Old tyres?

[Rhys]

my bike hasn't been used as much as it should have and i've noticed the rear tyre is getting a little "wrigley" under power through corners and looking a bit dry

so the question how old is to old 2 yrs 5 yrs 10yrs ?

[duckonin]

my bike hasn't been used as much as it should have and i've noticed the rear tyre is getting a little "wrigley" under power through corners and looking a bit dry

so the question how old is to old 2 yrs 5 yrs 10yrs ?

You have already said it 'getting a bit dry' Thats it !!

[YellowDog]

So long as you are ready and prepared for a small eplosion taking you from

'old tyre' to 'no tyre' whatsoever, you'll be just fine.

[Grumpy]

There was a bit on the tele a couple of months ago. Apparently 5yrs is the recommended age limit for tyres. There's a code on the side that tells you the manufacturing date.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=11
Same applies to bike tyres.

[slofox]

There was a bit on the tele a couple of months ago. Apparently 5yrs is the recommended age limit for tyres. There's a code on the side that tells you the manufacturing date.

I doubt I'm ever gunna see my tyres get to five years old...five months maybe...with care...

[Jantar]

...five months maybe...with care...

That's about all I get as well. 3 - 6 months on a rear tyre and 5 - 10 months on a front. Current front tyre is due for replacement right now at 9 months.

[dogsnbikes]

there was a time when 3 months was stretching it,but never knew a tyre could last 9mths though

oh well its another set this month

[Bonez]

Just use nylons and be done with it..................Last forever they do.

[Gremlin]

Can't imagine a tyre lasting a year, let alone several

Once fitted, its normally 6 months max, out of a set. Worst was 3 weeks, and that was stretching it out...

Also depends how the tyres were stored, badly stored, and they simply won't last at all.

[SMOKEU]

Looks like I better make the most of tires lasting 15,000km+ while I still have the 250.

[imdying]

Looks like I better make the most of tires lasting 15,000km+ while I still have the 250.

Yup, commuting or hooning, a litre bike will eat a tyre in less than 5000kms. Given you're sitll young, my advice would be to buy a 600 till you're earning good dough, considerably cheaper running costs (and they're top fun).

[Grumpy]

The thing to remember is 5yrs is from the date of manufacture. This issue was bought to the media's attention overseas because of dubious dealers selling tyres that were upto 10yrs old as new. It must be noted that these were car tyre dealers and I doubt that there would be any dealers like that in the motorcycle industry here but there is alot of busines done over the varoius auction sites these days so it would be handy to be able to decipher that code and know when the tyre you are about to purchase was made.

[DEATH_INC.]

it would be handy to be able to decipher that code and know when the tyre you are about to purchase was made.

It's easy, the first 2 numbers are the week of the year, the second two are the year. If there are only 3 numbers then forget it, it was made in the 80's or 90's.

Courtesy of www.canyonchasers.net

"So how old of a tire should you use? The answer for this is easy. It depends! If you need to get the most out of your tires, then the fresher the better. If you like a tire to last longer, then the age of the tire is less critical. But you should never buy or use a tire that is more than six to seven years old. But how do you know how old your tire is? Carbon dating? Serial number cross-reference with manufacturers? Actually, your tire has the date of manufacture, or the "born on" date. How nice! If you look closely you will find a four-digit number stamped into the sidewall of your tire. It will read something like 4408 or 2101. What do these numbers mean? Well, a 4408 means the tire was manufactured during the 44th week of 2008. 2101 means the tire was manufactured the 21st week of 2001. Years prior to 2000 have a one-digit number to reflect the year, and after 2000, a two-digit number is used. This is a simple and easy way to figure out the age of a tire.

But why is a fresher tire better? Well, first, rubber is organic and it decomposes. Second, after your tire is manufactured, it may sit on the top shelf of a scalding hot warehouse for four years, outgassing all the while. Then it goes to the local shop, where it sits in a south-facing window (outgassing every time the sun sets for another year before you finally buy it). So, you end up with a five-year-old tire that may already be worn out before you've ridden home. Then you'll complain every time the tire slides around underneath you. Not because it is a bad tire, but because it has gotten so old and outgassed so much it has become brittle. If your primary concern is a tire that lasts lots of miles, an older tire will do fine because it has gotten hard with age. But again, rubber is an organic material, and a tire that is seven years old is not as capable as the exact tire that is newer."