How do manufacturers mark second rate tires?

[Anonymous]

I've got a Dunlop at my place and noticed that it's got a groove in the tread all the way around. It looks like it could have happened by somebody putting it into too small of a fender but I'd like to know if it could have been a factory error. It wasn't molded into the tire but maybe some yahoo had it on a lathe for some reason, I dunno

I got the tire for half price and the groove is too close to the edge of the tread for me to ever run into difficulties.

Thanks, Steve

[Billy Ricks]

I doubt seriously that Dunlop sells seconds due to the liability involved, especially with bike tires. Remember the Firestone mess? The groove in that tire is probably due to it rubbing against something like you suspect.

[JJ]

Steve,

As an employee of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (which owns Dunlop), I can assure you that a tire like you describe would not be allowed to leave the tire-plant where it was made, unless it was shipped back to the mold-plant due to a manufacturing error. Even then, it would have the sidewalls slashed to prevent it from ever being mounted. It's probably from a fender rubbing during previous use.

[focus frenzy]

Steve,

As an employee of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (which owns Dunlop), I can assure you that a tire like you describe would not be allowed to leave the tire-plant where it was made, unless it was shipped back to the mold-plant due to a manufacturing error. Even then, it would have the sidewalls slashed to prevent it from ever being mounted. It's probably from a fender rubbing during previous use.

agreed to a point, some auto tire makers do sell tires with cosmetic flaws, like lettering on tire not molded right, miss marked, minor things like this.
they stamp "BLEM" on the side wall and you can get them real cheep but they are pretty rare nowadays and you have to look pretty hard to find them.
motorcycle tires are under allot closer control and I have never seen a motorcycle tire "blem"
I have seen faulty tires but they are sent to be destroyed and not sold, I have even seen new unused tires sent to the scraper due to not being sold within a period of time.
I don't know if this is normal, or if it applies to all makes of motorcycle tires but I have seen new still wrapped and tagged motorcycle tires in a tire recycler truck headed for the shredder.
unfortunately none were my size but a couple were a friends size

[Anonymous]

I guess the dealer had mounted this tire before selling it to me. Somebody's loss is my gain!

Cheers, Steve

[JJ]

Focus,

I know that some tire manufacturers do sell "blem" tires. I was simply telling Steve that Goodyear/Dunlop would *NEVER* release a tire with the type of defect that he described for sale. We can, at times, get tires with minor cosmetic defects that have been sent to us from tire plants, for FREE.

[focus frenzy]

Focus,

I know that some tire manufacturers do sell "blem" tires. I was simply telling Steve that Goodyear/Dunlop would *NEVER* release a tire with the type of defect that he described for sale. We can, at times, get tires with minor cosmetic defects that have been sent to us from tire plants, for FREE.

all we ever get from Goodyear (wingfoot division)(big truck tires) are hats, its the uppermanagment that gets all the cool kick backs from goodyear.