Warning over old tyres

[The Everlasting]

Oh,I didn't know that,I'm definitely replacing my tyres asap.

Rear was made Jan 2001(almost ten years old!!,and front April 2006.

[Hopeful Bastard]

Thanks for this thread man! I have just been out and checked all my tyres on the Car and Bike.. The eldest on the car is 05. Same as the bike. Thank heavens i have got a brand new pair on its way for the bike

[The Everlasting]

Yeah,I'm glad I found the thread and then bumped it for others too..


Should really be a sticky thread....


What tyres did you get btw?

[Hopeful Bastard]

Im running Pirelli Diablo's on my girl at the moment..

But this is what i am looking at putting on

http://www.roadguide.co.nz/products/...ot_road_2.aspx

[MSTRS:Me]

I've heard about tyres "drying out"/"hardening up" over time etc, but other than the year what are signs to look for.

Those tyres are fucked. The pics show cracking in the tread grooves. Toss them. NOW!!

[p.dath]

Wow, that's really good to know. Thanks for bringing that to the attention of everyone!

[p.dath]

I just checked all the tyres on the vehicles here. My girlfriends daughter has a 15 year old tyre, and more concerning, I can see a line right around the tyre where the tread attaches to the tyre. It actually looks like the tread has started seperating!

Will be trying to convince her to replace that tyre!

[vifferman]

Something else about tyres (regardless of age) is that they have a finite number of heat cycles built in. My back Storm is still quite legal, but has lost a lot of its grip. It's the first tyre in years that hasn't been subject to a few long strops on the twisties, as I rarely do weekend rides.

The tread's only there to disperse water and help prevent aquapklaning - the grip comes from the stickiness of the tyre compound. We had to reppace the Michelins on the wif'es Peugeot despite them being still legal, as she did so few miles (she commutes by bus) that the tyres ahd 'gone off' and tended to spin up a bit in the wet. The replacements were deliberately a much softer compound. It's far better to wear the tread out before the rubber has lost too much of its volatiles (and therefore its grip), than the other way round.

[warewolf]

Something else about tyres (regardless of age) is that they have a finite number of heat cycles built in.

Spot on. Race tyres can be poked after a handful of cycles, even street-legal race rubber only gives its best for half a dozen cycles. Those cheap ex-race tyres may not be so good after all.

[slowpoke]

A lot of it has to do with how the tyres are stored. If it's brand new and kept in a cool dry place out of the sun then it's good for quite a few years (5 according to the Dunlop rep). The diffence between a bike that sits outside on Lambton Quay most days vs another bike stored undercover is going to be huge so you can't just apply a standard figure.

Same goes for applying car data (often stored outside) to motorcycles (mostly stored inside) to motorcycles, they aren't quite the same.

[bogan]

usefull info, chur. Tyres on my project bike are prolly at least 10 years old, heaps of tread, but will replace when she gets on the road, van a daily rider have had all tyre done in last few year so will be sweet there.

[cs363]

I just checked all the tyres on the vehicles here. My girlfriends daughter has a 15 year old tyre, and more concerning, I can see a line right around the tyre where the tread attaches to the tyre. It actually looks like the tread has started seperating!

Will be trying to convince her to replace that tyre!

15 year old tyre?! Bloody hell.....I can't imagine how you'd have a tyre that old, but then I guess the majority of my vehicles do get used reasonably regularly.
Whilst there are some very good points on here regarding tyres (see vifferman's post amongst others) I tend to think that the majority of us on here wouldn't have an issue with old tyres (unless of course you've been buying used ones...or perhaps buying a bike/car that's been sitting around a while), biggest issue for most of us is trying to get them to last.... (although I'm finding the dual compound Michellins seem to be striking a happy compromise for most between grip & tread life)
Not of course taking anything away from the well made points regarding old tyres and heat cycles etc.

[YellowDog]

I started the thread after checking all 10 tyres that I use regularly.

The back ones can seem to last forever, particularly if you don't do many Ks and only short distances.

I only noticed the cracking (in the tread) after I looked more carefully at my 9 year old rear car tyres.

This really should be part of the WOF inspection. I'd prefer to fail the WOF than fail to keep my family's lives safe.

[quickbuck]

Spot on. Race tyres can be poked after a handful of cycles, even street-legal race rubber only gives its best for half a dozen cycles. Those cheap ex-race tyres may not be so good after all.

Well, actually... The last comment might be a bit misleading.... The Race Rubber you speak of would be Slicks. As for the Ex-Race Tyres you fit to your road bike, they would be treaded DOT (or Equivilent Tyres).
Chances are the Treaded tyres have only been used half a dozen times too, which is VERY less than the heat cycles the average rider would put through the tyres on his bike.

Further the Race Inters are usually warmed up evenly before they are used via tyre warmers, and cooled slowly after use by wrapping them up again.
This stops the shock of a heat change.

I would have no problems fitting ex race GPRa10's to my road bike (if we used a size that fitted it), as I know the history.
I would rather spend money on those, than some of the lower cost (great in winter when your bike is parked up) tyres available.

[pritch]

That tyre industry guy was great with his "No scientific evidence" line. He could get a job in the tobacco industry.

BIKE had an article some time back quoting a British tyre rep. He was saying that tyres degrade at X% per year (can't remember the detail) and that after four years, I think it was, they should be returned to the factory to be tested. A bit difficult in NZ.

I replaced a tyre on the current bike simply because I didn't know how old it was, but I have had trouble convincing a friend in the past that just because the tyre on his newly aquired bike looked OK that didn't mean it was.

It was good that they showed the number code so we can check if in doubt. If you make a habit of buying the latest model bike tyres though, you shouldn't strike old stock.