how old is too old?

[Guest]

cause i think i'm gonna be looking at tires for both my kz and my gs this spring. the gs because the tires are getting a little low on tread, and the kz because i think the tires might be getting too old, but i don't know how old is too old. i think the kz tires are 5 years old, and both have the same tires as well. they are Avon tires iirc

[Octain]

Check for dry rotting between the treads. I've ridden on 10 year old tires before, but as long as they look good there fine.

[mrbill5491]

Check for dry rotting between the treads. I've ridden on 10 year old tires before, but as long as they look good there fine.

You can if you want, No way in hell I would. I don't even like 4 year old tires.

[Rob S.]

Yeah, crack open the wallet. It's nice to see the little "titties" on both tires.

Well, I like it. (Pirelli Sport Demons).

[amxsteve]

You may not see cracks and if you ride very cautiously you may be ok. BUT there may be one time when you say oops and realize you needed new shoes. Play it safe and put on tires. Older tires in my opinion do not offer the same grip as newer ones.

[JEEPRUSTY]

Oh bollocks change your tires once a season as I do,
GD sidewall cracking is the order of the day way north up here.

[60ratrod]

The 650g definitely has cracking between the treads, but since the depth was on the low side of my liking they were gonna be replaced in the spring anyway. The kz's tires though show no cracks, but I think the date on them is 09. And I think the only miles on these tires are what I put on them. Well, new tires for both this spring it is then

[recycled64]

Have you checked the date of manufacture on the sidewalls?

[60ratrod]

I forget which part of the tire it's on. I don't think my 650g's tires had the date, not that I could find anyway

[Allie]

Older tires in my opinion do not offer the same grip as newer ones.

It's a fact. Rubber dries as it ages, and dry rubber doesn't stick the way new rubber does. Personally I'd feel uneasy on 5 year old tires, due to consensus I've drawn from people's opinion. Maybe you can get away with it, maybe tires age differently, depending on conditions... I've never tested it. I can tell you that 10+ year old skins are 'interesting' to ride on. Fortunately I wear tires out before age is an issue.

[78550GS]

Tire manufacturers will recommend tires over 5 years old to be scrapped. This is what I go by when deciding on tires.

When you go to pick up new ones, make sure to check the date on the new ones as well. Some places still have 6 or 7 year old tires sitting around in stock.

[Griffin]

Eight year old tires on a bike that has been ridden occasionally and has been kept in a garage away from direct sunlight generally will be in far better shape than three year old tires on a bike parked outside all the time.

UV rays and direct solar heat degrade the rubber much more quickly than the rubber naturally outgassing when stored in a dark, cooler space.

[recycled64]

I forget which part of the tire it's on. I don't think my 650g's tires had the date, not that I could find anyway

It IS a little hard to find, sometimes, it's usually close to the inner edge of the tire, so using a flashlight and slowly rotating the tire helps. It's in the form
of a letters and numbers in a skinny oval. The letters don't matter, but the numbers very much do. The front tires on a couple of my bikes, one far from
running, one in the repair process, both Bridgestones, were made almost exactly 10 years apart. The oldest numbers are 0703, which indicates that it
was manufactured in the 7th week of 2003, the newer numbers are 0613, telling me that it was made the sixth week of 2013. I forget when this system
was required to be embossed on the tire, but it's been going on for a few decades now. 'Bingle' tire manufacturing dates, many sites will give you more detail.

[Steve]

Tire manufacturers will recommend tires over 5 years old to be scrapped.

Well, of course they do, they are in the business of selling tires.

And, ... oil change companies tell you to change your oil every three months, too. Because they are in the business of selling you oil.

As Griffin mentioned, it's not so much the age, it's how they have aged. I probably don't ride hard enough in a typical ride to notice the difference, but there is always the chance of that one OOPS moment where I wished I had better traction.

.

[78550GS]

Well, of course they do, they are in the business of selling tires.

And, ... oil change companies tell you to change your oil every three months, too. Because they are in the business of selling you oil.

As Griffin mentioned, it's not so much the age, it's how they have aged. I probably don't ride hard enough in a typical ride to notice the difference, but there is always the chance of that one OOPS moment where I wished I had better traction.

.

Yes they are in the business of selling tires, as I work for one of those manufacturers.

The point I was trying to make.... I should have elaborated a bit. Griffin hit the nail on the head though, as did you. The WAY the tires are stored has a very significant impact on the degradation of the tire.


However, I would not ride on a tire that has sat in a cooled, dark warehouse for 20 years. I definitely wouldn't ride one that had 5 miles on it, but has sat in the sun for 3 years in Arizona. These are factors, like it or not. I need to talk with the lab and get them to design a tire that fits everything, has super glue grip, and lasts 100K.