If you’ve ever bought a used motorcycle you’ll have wanted to know:
Understanding tire dates is an important part of my motorcycle inspection checklist.
So here’s my 5-second guide to reading tire date codes to see how old your motorcycle’s tires are.
PS Is it spelled tyre or tire? Same word, different sides of the Pacific or Atlantic oceans. But we can all agree that tyres definitely tire. I’m spelling it “tire” because that’s what most people Google.
Well, I am. That’s why I created this site — as an outlet. I love learning and sharing what others might find useful. If you like what you read here, and you’re a fraction as obsessed as I am, you might like to know when I’ve published more. (Check the latest for an idea of what you’ll see. )
The tire date code, also known as the DOT code is four digits giving you first the week number and then the year(in two digits) of manufacture.
You don’t have to do any math. Just remember there are 52 weeks in the year. Make it 50 for simpler mental arithmetic. So (roughly):
That’s all you need.
And in practise on the last motorcycle I bought (my Ducati Hyperstrada 821):
An example of a motorcycle tire date codeI got lucky in decoding this tire date code because the week number is “1”, which means the beginning of the year. Or unlucky, because basically, that’s a 2016 tire I bought in 2020!
Tires age and get old.
Exactly how long they can last unused depends on how they are stored. But regardless, you can use tire age as a negotiating point when buying a motorcycle.
Often when buying a used motorcycle, you may see text that says something like this:
For example, this otherwise great looking VFR800 I came across on Craigslist:
Motorcycle ad for a bike from 2002 with “original tires”Negotiating down because of old tires is a GREAT and honest way to knock hundreds off a motorcycle. Many motorcycle owners have no idea that there’s something other than tread depth to consider.
(Of course, if the tread has worn — that makes your job easier.)
The trap you can fall into easily is thinking that just because there’s lots of tread on a tire and it looks fine, that it is fine.
Not so. There are lots of ways in which a tire can fail, and rather than go into them, let’s just say that your tire is more likely to fail if it is old and hasn’t been maintained well.
And since a pair of tyres typically costs US$200-500 (depending on what you get), this is a pricey bit of maintenance.
One thing to note is that even if your motorcycle is deemed roadworthy by a mechanic, it might still have old tires. In most jurisdictions, a bike can be sold and ridden with old tires; tread depth is the only important regulatory concern.
Tire date codes are also known as DOT codes in the US (DOT stands for Department Of Transport).
They’re common to tires from 2000 and onward in this format.
Previous to 2000, tire date codes had another format. But if you’re buying a motorcycle with tires that old, then you’re going to know they’re old… it’ll be pretty obvious!
Luckily, the tire date code format is international — it’s used worldwide.
There is lots of other information in DOT codes but the age of the tire is probably the most important.
Other good information in the tire codes is the tire dimensions — important because a tire size different to stock might be installed, which can affect the handling either adversely or positively.
Yes, it’s “legal” to sell old tires — even up to five years old.
If tires are stored well (cool, dark place) then they can last for many years.
So if you buy tires that are even five years old, that’s OK! Just make sure you’re buying them from a reputable place and that they’ve been stored well. (Don’t buy them from eBay.)
So you go reading the tire DOT code and you think… OK, the tire is 3 years old. But how important is that?
As a rough guide, from lots of reading I’ve done on the internet and from speaking to “experts” (seems everyone’s a self-proclaimed expert in this field)
But then the motorcycle will be pretty obviously worn in other ways, like with faded paint and damaged leather/vinyl.There are people on the internet who dispute that tires can get too old, and insist that most riders don’t push tires nearly to their limits. I think there’s validity to this — but it’s still good to know your tire age via the tire date code so you know what you’re dealing with.
Well there you have it — how to tell motorcycle tire age via the tire date code.
Hopefully that was a simple guide.
Oct 17, 2019 at 11:33am ET
By: Kate Murphy
When it comes to motorcycle tires, the wisdom used to be “cheap, sticky, long-lasting: pick two.” Tire technology has come a really long way in just the last ten or so years, though, and that old adage isn’t a slam dunk anymore. So how much of the “old wisdom” still applies? When it comes to tires that still have a bunch of tread life, how old is too old?
I’m going to give you an answer you’re not going to like, and say “it depends.” It depends on how the tires have been stored this whole time, it depends on the tire, and it depends on your personal risk tolerance.
I know that too many of us do not pay enough attention to our tires. They’re easy to overlook, especially on big touring bikes that have low rear fenders. How often do any of us get down on the ground and really inspect that tread? Not often enough. Every time I’m on a trip with a group of motorcyclists, someone is always surprised that the cords on their tires are showing halfway through the trip.
What about the age of your tires, though? They can look like they have plenty of life left and still fail you at a critical cold-rain, coming-in-too-hot moment. That’s because the rubber compounds in all tires age and lose their effectiveness before many of us wear the tires down. The tire’s wear surface dries out, and when it comes to the attributes you want in your bike’s tires, they cannot be safely resurrected.
Most tire manufacturers try not to sell a tire that’s more than five years old. Few of us buy our tires directly from the manufacturer, and an unscrupulous distributor might sell you their new-old stock. The date code is stamped into the tire near the “DOT” stamp. It is a four-digit code which indicates the week and year of production.
This tire's four-digit date code tells you it was made in the twentieth week of 2019.
This tire's date code tells you it was made in the tenth week of 2017.
To protect yourself, learn to read the date code on your tire’s sidewall.
If you order tires online and mount them yourself, check the date code when you receive the tire. If you have a shop or dealer put them on, ask them about the date code. If it’s more than five years old, you may have some wiggle room on the price they charge you.
