Posted by West End Motorsports on Jun 17, 2019
How old can motorcycle tires be and still be safe? This is a question that most motorcycle owners ask themselves. The sad truth is, most of them don’t know that motorcycle tires aren’t designed to last as long as car tires. While most motorcycle tires are designed to last up to 5 years, many factors determine how long your tires will last.
For instance, road hazards, improper inflation pressure, improper use of tires, overloading, tire chain damage, tire spinning, negligence, misuse, tire alteration, and improper or insufficient maintenance may cause tire damage. Having your tires inspected regularly by a professional is highly recommended. For tires with five years of use, an annual inspection is a must. At almost 10 years of use, even with a tread that looks great, the tires should be replaced.
If you’re asking yourself this question: how old can motorcycle tires be and still be safe, here’s a simple guide to determine if it’s time for new tires.
Federal and state regulations have a 1/32" to 2/32" tread depth requirement for all motorcycle owners. Usually, the middle of your motorcycle tires have the most contact with the road, so will wear much faster. To have an idea of your tread depth, check your wear indicators that are cast into the rubber tread grooves of the tires or as provided by the manufacturer’s guidelines.
Check for one of the tire grooves, normally located off the center of your motorcycle tires, and pick one with a raised segment of rubber. This raised rubber is the manufacturer’s lowest point of tire tread you can have to ensure safety when riding your motorcycle. An old trick to answering the “how old can motorcycle tires be and still be safe” question involves inserting a penny in the tread and checking how far Abraham Lincoln’s head is submerged.
If not, then you can still use your motorcycle tires for some time before you consider buying replacements. Although you may be tempted to judge the usability and safety of your tires by the tread, this is not the only factor to consider and is highly discouraged by industry key players, including biking experts, motorbike mechanics, and even manufacturers.
The second step in determining whether your motorcycle tires are still safe or not for use is to look for defects. Cracking along the sidewalls of the tire, also called a dry lot, is one of the indications that your tires need to be replaced. If your tires have a worn out and square profile, you’ll experience lower ride comfort, as the contact patch on the tire edges is small. If either of the left or right sides of the tires are wavy or badly worn, you should replace the tires.
If you’re wondering how old motorcycle tires can be and still be safe, start off by checking for defects on the tires.
If you see any uneven wear, it’s time for new replacements.
When you think of how long motorcycle tires can last, age is a major factor. The most important thing is to learn how to check your tires to see the level of durability that’s recommended by the manufacturer. All motorcycle tires come with a date code imprinted into the sidewall. This code is a 4-digit number. For example, 1322 stands for the 13th week of 2022. For sports bikes, front tires have a maximum range of 3700 miles, with back wheels at 1800 miles.
The general rule of the thumb when it comes to motorcycle tire age is to change your tires once they’re five years old from the date of manufacture. However, with good maintenance and regular checks at a professional motorcycle shop, they can last a bit longer. Look out for cuts and punctures and loss of pressure too soon as it could be a sign of a worn out bead.
Keep in mind that advances in technology are making motorcycle tires even greater, and there may be a whole new level of performance in new tires that you have never experienced with the older tires you have on your motorcycle.
So, how old can motorcycle tires be and still be safe? At least five years is an ideal answer but with good tire maintenance and regular inspections. Great tires not only offer a more planted feel on the road but also improve your riding confidence.
If you’re looking to buy new motorcycle tires for your V-twin cruiser motorcycle, you’re in the right place at West End Motorsports. We also sell a wide range of V-twin cruiser custom parts and accessories that you can install yourself. Visit our online store or contact us to learn more.
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.
Debunking The Tire Age Myth | The Shop Manual
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!?
Did you know tires have their birthday printed right on the sidewall? The four-digit code represents the week and year of manufacture. This one shows the 44th week of 2014. Too old to trust? Evidently not. RevZilla photo.
Of course, most of us wear out tires in a year or two if not sooner, but I’ve certainly heard of people crying foul after buying “new” tires that were actually a few years old. Plus, I was curious. A few phone calls unearthed a set of Bridgestone RS10 hypersport tires from 2014 (Bridgestone used them as display tires in the demo truck they take to races and conventions) that I could test back-to-back with a fresh set of RS10s, since they’re still in production.
