how old is too old?

[Vmass]

FYI: I just received a set of Avon Road Riders from MC Super Store. Dated 3313, which makes them almost 14 months old.

I assume that is typical, as well as acceptable.

[mrbill5491]

FYI: I just received a set of Avon Road Riders from MC Super Store. Dated 3313, which makes them almost 14 months old.

I assume that is typical, as well as acceptable.

Those are fine. It is almost impossible to get brand spanking new tires, with a date code like 3414 (oh by the way only 97 days until Christmas lol). 1 or 2 years old is fine.

When you order online or what ever, they just grab off the shelf. I have even asked my bike shop here if they can order a specific date code on the tire, they said not even, we are at the mercy of the seller/shipper. They won't take the time to check. Though I did have a Dunlop rep send me a replacement front tire, he went out and checked himself. I had just bought a new set of tires and the front tire started cracking with in a couple months. Took it back and checked the date code, omg, it was a 6 year old new tire. . The front they had in stock, the rear tire they ordered and the date on it was only about 9 months old. We then went to the tire racks and I just pulled a random tire out and checked the date, it 7 years old. When the store manager got wind of what happened, he had his parts guys inventory the dates on the tires. They ended up tossing about 15 street tires that had been sitting in the back for a number of years. Dunlop did make good on the tire by sending me the replacement free of charge.

[60ratrod]

Well I'm not gonna stress too much since the gs is off the road for the season, and with the weather here in the puget sound area this time of year, I only have a couple more rides before my season is over. And I go to school in VA for a little over a month at the end of October for the EA-18G Growler aircraft

[Griffin]

Your best bet to get the "freshest" tires is to order them from the big online retailers like Motorcycle Superstore, Dennis Kirk, Bike Bandit, etc... They have large inventories that turn over regularly, so the odds of getting a tire more than a year old are pretty slim, unless you have a real oddball size.

Since I have so many bikes, my tires age faster than they wear out. I have some 6 year old Metzeler Lasertecs on my GS1100E that have less than 1,500 miles on them, and look like new. My bikes spend all their time in a garage, so the tires probably have less than 100 hours of sunlight exposure on them.

I'm not worried about them at all. I was just riding that bike a couple weeks ago, the tires worked great and I was pushing them pretty hard.

[60ratrod]

well i went for a short ride today and checked the dates on both bikes when i got back. when i talked about avon tires, it was because that's what i was looking at online. but "Sarge's" tires are kenda challenger series. the front's date is 3909 and the rear is 1803, but aren't showing signs of aging like cracking or glazing, and look like they haven't seen much sun.

"Shelah's" tires are dunlop d404 series tires. the front's date is 4106 and the rear's date is 3006. these definitely show signs of age.

[Grimly]

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.

I'd agree with that. When I put mine back on the road, it was with the same tyres it got laid up with. They were ten years old but had almost unworn tread, so I wasn't inclined to junk them if they showed no signs of deterioration. They didn't, so I just rode on them until they wore out.
They'd been stored indoors in a fairly benign environment.

[JMHJ]

I bought my '83 model 850 from the original owner in 2005. It had 7,500 miles and the original Bridgestone tires were still on it. the PO had it in the garage under a cover. All the rubber, etc. on the bike looked like brand new. I rode the tread off of the rear tire, and almost off of the front; I think it might have had some mild cracks when I replaced it.

No problems whatsoever.

[60ratrod]

My garage stays about 45*-50* in the winter thanks to it being attached to the house and because my forced air heater, water heater, and back side of my chimney are also in the garage, so I'm not worried about moisture out there. I do have windows on the garage door and both exterior walls, so there may be some sun light shining on the tires at some point. The tires on the gs will be replaced since there is deterioration. I'll see about the kz's tires next spring though

[Steve]

... but "Sarge's" tires are kenda challenger series. the front's date is 3909 and the rear is 1803, but aren't showing signs of aging like cracking or glazing, and look like they haven't seen much sun. ...

If that was my bike, those tires would not be seeing ANY sun.

Not because of their age, but because they are Kenda Challengers.

In my opinion, they are barely qualified to roll the bike around in the garage.

.

[Grimly]

If that was my bike, those tires would not be seeing ANY sun.

Not because of their age, but because they are Kenda Challengers.

In my opinion, they are barely qualified to roll the bike around in the garage.

.

I don't know what the Challenger's like on the U.S. market, but in the U.K. I had an early Kenda on the rear. Once I scrubbed it in, it was quite good, decent grip in wet and dry.
Then I hit standing water... the kind of standing water, just an inch or so that shouldn't have been a problem at all, and I was only doing ~40mph. The bike slid the rear around like it wanted to spit me off. The reason was - some total muppet at Kenda had made the tread design from a cross-wise series of zig-zags, so when it hit enough water, it couldn't clear out to the sides quickly enough and simply aquaplaned.
Stunning piece of design. I took it back for a refund and dumped it, the Kenda rep got it back from the dealer with appropriate words and I rode off with a Metz or Conti instead (don't recall which).
I reckon I wasn't the only one it happened to either, as shortly after that the tread pattern was changed and I had another Kenda later with no ill effects in the wet.

[bbjumper]

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.

+1..... old tires even though they look great dry out and loose grip big time. And in the wet are no fun at all.

[60ratrod]

I take it kenda tires are a last ditch tire then. Good to know when I get new tires