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Tire age?

  1. #1
    Lifer zxme's Avatar
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    Tire age?

    So only have 1134 miles on my DRZ but they are 6 years old and seem hard.
    Besides mileage how long date wise do you recommend changing them?
    I have always just bought tires every 2-3 years but that’s because they wore out.

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  2. #2
    Soul Rider Paul_E_D's Avatar
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    Re: Tire age?

    It depends. What tires are they? How worn do they look?

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    Paul_E_D


  3. #3
    Soul Rider Paul_E_D's Avatar
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    Re: Tire age?

    But to answer your question, I have used some old, dry tires on the road sometimes. I literally just removed some 6 year old tires from my hyperstrada. They were like rocks. I was aware tough, and rode pretty tame on it last season or 2.

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    Paul_E_D


  4. #4
    Lifer
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    Re: Tire age?

    Because I have so many motorcycles I tend to let most sit rather than ride so my tires end up like yours, old but with low miles. For knobby tires I don't really care about age, when it's time for them to go they just spit off the lugs and I'm forced to replace them. On my street tires I tend to start worrying after 5 years. You can feel that the rubber is getting harder if you poke at them. Depending on the bike I either replace or take extra care. Gsxr = replace, Harley = extra care.

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  5. #5
    Lifer zxme's Avatar
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    Re: Tire age?

    Quote Originally Posted by boosten lebaron View Post
    Because I have so many motorcycles I tend to let most sit rather than ride so my tires end up like yours, old but with low miles. For knobby tires I don't really care about age, when it's time for them to go they just spit off the lugs and I'm forced to replace them. On my street tires I tend to start worrying after 5 years. You can feel that the rubber is getting harder if you poke at them. Depending on the bike I either replace or take extra care. Gsxr = replace, Harley = extra care.
    I have an SM so only street I use it for. They are not worn at all but like I said they are kinda hard and I know car tires have a 10 year life span usually.

    Maybe I’ll hit Seacoast since I hear good things about them

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    Last edited by zxme; 03-10-24 at 09:13 AM.

  6. #6
    Lifer
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    Re: Tire age?

    Are they cracking or anything? If your just riding normal ish on the 400 i wouldnt worry much about the age of the tires, you can really overwhelm even old ones doing simple things. Now if i was scrapping pegs at every corner then i would be thinking about buying a new tire, but only thinking since its still just a 400.

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  7. #7
    Being A Dick PurplePackage's Avatar
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    Re: Tire age?

    use some tire sealant if you are going to push age. hard is ok. small cracks are ok if they're tubed tires.

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  8. #8
    Hypertarded
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    Re: Tire age?

    quick read: https://www.revzilla.com/common-trea...-tire-age-myth

    The truth about tire age


    Tires can be deemed unfit not only due to wear or damage, but also age. Those first two criteria are easy to understand; bald tread or a gaping tear obviously warrant tire replacement. But age?

    Yup, and the entire time I’ve been riding, folks have always cited five years as the expiration date. I’ve parroted it too: Once your buns hit 60 months, you should replace them regardless of their appearance because the rubber will have hardened and will have less traction.

    And yet, when I tried to substantiate the five-year rule of thumb, I couldn’t find any evidence for it outside the rider forums and word of mouth. Avon is the closest with a recommendation of seven years, but Bridgestone, Michelin, Dunlop, Continental and others actually list 10 years as the allowable service life for a properly maintained set of tires, which I have to admit, was a shock. I mean, a decade? Really!?.......

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  9. #9
    Lifer zxme's Avatar
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    Re: Tire age?

    Quote Originally Posted by FriskyDingo View Post
    Thanks for that. I definitely will be keeping them a few more years. I store the bike in a heated basement that’s 64° with no sunlight.

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  10. #10
    Lifer golden chicken's Avatar
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    Re: Tire age?

    Dave Moss suggested the thumbnail test: drive your thumb nail into the rubber fairly hard and if the imprint comes out after a few seconds, the tire is GTG.

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    What's the difference between a bolt and a screw?
    First you screw, then you bolt.

  11. #11
    Lifer OneCheekRider's Avatar
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    Re: Tire age?

    for me, it depends on how and where I'm using the bike. If not riding spiritedly and/or in the rain, I have no problems running older tires up to 10 years old. In fact, I'm no stranger to using up friends' old tires for my commute. After 5 or 6 years I do notice a noticeable lack of adhesion in the wet.

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