I headed to Buttonwillow Raceway with “Dave,” our beater Suzuki GSX-R1000, and ripped around on the new tires (with date codes from 2020) to get familiar with their handling and establish hot pressures. Modern hypersport rubber is simply unreal, and in no time I was confidently riding nearly as quickly as I’m able. Fun stuff, but that wasn’t why we’d come to the track.
Hesitantly, cautiously, I rolled out on the seven-year-old rubber. I was being extremely careful on my warmup lap, but after squirming around for a few turns like any new, cold tires would, the ancient RS10s came up to temp and felt just as grippy and agile as the fresh set. A few laps in, I was once again riding as hard as I pleased and with total confidence, this time on tires that were three quarters of the way through their shelf life, which was already 40 percent longer than I thought tires were good for.
It’s only one anecdote and I tested the tires in warm and dry conditions, but it changed my mind.
If you’d told me to go drag knee on seven-year-old tires before I began researching this topic, I would have flat-out refused out of concern for my safety. Photo by CaliPhotography.
The reason our tires were still good is because they had been stored properly, and how tires are stored might be more important than how many months have passed since they were made. Age is not the same as aging. Think of milk: It’ll last for a week or more in the fridge, but if you leave it out on the counter overnight, well, you don’t want to lose that bet.
It’s the same thing with tires. Stored indoors, out of direct sunlight and away from intense heat and other factors that we’re going to discuss, unused tires have a very long shelf life. And if you’re getting your rubber from a reputable shop or online retailer, they’ll have proper storage facilities and rotate stock to keep inventory fresh, so you’re very unlikely to encounter a tire that’s more than a few years old.
But, say you have two or even three bikes and spread miles among them, or maybe you bought tires but don’t intend to use them right away.
In both scenarios, tire age might become an issue.
Old RS-10s on the left, new ones on the right. My durometer measured identical Shore A Hardness values of 60. Discoloration of the labels was the only clue that these tires carry date codes from late 2014. RevZilla photo.
At the core of it, tire aging is the consequence of two parallel processes. The rubber hardens due to the continued reaction of vulcanization ingredients in the material, and the molecular bonds within the rubber weaken, reducing the rubber’s elasticity and strength. Most people call this second aspect of tire aging dry rot, and it’s what causes cracks to form in the tread and sidewall of really old tires.
This aging is an unavoidable and inevitable process, and there are five factors that contribute to the speed at which it progresses. Some you can control, some you can’t.
Increased temperatures will accelerate the lingering vulcanization, so tires should be stored in a cool place like a basement or a ventilated warehouse as opposed to a sealed shed or a trailer.
The ambient temperature is what it is, and, in hotter, sunnier climates like Arizona or Florida, tires will age faster than in cooler climates like Washington or New Hampshire.
Once tires are in use, they’ll experience a lot more heat due to the friction created by rolling down the road. In the case of Dave’s RS10s, the carcass reached 175 degrees on track, and that kind of extreme heat cycling can cause a tire to harden quite quickly. Normal street tires don’t undergo such severe temperature swings, but every mile furthers vulcanization and catalyzes other adverse reactions within the rubber.
Oxygen in the air causes atoms in the elastomer molecules to lose electrons. This oxidative degradation hardens and weakens the rubber. When tires are in service, they’re pumped full of air that’s 21 percent oxygen, so they’re basically pressurized with rubber poison. Filling your tires with nitrogen would eliminate this issue, but that’s pricey and tedious, and the rubber already has antioxidants mixed into the material, so it’s really not worth worrying about.
If you’re really concerned about tires you’re storing, you can wrap them in a black trash bag to reduce exposure. The opaque plastic will also protect them from the next reactant, light.
Ultraviolet radiation causes homolytic fission, the fancy name for the breakdown of the elastomer molecules in the rubber into smaller, less stable pieces. The manufacturers mix UV-stabilizers into the rubber, but they get used up, so it’s important to store tires away from direct light. Once the tires are installed, parking your bike in the shade is going to be better for the tires than parking in the sun. As with the heat factor, sunnier climates mean tires will age faster, not only because of the UV radiation, but also because sun catalyzes the formation of ozone.
