils from the compressors.
-If the product looks very watery or has clumped up, this can be indication of excessive water/moisture from the air source,
-The dried stuff on Daniel Myers tires he said was possibly old product that will dry out over time. (Shelf life of 3 years in unopened container and 5 year use life in a tire).  
-DON"T USE ATV OR AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCT IN MOTORCYCLE TIRES...they are heavier, will not balance out properly or work within the dynamics of the MC tire. Darkside, use the MC product.

He said please call him, if there is an issue, they want to know.
1-888-374-3366

Just for the safety aspect, if I had too, I would buy a tube and use it in the tube. The smoothness and safety factor of Ride-On is worth it to me.    

[John U.]

Thanks 2qmedic I called and left a message.
I agree about the saftey of Ride-on. Anyone who has been left standing by the side of the road due to a flat will not want to repeat the experience.
I plan to use Ride-on again, but not until I understand the reason for a ruined wheel.
If no explanation other than "it can't have been the Ride-on" is found I plan to seal the inner surfaces of the wheel to prevent having to buy yet another wheel. Since most flats occur in the rear tire, I may limit use of Ride-on to the rear tire.
I have used the No-Mar and Ride-on products carefully. I haven't had problems with corrosion in the past, so until I find a way to prevent this problem, the Ride-on will stay in it's bottles on the shelf.
Thanks again,
John

[PhredValk]

Try a quad shop; they use Ride On for balancing.
Fred.