Occult? Testing Out the New Static-removal (static-eliminating) Product, the Discharge Nut for Tire Valves!

Applying aluminum tape to the vehicle body removes static electricity and improves handling and body performance. ......
This story, which seems to be a lie, got a lot of attention because Toyota Motor Corporation patented it, and the controversy is still going on.

However, people who really believe in the improvement of the performance by this static elimination are rare even now, and most of them must be thinking "it can't work, if it really works, it must be adopted in MotoGP".

In addition, there are many cases where the person who actually wears it also wears it half as a story, and the effect of the static elimination may be like "I feel like there is it, but honestly I don't know well".

However, the static elimination itself "works", as I mentioned in my previous article.
Whether you can feel the effect or not, there is no doubt that it is eliminating static.

The problem is, it's been defused.Will I feel any effects?
I mean, does it actually work? It does.
This time, the author, who hates occult parts, actually put it on and tried it out!

New product is air valve mounted type

Here's a close-up of the product
The tip is shaped quite sharply to promote positive discharge
Perhaps they are sharpened by hand, one at a time. ......

We received a sample of a new product from NGC Japan, which holds a patent for static elimination of motorcycles.

Until now, most of our static eliminator products have been used mainly in the air intake area, but our new product is designed to be attached to the air valve of a tire. By discharging (static elimination) the static electricity of the tire that accumulates by running Everything's going to be better. That seems to be the case. But actually, I didn't receive any explanation beforehand, and I was just handed the product.

I haven't received any explanation of what kind of effect it has, so I can only experience it by actually putting it on. On the contrary, it might mean that they have enough confidence that I can experience it without any explanation!

Let's put it on.

This test vehicle was jog aprio!
It's not a Type 2 with disc brakes and hydraulic forks either, it's the cheapest and cheesiest "just an Aprio".

Why would you test in such a vehicle?

That's because the suspension performance is very low on the lowest-priced scooters of this type, and there are no dampers on the front forks, so we thought we could feel the condition of the tires very directly, for better or worse.

In addition, this vehicle is equipped with tires with a lot of grooves that emphasize drainage when driving on the street, and the tread pattern even produces a somewhat rumbling rolling feeling, so we wanted to observe how this would change.

The test was not on a circuit or test course, but on a public road, but since I pass the same road every day at the same time on my way to work, I am familiar with the road conditions, and I am hoping to be able to detect even the slightest difference.

The test vehicle is basically stock, but it has oversized pistons and a 54cc engine (with a rare yellow license plate), so it can legally reach the 60km/h limit for a low-cost scooter on public roads./h can be reached.
Vehicles and tires.Can you experience the static elimination effect in the design limit speed range?I think we can also experiment with things like that.
Maybe.

Very normal normal air valve and plastic valve cap

When you remove the plastic valve cap, it looks like this, very normal.

About product build

Overall view of the product (front side?)

When I turned it over (the back side?)

This is what the Tire Valve Discharge Nut looks like when viewed as a single product.
This is where the discharge (static elimination) occurs.

Underneath the crown-shaped part, there is a 1 thick.A thin stainless steel washer of about 5mm is welded on, and there is a thread that matches the air valve on the inside diameter of the washer.

In other words, it is not just a part that fits into the air valve.Parts to be fixed by screwing inThat means.

The majority of air valves have the same thread diameter with a slight difference in shape.Can be mounted on any motorcycle or motorcycleThat's what I mean.
(Bicycles have narrower English valves, and road type even narrower French valves, so not all tires can be used, but bikes and motorcycles are mostly American valves.)

Also, many external magnesium wheels use high quality aluminum valves, and these valves are threaded from top to bottom, so the static eliminating nut can be threaded all the way to the root. I have some doubts about this.
But if I put double nut for stopper, it will be heavy, and I don't want to break it by centrifugal force because of heavy valve, so I'm sure I can screw it to the root.

