Tire

[Guest]

Does anyone check the date when tire was made before buying,friend told me if its over 6 month he wouldnt buy it???and he said his wife got mad at him for working on his bike to much so he went for a spin that made her really mad(joke).

[tlg1100]

Looks like my old house,before wife.... the manufactures date they where made.... some people watch out for tires they are buying new but the tires have been setting in some warehouse for a year or so. I dont even know where this is marked on the the tire just buy from somewhere that moves a lot of tires?? maybe someone else will chime in.

[Tarbash 27]

Thats crazy. As for the tire, how could you go by the date. Even if you ordered a brand new tire from say dennis kirk or bikebandit, it could be on there shelf for 2 years before someone buys it. Not saying it is but, you get the point. I would do more of a physical inspection such as check for cracks, dryness and flexibility. Mount it, put in some air and check for cracks again. Dont just go by the date.

I have an original front tire on my 67 honda ct90 and its still in fair condition.

[Steve]

I dont even know where this is marked on the the tire ...

Look on the sidewall for the DOT number. At the very end of that number will be a separate block that will have 3 or 4 digits in it. That is the production date code.

If it has 3 digits, get rid of the tire NOW. The way to read the date: if it has 3 digits, the first 2 are the week number, the third digit is the last digit of the year of manufacture. For example, if the number is 387, the tire was made in the 38th week of a year ending in 7. Could be 1977, could be 1987, could be 1997. No way of telling, but they are ALL too old for safe use today.

Starting in 2000, they started putting 4 digits in the box. Same principle applies, the first two are the week of the year, the last 2 are the year. If the code is 3807, you know the tire was made in the 38th week of 2007.

I have an original front tire on my 67 honda ct90 and its still in fair condition.

It may appear to be in "fair condition", but that might also describe your condition in the hospital if you ride it out on the street.

It might be OK for use in the yard or in the back 40, but I certainly would not trust it anywhere else.

.

[ramrod400]

This all came about because on my yamaha the tires are 4 years old with 3600? miles but still look good, after reading some random threads with many saying they would get new tire after 3 or 4 years I was just b.s with friend and he said if he is shopping for new tires he would check d.o.t code I never have but learn something new every couple of years or so.I been ordering mine from local dealership only once ordered by catalog.Thanks for info steve nice to know age not only milage on tire,if nothing else just for the smell of it

[Big T]

They still look good and will work OK.

New ones will stick better

[tlg1100]

I have original tires on a 77 yamaha champ back tire goes flat every once in a while,I just ride in the yard and it goes about 30 mph,just to be sure I will check dot code lol?

[koolaid_kid]

Thats crazy. As for the tire, how could you go by the date. Even if you ordered a brand new tire from say dennis kirk or bikebandit, it could be on there shelf for 2 years before someone buys it. Not saying it is but, you get the point. I would do more of a physical inspection such as check for cracks, dryness and flexibility. Mount it, put in some air and check for cracks again. Dont just go by the date.

I have an original front tire on my 67 honda ct90 and its still in fair condition.

I agree with the part I highlighted in bold. Go by ratings and opinions of expert riders who have used the tire.
AFA the date, those companies know how old their inventory is, and they know how long they should have them in stock, by their "born on" date. They keep their in-stock quantities accordingly to keep them fresh.
I do the same thing with my batteries, as they have a date system also. I won't buy one over 6 months old, car or bike. And I very seldom see one that old, BTW.

[koolaid_kid]

This all came about because on my yamaha the tires are 4 years old with 3600? miles but still look good, after reading some random threads with many saying they would get new tire after 3 or 4 years I was just b.s with friend and he said if he is shopping for new tires he would check d.o.t code I never have but learn something new every couple of years or so.I been ordering mine from local dealership only once ordered by catalog.Thanks for info steve nice to know age not only milage on tire,if nothing else just for the smell of it

When you are talking existing tires, you should be able to tell by their physical appearance, as noted, and their handling. I kept my Dunlops on my GS too long, and handling disappeared big time. My new tires are so much better it is amazing.