would you apply stuff on tyre sidewalls?

[Def]

I apply Meguiars Vinyl and Rubber Conditioner occassionally. on my sidewalls, lightly, with a rag....and then I let it dry before I ride. Do not get it on the tire surface though as it will not be your friend in the twisties.

 

[Guitar Man]

I don't use anything. Just wash and rinse. I dressed the sidewalls a couple of years back and decided it was not worth the effort to do again. I think they look just fine after a regular wash.

 

[MHS]

I don't think there's enough of the sidewall visible to matter. I've done it once and couldn't really see a difference so don't bother anymore.

I use it on my car all the time.

 

[Shamus McFeeley]

Never put anything on the tread area, and be careful for the first 50 miles or so until the remaining mold release is scrubbed off.

There is a lot of debate on whether this is still true. From what I gather, the industry categorically denies using mold release agents. The internet has literally thousands of pages of people discussing this very issue. Here is an article from Motor Cyclist Magazine about the construction of tires:

Motor Cyclist Article

Trying to find information from the manufacturers themselves netted varied results. Michelins "care and maintenance" page for MC tires was under construction. I could not find anything on Pirellis site, but Bridgestone had this to offer:

Bridgestone Link

They don't make a direct comment about breaking them in due to the mold release agent, they just say that failure to break them in for the first 100 miles can lead to an accident.

Dunlop was kind of ambiguous:

Dunlop Link

Ironically, the place I found the best info was from Shinko. A company that I would not associate at all with quality. They state specifically that they use mold release agent in their manufacturing process.

Shinko Link

Just because they use mold release though, does not mean that any of the other manufacturers do. This topic has been done to death, I think the main point to take away is that some kind of break in period is necessary. We have to be careful when making blanket statements about the industry, lest we spread misinformation to the impressionable.

 

[FZ_K]

what i mean is i would like to use that sort of liquid/spray/foam used on car tyre sidewalls to make them look shiny and very black on the sidewalls of the bike tyres.

a pal of mine told me that the tyre would eventually absorb some of the stuff that will seep on the threaded area and would make it grip less and less over time.

what do you think... i would be doing it just so that the bike looks better when washed, i can do without it.

don`t even think about it its not worth it.

 

[BamBam77]

Read the fine print

 

[LERecords]

never even crossed my mind.. besides, there really isnt enough side wall in the first place.. would rather spend my time waxing all the paint and colored plastic..

 

[nextfriday]

scrub your sidewalls with a plastic brush or sponge when washing the bike. It pulls all the road grime off them and makes them look fairly close to new again.