(*It was later found out that the correct way to use a full-threaded air valve is to screw it in all the way to the root.)
If the thread is long and the gap under the cap is large, as in the case of valves with a rim nut (i.e. all tube-type valves), it is correct not to force it back to the cap side, but to keep it in contact with the rim nut and lightly tighten it.

Also, it is important to note that it was NGC Japan that patented static elimination and made the concept of static elimination known to motorcycle users.
As is the NAG on the crankcase pressure reducing valve.It takes a lot of time and money to spread awareness of a feature that has not been recognized by the public.It is.
The inventor must have made an effort to promote the product with conviction, even if some people around him may have negative opinions at first.

For that effort.It's a way to give back with product purchases.etiquetteI think so.

The cost of such a thing is not even ¥0.00 ......, and the price is a rip-off! I'm sure you'll agree with me.

This is the familiar NGC Japan static elimination bolt and patent certificate.

I think it's only human to respect the originator of the idea and buy it properly.

Which is the correct orientation? (This is a picture of the front side)

View with the protrusions mounted face up

This is what it looks like when you put the cap back on. It looks dangerous because you might hurt your hand.

It looks like this when you install it with the open side like a crown facing the tip of the air valve.
This will be the case no matter which valve you install, and the air valve cap will fit perfectly on the majority of vehicles.

However, as you can see, the sharp part of the tip of the crown comes to the air cap side, so you might injure your finger if you are not very motorcycleeful when adjusting the air pressure.

It looks like it would work best for what it looks like, but I think it's a little dangerous, so I don't recommend it.
It turned out afterwards, but it seems that the direction here is still wrong!

Which is the correct orientation? (This is a picture of it installed backwards.)

View with the protrusions mounted facing backwards

This is what it looks like when you put the cap back on

If you put the crown towards the root of the air valve, it will look like this.
Since the protrusion is facing away from the air valve cap, the chance of injuring your fingers during air pressure adjustment will be greatly reduced.
It is recommended to install in this orientation.
(I found out later that the direction here is...It is correct to point the jagged crown at the root of the valveThat's right.)

Besides, it seems that it would be better to point the discharge part to the outside of the wheel like this, just like the discharge cable of an aircraft is installed in a position where the flow velocity is fast. (It doesn't matter this time because it is bent 90°, but normally it grows straight from the wheel, so the circumference of rotation will be slightly larger if it is installed in this direction)

In addition, this installation sample motorcycle is a scooter, so if you point the projection to the root, it will be close to the wheel center.
It's just my imagination, but I think that turbulence is more likely to be generated near the wheel center and the static elimination effect is higher there. I think so.

Super easy to put on!

So, let's install it quickly.
The mounting method is as follows.

That's all!

I found out later that the best way to do this is to put the discharge nut deep into the air valve, tighten the cap, then put the discharge nut back on and lightly lock it to the cap.

I didn't know this at the time of this test, so I left it screwed in to the furthest point it could be screwed in.

The nut that the threads are cut into is super thin.Be motorcycleeful not to damage the screw threads by installing it in a slotted position.is necessary, but other than that, there is no particularly difficult part.
Even if you work motorcycleefully, it will take less than a minute per place.

It is important to clean the dust from the screw part well so that it does not get caught because the screw is thin.

View of the completed installation from the front.
Originally, the discharge nut should be put back on to make it tighter with the cap.

Here's what it looks like from the back when it's installed
Originally, the discharge nut should be put back on to make it tighter with the cap.

It's hard to tell the difference because of the location, but I also installed it on the rear.

Originally, the discharge nut should be put back on to make it tighter with the cap.

To install the discharge nut, use the valve root2 between the rubber part and the valve cap..A gap of 0 mm or more is required.

Some scooters and BMW's may have a tight fit, in which case it is possible to replace the valve cap with a shorter one.

For an example of a valve cap with a short overall length, click here.

Actual driving impressions!

Easy to install and easy to test run.
It's so easy to put on and take off and compare, so easy to compare!

