 Sherman Jones' motorbike, once again upright. The offending tire spray is on the seat and the now-retired tires are leaning against the carport wall. Photo by Chase Zaca |
Sherman Jones of Santa Paula, Calif., was excited. A longtime motorcycling enthusiast, Jones had just bought a used 2005 Honda CB250 motorbike. On Friday, as the weekend approached, Jones took a few minutes to give the bike a last once-over before hitting the road to Oxnard the next morning.
Not wanting to overlook any part of his new bike, Jones applied a coat of Turtle Wax F210 Tire Foam and Shine to the tires. The next morning, as he approached his first turn at about 20 miles per hour, the bike slid out from underneath him, breaking his shoulder on impact and sending him on an expensive trip to the Ventura County Medical Centers Emergency Room.
Jones attributes the accident to the tire shine, which he believes compromised the traction of his bikes tires.
"It was like hitting ice," Jones said. "I lost total control." The official cause of the accident as stated in the police report was "slippery spray on tires", terse testimony that calls into doubt the safety of using tire shine products on two-wheeled vehicles.
And no, it's not what you're thinking. He didn't put the foam on the tire's treads. He applied it only to the sidewalls, he said.
Looking back on it, Jones hypothesizes that as the tires spin, they "generate centrifugal force which causes a build-up of the shine material near edge of the tread," creating a potential hazard when the bike is leaning through a turn. This theory has been supported by a number of forum users on various motor vehicle enthusiast websites, including www.sportbikeworld.com.
The Turtle Wax F210 Tire Foam spray can that Jones used does feature a vaguely worded warning in the fine black print caution statement on its back, simply stating, "Do not use on cycle tires." Seemingly contradictory, however, Jones' edition of the product features a "Safe for all Tires" pitch in much larger font towards the cans top, a boast that has been removed in more recent editions.
Clearer warnings
Turtle Wax competitor Armor All, which has the "Extreme Tire Shine" line, warns against the use of its product on motorcycle and bicycle tires. The companys website explains how tire shine, while ideal for protecting car tires, should not be used on two wheeled vehicles "due to slipperiness."
Meguiars Hot Shine and Black Magics Tire Wet lines, each of which compete with Turtle Waxs F210 formula, feature distinct warnings in bold capital letters that caution against the use of tire shine on two-wheeled vehicles. These warnings, while the most clearly visible of the brands available at Jones local AutoZone store, were still limited to the backsides of each can and were set in the same color as the rest of the surrounding font. Jones insists that these labels "though better, should be on the front."
 Turtle Wax can, left, has no prominent warning against use on two-wheeled vehicle tires. Tire Wet can, right, clearly states product should not be used on "tires of seats of motorcycles, bircycles or other two-wheeled vehicles." Photos by Chase Zaca |
All of these manufacturers are evidently aware of the dangers that may result from using tire spray on two-wheeled vehicles, but Jones questions why they don't do a better job of warning consumers.
All the companies cans state in large bold letters spanning the bottom under the front logo "Danger: Contents under pressure," yet make no mention on the front side about the dangers of using the products on cycle tires. Most everyone who has not been in a time capsule knows that pressurized cans are dangerous, but it's not immediately evident that tire shine shouldn't be used on certain types of tires.
Jones says his painful injuries serve as a daily reminder of this hidden hazard and says he has a new attitude about shiny tires: "Tire shine has a place in car shows, but not on the road."
"The only thing I use to clean my tires now is water and a brush," Jones said.
