Tire age

[Rob S.]

Do (tubed) tires become unsafe with age even if they have plenty of tread and no cracks, no visible or performance flaws?

[bwringer]

Yes.

The rubber compound hardens a bit each year.

Hard to say where to draw the line, exactly, but I would never install tires more than two or three years old or ride on tires more than five years old. Others may feel differently, but that's a common rule of thumb.

[tkent02]

It has nothing to do with tubes or tubeless. Tire rubber ages quickly.

Depends on where they are stored too. Out in the sun a few years will do them in. Stored in a dark, cool, and dry place they do OK for longer. Hot and humid, not so good either.
Ozone also accelerates the aging.

They get harder, so less traction, the rubber comes off faster anyway, and when you least expect it they delaminate and blow.

Last fall I rode my new 1979 550 on it's original Mag Mopus front tire, and a once replaced rear tire from the early 80s. Very slow ride, it felt squirely as can be, after several times around the block about 2/3 of the tread rubber was gone. That's extreme, but a tire ten years old will be very slippery, one five years old will be noticeably harder and less sticky than a new one. Dig your fingernail into a tire two years old, the rubber feels harder than a brand new version of the same tire.

The 450 I just picked up has a new front tire in 2009, the rear is from the nineties. It is very hard compared to the front, but they are both going away before I ride it.

How long to run an old tire? Do you feel lucky? I change them out after a few years because new tires feel incredibly soft and sticky, they ride so much nicer, there's nothing quite like a nice tight motorcycle on sticky new tires. Five years old they are gone, no matter how new they look.

The ony bad falls I have ever taken were both caused by old tires, Im done with pushing my luck on it.

Tires are cheap, broken bones are not.

[Rob S.]

There's no way for me to know how old the tires are, since I've only owned the bike less than eight months.

The only experience I have with buying a new tire was for the rear of my Z1 in the mid '80's. I ordered the best Dunlop, and when the man asked, "street compound or race compound?," I gave the wrong answer. That thing was hard as a rock and as slippery as...as slippery as a cold race tire.

Won't make that mistake again. I'll get a matched set of something, I'm not concerned with how long they last, I just want the softest, stickiest, grippiest tires made!

[tkent02]

There's no way for me to know how old the tires are, since I've only owned the bike less than eight months.

Check the date code.

[Steve]

There's no way for me to know how old the tires are, since I've only owned the bike less than eight months.

Sure there is.

Look on the sidewall for the DOT number. Can't say how many digits there will be, probably 10 or 12 or so. The last few will likely be in a separate block. If there are three digits, the first two are the week number, the third will be the last digit of the year. For example, if you see "243", it will have been made in the 24th week of a year ending in 3, so probably 1983 or 1993.

In 2000, they changed the scheme a bit to a 4-digit code, so that same tire would have a code of 2403 or 2413, showing a manufacturing date of the 24th week of 2003 or 2013.

.

[Brendan W]

I replaced the old tyres on the bike with a set of the same - Conti TKV 11 & 12 and the change was like night and day. The old front, 14 years, was barely worn but was showing cracks. The rear was younger, 9 years I think, well worn but no visible cracks.

[Big T]

So Rob, how old are the tires on your bike?

[chuck hahn]

Theres a kidney bean shaped area with 4 digits, The first two are the WEEK of the year and the last two are the year. for example a code of 1714 would be the 17th week of 2014.

[yank]

Rob 1300 post in 6 months are they all in the OT?Try reading some of the Technical forums Im sure it 's been talked about in the last 6 months.

[tkent02]

He'll just ride it until it pops.

[mmattockx]

Tires are cheap, broken bones are not.

Solid words of advice right there.

He'll just ride it until it pops.

Some people like the suspense, it adds excitement to every ride.


Mark

[Rob S.]

So Rob, how old are the tires on your bike?

Had to ignore Suzi for a few days - health problems (cancer) of close family member.

Tkent02, time to make a snide comment about how it'll soon be me with the health problems if I don't follow your advice ASAP.

Mmattockx, how noble of you to support this site anonymously! (You too, Yank)

[yank]

Had to ignore Suzi for a few days - health problems (cancer) of close family member.

Tkent02, time to make a snide comment about how it'll soon be me with the health problems if I don't follow your advice ASAP.

Mmattockx, how noble of you to support this site anonymously! (You too, Yank)

Must be true, Can't buy knowledge.

[isleoman]

I just polished off a head of lettuce that was 14 years old and had 8000 miles on it. A little slippery in the corners for the last year of use.

I don't mess with Arugula though.