But the air valve has no continuity with the door...?

No matter how much this product is made of metal, which is advantageous for discharge, the root of the air valve is made of rubber

To begin with, if you put a static eliminating nut on an air valveWhat part of the system is used for static elimination?
The root of the air valve is rubber, so it doesn't have any continuity with the tire or even the metal wheel.
The only part that the static eliminating parts come in contact with is the brass part that supports the core of the air valve.
Defusing a part like that?

No, probably not.
To continue the story further in the first place, tires are made of rubber, so they are not conductive to electricity.
But as a practical matter.Large displacement tires and 4-wheel tires are grounded for static elimination.So, it seems that tires are so electrically charged that they must have such a function.
Because tire manufacturers go to the trouble and expense of grounding the static charge on the tires to the road surface.It's like a tire manufacturer admitting that static elimination of non-conductive tires is effective.It is.

Therefore, this discharge nut for tire valves is also independent of conductivity and other factors, orIt's because of the lack of conductivity (?)In addition, it may be expected to have a static eliminating effect on tires and wheels.

Driving Impressions

I did a buzz test run on my daily commute with the static eliminating nut on and off!

First off, I'd like to say no.The following is the author's personal opinionto.
Static elimination is not something that can be measured numerically (that's why it's often treated as an occult part: ......), and it's a part that relies very much on the senses.
There seems to be an example that the measured value of the fuel consumption improves when installing it in the intake system, but this time it is very vague because it is a tire system. There is no value such as "grip improved by 0%!

And I can probably measure it numerically.Grip has not improved.I think.
I don't think it's possible to change the friction coefficient so much that you can feel it just by de-energizing.

But .......
The grip "feel" has improved quite a bit.
I don't ride in a way that causes the tires to slide longitudinally under acceleration or braking (it's just a cheap scooter, so I can't do wheelspin, etc.), so whether absolute grip has improved is a mystery, but I think the tires probably haven't changed at all.
At least if you brake as hard as you can on wet paint on a rainy day, you will slide properly.

However, the slipperiness of the slide and just before theMuch improved peace of mind.and the lateral movement felt in the corners.Grip feel? Grounding feeling? You can feel the improvement of the
I can now confidently beat the first intersection on a cold morning right after we leave.
If you don't call this grip feeling, what do you call grip feeling? It's like a grip.
It's a pretty amazing effect, but I don't think it's placebo. ......

And...The ride is much more comfortable now.
The movement of the cheap suspension is still rattling, but there seems to be less fine vibrations that the suspension can't reach to stroke.
As for the sensation.Increased flexibility of the tyre sidewallorImproved road-following performance of tread rubberOr so the feeling goes.

in additionI didn't notice any change in speed range. I was expecting that the low speed range would have less discharge effect and I would not feel the effect. But it was not such a thing.
Maximum speed (60km) that swept the stock meter/h), but in the back alleys of residential areas (10 km/(h), but no change in the soft feel of the tire.

I learned later that according to the manufacturer, NGC Japan

This has the effect of
Apparently I've experienced the improved ground contact part.

However, I couldn't feel the effect of the straightness improvement, the stability improvement, and the direction change performance. I could not experience the effect.
Maybe it was the combination of those effects that made you feel that the ride was improved. ......
Unfortunately, this may be the limit of my performance as a test rider.
Smithsonian .......

Moreover, the part that actually makes the running sound quiet isI was under the impression it was the exact opposite.
Originally, the tires had a lot of fine grooves and a lot of pattern noise, but after installing them, I felt that the pattern noise became even clearer.

However, thinking back, this was not a "sound", but a morose feeling of the tread pattern, which I confused with pattern noise.
After knowing the effect that NGC Japan claimed, I went back to the motorcycle and realized that I had just misunderstood the feeling of the tire pattern as noise, as expected.
I'm relieved.