If you buy tires that you’re not going to mount immediately, keep those tires inside. Make sure they aren’t in direct sunlight, subject to temperature extremes, or exposed to chemical residue or vapors. All of these things can age your new tire prematurely.
Make it a habit to check your own tires at every oil change. This way it’s tied to the mileage you’re putting on your machine, and you’re already up close and personal with the bike. Here’s a bunch of things to check:
Sometimes a tire shows its age with cracks in the sidewalls, so keep an eye on everything.If you have ever swapped your own tires, you know exactly how a too-old tire fights you as you peel it off the rim, and how a nice fresh new tire, even with all that tread, is much more pliable. Imagine the difference between the way that dry old tire grips onto asphalt, or the way the knobs grab dirt, versus how a much softer, stickier tire does that same job.
Sometimes the better part of valor is replacing that tire that has slipped out on you or is cracking, before you’ve worn the tread to the wear bars.
Hardened rubber has lost a lot of its grip, and trying to make them last is a false economy. A new set of tires will cost way less than a crash. Besides, fresh new tires feel so good!
4 Photos
By: Kate Murphy
Podolsk,
15 km Simferopol highway To contacts
#service #info
8 years ago
Only two small contact patches of motor rubber connect to the road motorcycle. Their total area is less than the area of the sole of the boot. Acceleration to 60 in 3 seconds, cornering at 250 mph, braking from 300 mph to 0 - all this happens in a tiny area of these two spots.
Tires are essential for motorcycle performance and rider safety.
When you change the type or model of tires, the behavior of the motorcycle on the road changes. Therefore, it is important to choose the right motor rubber. The required tire parameters for a particular motorcycle are indicated in the manual. Tire make and model are often listed. In this case, the characteristics of the specified model are taken as the necessary characteristics.
Sport - sports tires. They have the best traction and the shortest service life. Wear out in less than 3 thousand kilometers. The rubber compound is optimized for high temperature performance. The shape of the rubber is designed to maintain a sufficient footprint in deep corners at high speed. If the temperature is too low, the performance of the tire drops dramatically. The use of such rubber in the city is unsafe due to the impossibility of maintaining the operating temperature.
In race conditions, the temperature of the tires is maintained with the help of heating pads and warm-up circles; it is very difficult to warm up the tires in the city, because. you have to stop, and it is difficult to constantly maintain a high speed.
Sport Street - tires for aggressive street driving. Allows you to take turns at high speeds with a strong tilt of the motorcycle. They do not require preheating, but tire performance deteriorates when overheated.
Sport Touring - have the best balance between road grip and service life.
Touring - have the longest life and good grip at low rubber temperatures. Suitable for use in cold climates. Not designed for deep cornering at high speed.
Off road - have an angular and deep tread. Designed for stable movement on the ground, mud, sand, gravel. On asphalt pavement, stability is reduced.
All the necessary information is on the side of the rubber: type of rubber, its type, size, cord design, speed characteristics, maximum load, maximum pressure, country of production and certification, manufacturer and model, date of manufacture , labels to install.
For example:
180/55 ZR-17 (73W) TL
180 - width in millimeters
55 - height in percent of width
9001 Z-speed rating It is deciphered according to the table.R - cord type. R - radial. D - diagonal. The radial cord is lighter and is used on sportbikes. Diagonal plywood is better for shock loads and is more suitable for heavy cruisers.
17 - disc diameter in inches.
73 - load index. The load in kilograms for which the tire is designed.
W - speed index. The speed the tire is designed for. Tires with a low speed and load index are cheaper, but if the design parameters are exceeded, the tire may burst.
TL is an abbreviation for the type of rubber. TL (TubeLess) - tubeless. TT (Tube Type) - chamber.
Maximum pressure rubber is indicated on the bead in kilopascals and pounds per square inch.
For example, 290 KPA (42PSI) COLD means the corresponding maximum cold pressure. Under-inflated rubber has a significantly reduced service life and performance. Therefore, in addition to daily visual control, it is necessary to check the pressure with a pressure gauge, especially before long trips and at least once a week. On one of the sides there is a yellow dot or a red . Manufacturers recommend combining the yellow dot with a valve. The yellow dot indicates the lightest part of the tire in terms of static balance. Strictly speaking, it must be combined with the heaviest point of the disk. But on a flat disk, this point will always be a valve. We saw a red dot only on metzeler rubber, the manufacturer also recommends combining it with a valve.
Rotation arrow or simply an arrow indicates the direction of rotation.
Front (front), F, Rear (rear) - indication of the front or rear wheel. Also relevant for some models of scooters.
The date of manufacture of the tire is indicated by the numbers in the oval. The first two digits indicate the week number. The next one or two digits indicate the year number. For example, 3507 is the thirty-fifth week of 2007. The older the tire, the higher the risk that it could deteriorate as a result of improper storage. In various countries it is forbidden to sell tires older than 3 or 5 years. But its use is not prohibited. Therefore, when buying tires older than 5 years, you need to carefully evaluate its condition.
SIDEWALL NYLON1 TREAD NYLON 2+ARAMID 2 - designation of the type and number of cord layers (nylon, nylon or metal).
DOT, E with number, ECE certification information.
Tire must be changed when the wear of the rubber has reached at least one indicator (small protrusions in the grooves of the tread). Old rubber without mechanical wear may lose its performance due to long-term exposure to sunlight, low temperatures or its sudden changes.
The rubber may become "hard", microcracks or visible cracks may appear on it. In this case, the tires need to be replaced.
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