Ozone is a more reactant form of oxygen that wreaks havoc on rubber and is the leading cause of dry rot. In fact, concentrated ozone can trash a tire in as little as a year.
Ground-level ozone is primarily formed when vehicle exhaust, gas vapor, and other chemicals react with sunlight and heat. Ozone is also produced when air is exposed to an electric arc, which means equipment like transformers and older appliances with brushed motors such as those found in fridges, compressors, and drills will kick off ozone, as well. So, if you have any suspect electronics where you park your bike or have been suckered into buying an ozone generator to purify the air in your house, it’s probably not doing your tires any good.
This is just the tire flexing, which is unavoidable when you ride on a tire but directly influenced by load, speed, and tire pressure. We’re not just talking about tread wear here, but also carcass flex that heats up and fatigues the rubber and more or less causes all the reactions we mentioned earlier to be accelerated.
Heat, oxygen, light, ozone, and mechanical stress are all pretty easy to mitigate while tires are in storage, so even if a year or two or five passes as a tire sits on a rack, how much the tire actually ages will likely be imperceptible.
I think we proved that with the RS10s. And once the tire is in use, just try not to park in the sun, near a furnace or hot pipes, or next to powerful electrical equipment. Better yet, just ride your damn bike enough to ensure you wear out the tread long before age is an issue.
Even if people know they’ll roach their rubber in a summer, they want fresh product when they buy tires. I get it. Your best bet for getting the most recent date code is to buy what’s popular, since those models will have the highest turnover rate. On a site like RevZilla, that’s easy to figure out since you can filter by best sellers. Alternatively, purchase the latest and greatest; the newest model from a given manufacturer is, well, new.
Manufacturers mix antioxidants, antiozonants, UV stabilizers, and other preservatives into the rubber to postpone degradation, so tires are well equipped to age gracefully. Dunlop illustration.
If you do end up getting suspect tires, or encounter rubber with an unknown history on, say, a used bike you’re buying, it’s important to check the date codes and visually inspect the tires for wear, damage and dry rot.
You can also assess the rubber’s health by pressing your thumbnail into the tread surface. If it feels pliable and returns to its normal shape, odds are it’s still soft and resilient enough to provide adequate grip. (A more accurate approach is to invest in a durometer; most street rubber rates around 60 to 70 on the Shore A Hardness scale.) Plus, consider the tires’ intended use. Are you a casual commuter, or do you like to charge hard at the track? The more demanding the application, the more cautious I’d be with tire age.
The bottom line is that tires don’t expire after five years. I know that may be hard to accept, given how prevalent the five-year recommendation is, but I was willing to have my mind changed and you should be, too. Of course I’m not saying that all older tires are as good as new, but we can all lighten up with concern for a tire’s age — if we’re confident in the way it was stored.
But, if you have any concerns about the integrity of your tires, go ahead and replace them.
They’re as critical to safety as your helmet, so if in doubt, swap them out. It’s always a good idea to start fresh, and now you know that “fresh” can apply to unused tires that are two, three, or even seven years old.
What do you value most in life? Do you like to feel free, strong, determined and a little crazy? If you value drive and speed as much as we do, we are on our way!
We supply lively, fast and brave people with two wheels, a powerful engine and great aerodynamics. In our salon, you can easily pick up a motorcycle or scooter, as well as everything you need to ensure that your iron horse is always in excellent condition and pleases for as long as possible. Eternal classics, fast crosses, hardy enduros and brutal choppers with a variety of parameters and the most famous brands: Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki.
The choice of motorcycles in our multi-brand salon is great, and you can easily find something that will best suit your needs, tastes and lifestyle.
For the long life of the motorcycle and the safety of its owner, the quality and timely replacement of spare parts and consumables are extremely important. In our motorcycle showroom and online store you will find everything you need to repair and care for your motorcycle. Particular attention is paid to the quality of the goods, because even speed, drive and crazy energy can and should be as safe as possible!
