Used Motorcycle Tires?

[Billy Ricks]

I guess I should clarify my earlier post. The only used tires I have ever used have been take offs that racers use for a race or two and go to new tires. I've got GSXR wheels on my bike and good used race tires are readily available. This isn't really the case for stock GS wheels.

[duaneage]

True that. My grandfather worked at Firestone for years. It was the grinding of tires that ultimately led to discovering new products like road materials, shingles, even doormats made from the residue. They turned it into a separate division.

You don't see too many retread shops these days. I know they use retreads on truck tires but not so much cars. Florida had a lot of these shops at one time, they sometimes did their own work.

[themess]

For my first several years out of college, I ran retreads. They wore out quickly, and tended to leak air quickly, too. Handling wasn't good, but on a '63 Fairlane with terrible springs, handling sucked anyway.

Retreading makes a lot more sense with trucks. Fleets take better care of their tires than Joe Average does, so they are less likely to damage the carcasses. Retreads can NOT be used for steering axles, and I think that there are limits for drive axles. For trailers, most tires would be retreads. We still see the thrown treads all over.

What do our truck drivers say?

[Steve]

Retreads can be used for steering axles, and I think that there are limits for drive axles. For trailers, most tires would be retreads. We still see the thrown treads all over.

What do our truck drivers say?

On the contrary, retreads can NOT be used on the steering axle.

When I drove back in the '70s, we only ran Michelin tires. We got about 100,000 miles out of the original tread on the steering axle, had them capped (we found a capper that would return OUR carcasses to us), ran them another 100-150,000 miles on the drive axles, had them capped again, ran them another 200,000 or so on the trailers. By the time I left there, we had a few carcasses that were approaching a million miles, on about the fifth cap.

That being said, ...
I run on used tires on my motorcycles all the time.
Only thing is, I have done all the using.
The only NEW tires are ones that have just come out of the mold. As soon as they are mounted and roll on the ground, they are "used".

.

[themess]

On the contrary, retreads can NOT be used on the steering axle.

Ugh! I wrote the exact opposite of what I meant. You are correct.

[tone]

Ive been using second hand tyres & racer take off for the last 30 years as & when times have been hard .... no problems to date

Having said that i do have my own personal rules when looking at a used tyre ...... condition must be worth the effort of mounting it (undamaged sidewalls & bead + no existing plugs)...... tyre must not be old (i always check the date code) ....... Tread must not be squared off ..... obvious miss matches with the other tyre i'm running are discarded

The choice is yours gents

[Billy Ricks]

Ive been using second hand tyres & racer take off for the last 30 years as & when times have been hard .... no problems to date

Having said that i do have my own personal rules when looking at a used tyre ...... condition must be worth the effort of mounting it (undamaged sidewalls & bead + no existing plugs)...... tyre must not be old (i always check the date code) ....... Tread must not be squared off ..... obvious miss matches with the other tyre i'm running are discarded

The choice is yours gents

Absolutely nothing wrong with take offs. It's always premium rubber that has even wear and are definitely well scrubbed in. It's nice getting $400-500 worth of tires for under $100. Plenty of miles left in them.