Used Motorcycle Tires?

[Calvin Blackmore]

like what they said
buy online and install yourself
its a fine lesson in anger management changing tires is.
like shoeing a horse
you know the pseky one looking over your shoulder while your working on your bike

shoo horsie
BAD horsie

maudit im funny la


used tires is a bad choice
its like laser eye surgery
sure it almost 100% safe.................but..............it isnt 100% safe and the results could be life altering or ending.

[robertbarr]

Wheel removal is easy on a shafty. Remove the the rear shocks bolts on the swing arm, loosen the top nuts and swing them up out of the way. Tap the axle out and your off and running.

Actually, it's easier than that. Your 700 should be nearly identical to my 650SC, and I can get the rear wheel off in 4 minutes or less without pulling the shocks. The manual is mistaken about removing the shock. It's not necessary.

I had a rear wheel bearing failure on this bike at 25k, so I would also R/R the bearings.

I don't know where you're shopping for tires, but you can save yourself a bundle by just searching the internet for a while. I wouldn't pay more than about $70 for a rear tire, and I usually buy the original Dunlops for this bike. For specifics, you might consider checking a Honda newsgroup.

(You will probably have trouble finding the originals anymore without raised white lettering, though -- I think they're out of production.)

[Clone]

Just say NO! to used tires. You can get new ones for a good price if you look around and don't plan on getting the most expensive tires because people tell you less pricey ones are crap. Check out imotorcycle.com, they have free shipping and pretty good prices.

[Schweisshund]

I don't use used rubbers and I won't use used tires for the same reasons :shock:
I may use used parts on my bike and jerry rig things to work, but when it comes to tires and brake pads... It's new or no riding.

I don't plan on squirting my load in a tire :-D Just kidding .... (well, seriously, I don't -- looking around nervously).

All kidding aside, I will shop on e-bay for new tires. I am glad I asked before I went ahead and did this.

[txironhead]

On my shaft-drive '85 Shadow, I didn't have to remove the rear shocks to remove the rear tire, and I didn't have to remove the calipers to remove the front. My local mechanic charged me $12 per tire to mount the Cheng Shin tires I bought from him. I think I paid $50 for the front and $38 for the rear. Look for Cheng Shin Hi-Max tires. They're cheap, they last a long time, and as long as you aren't looking to road race Pike's Peak, they grip fine.

The only thing I've ever put used tires on was my old farm trailer.

Oh, and do yourself a favor and get some metal bolt-in valve stems. I had several of the pop-in rubber ones leak on my Shadow before I spent $10 at O'Reilly's and got the purty chrome ones. Plus, if you get the angled ones, it makes checking/filling the rear tire pressure much easier. Make sure you install the valve stems before mounting the new tires, as they need to be part of the equation when you have them balanced.

[Jethro]

I agree new is always better than used. However, the "reasonable" price for replacing the set on my nighthawk is $140 for front tire plus $60 to mount it. $180 for the rear and $60 to mount it.

When I heard these prices I felt like they were asking me to bend over. I don't think those prices are reasonable.

Are you sh!ttin' me? Whatever shop that is, run far away from it and never return. I just bought (from a shop mind you, not online) a set of BT021 Z rated radials. The rear is a 190 wide, and these are top shelf tires. I paid $100 less than you got quoted with mounting them up. What are they trying to sell you? Michelin Pilot Race's?

You should be able to get decent tires for $300 mounted. Even at a shop. Online and mounting them myself I would save about $70, but I dispise mounting tires and this shop is very good to me. I like to keep him in buisness so I buy my tires through him. It's nice having a shop where I can get inspection stickers and such without even bringing in the bike, he'll let me borrow tools and he gives me great prices on all my gear. Every motorcyclist should have a shop they are "in" with.

[boris]

shop around and check on ebay
i got a brand new 90/90 18 3x cheaper than the local tyre place wanted
it was brand new still wrapped and is well in date ect
fitting was 15 notes though
(at a local ish tyre place)

just adding it was a metzler tyre and not some cheaper brand

[themess]

I strongly advise you to not mount used motorcycle tires, especially tubeless tires.

First, all tires are subject to road damage. An experienced eye can detect some of this damage. The lighting needs to be just so. Places where plies and components overlap inside the tire look just like damage to the untrained eye. I would expect that technicians who mount and dismount tires full time would get a good feel for identifying damaged tires. Motorcycle mechanics, who do it only part time, would rarely learn the skill.

Second, tubeless tires seal air inside between the rim and the bead. The rubber at the interface is hard and only seals if the rim is clean and undamaged, and if the bead is unkinked. Bead wire is stiff and brittle. It kinks easily when a tire is mounted or dismounted. Dismounting a tire is more likely to kink a bead than mounting a tire. In fact, most beads are kinked when the tire is dismounted. That means that a slow air leak is likely, with the strong possibility of dangerously low air pressure. I recommend that, if you mount a used motorcycle tire, you use and inner tube as a safeguard. (There went some of the cost savings!) If you don't do that, check air pressure every day.

[mcycle-nut]

The Suzuki dealership, literally right down the road from me, told me I could have as many of their used tires as I wanted. I was like ... seriously? The head mechanic said yes, that it was illegal to sell used motorcycle tires and they had to pay to get rid of them. Is this true?

REALLY? My friend who owns a motorcycle shop, PURPOSELY puts large slices in any tire that sits outside before they are taken away so they CAN'T be used. People like to sue up here, too!
Besides, as it's been said, a new Cheng Shin is better that a old, half worn out Michelin.

[Billy Ricks]

The last couple of sets of tires on my 700 have been racer take offs. I picked up a set of Michelin Power Pilots in a race compound for about $80 off Ebay last year. Just check them over good and look for the manufacturing dates and obvious punctures. If the bead isn't ruined and everything else looks okay then why not? I've run used tires for thousands of miles without any problems.

[jtmcculloch]

I always replace my tires just before they get to the wear bars.
So I have been adding to that pile of usable tires. I hate the cost of tires but think my life is worth it.

[bwringer]

Changing yer own tires ain't hard:

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/tire-changing.html

I agree that whoever you're talking to is trying to hose you big time. You can slap a set of Kendas on there yourself for around $120.

[hampshirehog]

Secondhand tyres only have 2 uses: a swing for the kids or for getting fires going when you want to annoy the neighbourhood.

[duaneage]

REALLY? My friend who owns a motorcycle shop, PURPOSELY puts large slices in any tire that sits outside before they are taken away so they CAN'T be used. People like to sue up here, too!
Besides, as it's been said, a new Cheng Shin is better that a old, half worn out Michelin.

I slash my old tires too before putting them out for the trash. No one is going to take one of my old tires, mount it, then sue me if it fails for making said tire available.

Sometimes you just gotta prevent stupidity.

[themess]

Firestone factories used to slash their scrap tires. This was to prevent scroungers from taking tires from landfills, making a superficial repair, selling them, and the ultimate customer suing Firestone when the tires failed in service. The scroungers found ways to somehow hide a slash. So Firestone started cutting the beads out. Scroungers found ways to reattach beads. So Firestone began cutting out beads and grinding up the carcasses. I don't think that anyone has yet found a way to un-grind a tire.