The masters of our motorcycle service will advise you, diagnose your motorcycle and put it in full order - after all, for our masters, who sincerely love their job, there are no fatal problems.
Motorcycle equipment has long ceased to be only a means of protecting a biker from possible injuries, and has become a cult. Many of its elements have purely decorative counterparts for "ordinary" people, and a biker's outfit can tell a lot about him and his motorcycle.
Nevertheless, the quality and the main, protective function play a decisive role in the choice of motorcycle equipment. Buying a motorcycle helmet from famous Italian, Japanese, Korean, American, German companies means getting a standard of quality factor and safety. Samples of motorcycle jackets, overalls and pants under the brand name Dainese, AGV Sport, Clover, Difi, Icon, Halvarsons are made of durable, abrasion-resistant materials. Comfortable motorcycle shoes and durable motorcycle gloves are presented by such manufacturers as Falco, Alpinestars, Diadora, Dainese, Forma, Fox, IXS. They have the necessary properties for a comfortable everyday ride on a motorcycle, scooter or ATV. The constantly available visors, motorcycle raincoats, motorcycle vests and much more ensure the execution of the most voluminous orders.
Experienced and beginners alike will find everything they need in our showroom. Those who are looking for motorcycle accessories as a gift for someone close to them or choose motorcycle equipment for the first time can get answers to any questions from our consultants.
For those who do not want to wait and want to buy a motorcycle right now, we have a wonderful offer - the opportunity to purchase motorcycles and motorcycle equipment on credit. You will need a passport and some free time, from us - the minimum overpayment, guarantees that the product matches the description, the original mileage for used equipment, pre-sale diagnostics and the realization of your dream on the same day!
For more information, please contact our salon in person or by phone.
Oleg Plotnikov
14 reviews 39 photo
A good, positive motorcycle shop. Everything that was purchased was not imposed, but recommended with an understanding of the principle of sufficient necessity at the lowest price.
Moto-Bazaar: Oleg, thank you. Your review is the slogan of our company!!
Sergey Salnikov
7 reviews · 1 photo
Professional moto service, everything is fast and professional.
Moto-Bazaar: Sergey, thank you. We strive for perfection.
Sergey Alekseev
3 reviews 6 photos
Excellent service! And when buying a motorcycle in this salon, you will be pleasantly surprised by its condition!
Moto-Bazaar: Sergey, thank you. We spare no effort and money for the pre-sale preparation of equipment.
Ilya Prokopenko
Local expert · 65 reviews · 8 photos
Great store with professional, pleasant salespeople. I went for a jacket, the seller determined the size in a split second and delivered exactly what I needed for my budget.
Thank you!
Moto-Bazaar: Ilya, thank you. You have confirmed our competence and professionalism developed over the years.
Yulia Semenova
Local expert 7 reviews
Super service.... )
Moto-Bazaar: Julia, thank you. Worked out for years.
. Prices in the online store can indeed sometimes differ. This information is posted on the website.Galina Zakharova
6 reviews
Very nice store. The consultant competently helped to choose motorcycle equipment and gave a lot of practical advice
Moto-Bazaar: Galina, thank you. We cultivate good taste in our customers.
. But a little expensive....Moto-Bazaar: Anton, thank you. We try to fill the online store with original photos. We agree, you always want cheaper
Nikolay Artauz
Local expert 22 reviews
The only drawback is the price, I would like it to be a little cheaper. Everyone knows that Pasha bends prices a little.
Moto-Bazaar: Nikolay, thank you. A normal human desire is to always want cheaper.
Inna Igorevna
A small selection and space prices.
Moto-Bazaar: Inna, thank you. By choice - onions, at prices - it is not known what you are comparing with.
Pavel Chumachenko
Local expert 59 reviews 2 photos
Availability of a large number of spare parts and oils..moto equipment is available for sale...there is a repair zone..
Moto-Bazaar: Pavel, thank you. Everything is exactly like that.
Once again many thanks to all from Moto-Bazar.
We are waiting for you for new purchases.