However, I'm sorry to say that even now I don't feel like the tire noise has quieted down at all with the static eliminating nut installed.
Maybe the quiet effect is for 4-wheelers and other vehicles that generate clear tire noise.

Consider the range of static elimination.

Tires only? Or the wheels? Maybe even the suspension?

Is that really an improvement in grip? But at least I felt that way.
Really?
I assure you that I don't do the common things like writing about a discovery because I received a sample product, or getting paid to write a good tie-in article, or introducing a product as a good part in return for an ad listing.

And while it may seem a little implausible.Even the suspension moved better.I'm confused because I feel like
When I step over a joint step or a manhole, I get the same shock as before, but it feels strange as if the corner of the shock has rounded.
It's not like the dampers are loose (there are no dampers on this motorcycle), and it's not like the springs are weak.

I thought that maybe the entire fork was being static-eliminated through the axle shafts ......, but I was wrong, it wouldn't have that much effect! So I decided to use the tire static eliminator.Improved shock absorption performance of the tire itselfI have come to the conclusion that they may be under the illusion that the suspension performance has been improved. I came to the conclusion that
However, I don't know if this is correct, I'm just saying that I felt that way.
I think it's amazing that you feel that way, though.

Weaknesses of discharge nuts for tire valves

I'm baffled that such a small part can experience such a great effect, but I also found a weak point.

It is to the effect thatYou'll get used to it in a few days.This was a bit of a problem for me.

A professional test rider can always make a calm and objective decision, but I am a novice.
I am sure that the majority of you reading this article are not test riders either.
So the grip I initially felt was onlyYou get used to it after a few days and it becomes normal.of.

However.It gets worse as soon as you remove the discharge nut.(It's just back to normal.) So it's not my imagination after all.
Immediately after removing the discharge nut, you may think "Hmm? I even feel that the tire might be slipping and smotorcycley ......".

Just.You'll get used to that smotorcycley feeling in a few days.You can find it at .......
Just after installing the discharge nut I'm sure it's working.
I'm sorry for exposing the low performance of the test rider of this time, the author.

In addition, when I applied a coat of shame, I could not detect any static elimination effect on the rear tire side.
However, this may be due to the special unsprung circumstances of the scooter (the unsprung weight is very heavy because the entire drive system moves and absorbs the impact, including the engine), so I will try to see if I can feel it by installing it on the front and rear wheels of another vehicle that looks like a motorcycle.

I couldn't feel the rear, but I could clearly feel the front!
Good when you put good oil in it! But just like you get used to it quickly, a good feeling tends to get used to it!
I'm pretty sure it's working because it gets worse immediately when I take it off. ......

For 4-wheelers, it's fashionable to use the air valve cap itself to eliminate static...

The popular air valve static eliminating parts for 4-wheeled vehicles are machined aluminum valve caps that are anodized, and the knurled surface of the cap is used to eliminate static. ......
Some of them have a built-in magnet or a thin copper foil to improve the conductivity.

But to be honest, I don't think that's quite right. I have a feeling that it is.
Of course, there are many protrusions, so it may not be completely ineffective, but I think it is a little unreasonable to think that the protrusions for electrical discharge are knurled protrusions.
There are many machined aluminum air valve caps for motorcycles that are knurled to prevent slippage, but do they improve ride comfort and ground feel?
I don't feel anything.

Also, I don't think magnetic force has anything to do with it, let alone conductivity.
I don't know, maybe it has some amazing effects that I don't know about, but what do you think?

Finally, we can also consider why the static eliminating nut has not been adopted by motoGP and others.
Manufacturers don't want to use parts that don't have a clear scientific basis, and they know that in racing, it is more effective to improve the suspension settings than to improve the grip with these parts.
Toyota is probably just too much of an exception to the rule, as they also put aluminum tape all over their race motorcycles for discharge.

But I don't go around the same track every time, and I don't change the suspension settings every day.For the average road rider, an all-around effective static eliminating nut is very effective.I think so.
What do you guys think?

Click here for the NGC Japan website