Now place orders on the website: http://moto-bazar61.ru/catalog/motoekipirovka_i_odezhda/?PAGEN_1=45
We work ON-LINE
DELIVERY ALL OVER RUSSIA
website from Sberbank, Post Bank and Tinkoff Bank. The program operates throughout Russia.
phones: 8 800 3334019, 8 989 7145011, 89604500409 (skipe, wiber, whatsapp)
https://www.
instagram.com/motobazar61/
Moto-Bazar administration: read all reviews on GOOGLE and YANDEX maps.
A lot of motor vehicles need food, how long can their motor tires last, what kind of resource? Definitely, it is impossible to say anything about it, the shards of the terms of the applicability of this virus lie in the face of impersonal factors. Let's talk report about those who contribute to wear motor tires 18 , as well as other expansions.
Appropriateness term, which may be a motor rubber, an online store is specified for the characteristics of the picker. Call the period of operation kolivaetsya in 3 to 5 years. Ale skіlki tire to serve, lie in the type її type, level of wear, the nature of the water. Hard tires can vikorate significantly more, but they have a weaker adhesion to the surface of the road surface. A more gentle appearance can make good contact with the surface of the road, but serve Vlasnikov richly less.
So that two pokazniks fell apart, deyaki virobniki blew out the combinations of the type of motorcycle tires. In this case, the upper ball with protectors is soft, the inner ball is hard. In this rank, more trials are reached.
If you are a master of motor transport, you use your money for peace, then you should wear such tires for a long time.
Factories that add gumi to wear out
There are five main chinnikіv, like bringing to wear, the term of attachment of motor tires is very short.
All the speeches are ruining the gum, which will bring down the toll. These same processes are blamed when the wheel hits the winder, or it hits the winkle. 
During the manufacturing process, tires are covered with special coatings, so that the gums are covered with an elastic, smooth glossy surface. In order to save the power of power over a long time, it is necessary to carry it out with a transport facility calmly, without a sharp increase in security. Dotrimannya all the rules of exploitation and the exclusion of shkіdlivih factors, which reduce the term of appurtenance, allow speeding up financial expenses on the arrival of a new gumi.
In order to continue the term of applicability of tires, it is necessary to take into account all factors, storage conditions, and comply with all operating rules.
After you buy and install motorcycle tires in the distance, you need to run them in shoes. For whom, at least 150 kilometers, it is necessary to pass without any particular vanity. Under an hour of running-in, when cornering, it is necessary to change a little bit of the motorcycle’s nahiva, so that you can fix some of the tires.
Oskіlki for nіch tires are cooled, then it is necessary to reheat them. For which it is recommended to drive on the optimal speed, not to sag sharp turns, galvanization.
Shchob motorized rubber 190 55 r17 otherwise served for a long time, it is necessary to keep one's camp. With it, it is regularly necessary to wash away saws, oil, gasoline, galmivnu homeland. For whom vicorists are kindly, special speeches, like to recommend virobniks.
Wheels need to be looked at for the presence of important objects that are stuck in tires. Obov'yazkovo following the stitches behind the vice.
It is important that during operation the tire was evenly distributed along the road surface, in which case the wear will be equal. If you wipe only from one side, then it will be easy to drive, especially when turning or galvanizing.
Under all the rules of operation motor rubber 100 90 r18 , otherwise you will serve as the master of the legal years, having changed the term of appurtenance, indications of the typist.
How do you look like a good old gum?
"Old" cross-country motor rubber can be seen even after three months of operation, so that you can save it under direct sleepy changes or in a gray basement. So the tire loses its elasticity, softness, cracks appear, and saws are stuffed. If you ride on such a gum regularly, then it expands and you can see the cord.
Before the “old” motorcycle tire, lie with worn out treads, the depth of which is not more than 0.8 mm.
The motor rubber served for a long time, it is also necessary to buy it from a re-delivered seller, which will definitely complete all the rules for picking up the goods. Yakіsnі motor tires in Kharkiv are stored in special warehouses with low water content, without sharp temperature drops. The same products are sold by the Fine Tires online store.
Mi pracyuєmo on the market is already more than one rіk, maєmo great kіlkіst vіdgukіv about the quality of the goods, which zberіgaєtsya with the right minds.
