Whats the age limit for tire use?

[candieandy]

Hey guys,

i checked the date on my front tire. it is a Dunlop and was made in 2004. Its not dry rotted, but  it got me thinking... Is it too old to be using? will it blow apart? what are your opinions on how old of a tire to run?

thanks andrew

[fj11.5]

dont think id trust it,  but did you buy the tyre of was it allready on the bike, , i treat every tyre with respect if i didnt get it new, and dont trust them to work as they should, , although i dont trust new tyres till ive put in a few hundred klm,s in all weather conditions,, the 88 i have had 18 year old tyres on it, i know the history well of the bike but po bought the bike with the tyres on it, he thought they were still ok, tread was still soft and still life in them, but after getting her home and swapping my wheels on i found them completely dry rotted through the tread  rant over 

[Pat Conlon]

I've never had a problem using 5 years as a age guide. My tires wear out long before that. If I were buying a used bike, I would replace the tires right away regardless of age. No telling what kind of plugs the PO put into the carcass.

Jon Cain said it best, new tires are much less expensive than skin grafts.

[JCainFJ]

5 years on the bike, maby 7 If the tires are stored dark and dry. I've had both new tires and a skin graft. You want the tires!

[Tiger]

  If its a 'new to me' bike...Replace the tires. They are the only two things keeping you on the road come rain, hail or shine!!!

New tires don't last me more than two/three years at best

John.

[FJmonkey]

If its a 'new to me' bike...Replace the tires. They are the only two things keeping you on the road come rain, hail or shine!!!

New tires don't last me more than two/three years at best

John.

Get the hell out and ride dude!!! I need new tires before the year is up.... But my tires tend to get that V shape from the twisty canyon roads in my back yard... Mix up the commute with some fun turns...... 

[Tiger]

If its a 'new to me' bike...Replace the tires. They are the only two things keeping you on the road come rain, hail or shine!!!

New tires don't last me more than two/three years at best

John.

Get the hell out and ride dude!!! I need new tires before the year is up.... But my tires tend to get that V shape from the twisty canyon roads in my back yard... Mix up the commute with some fun turns...... 

I will...as soon as this cold white stuff goes away!!! Then I can try out the new set of Pirelli's she now wears

John.

[bigbore2]

If a front tire goes down, its almost a sure thing you will go down, esp. in a corner. Rear tire going down you have much better chance of riding it out to a stop. But in a corner you will go down.  Car tire shops will not even work on a car around here that has a tire that is 10 yrs old or more, even if it looks good. Liability I assume. For your situation, if there is no dry rot, should be good.  To look for dry rot, air down your tire a lot so the sidewall flexes a lot and view it that way.When aired up, hard to see dry rot. Might be a 2 person procedure to do it right.  I just rode 3300 miles on the tires I had that were on the bike i bought. They were made in 2000. Tread was good and no observable dry rot. This was in the fall and I had many layers on while riding. Decided to do it as I ran out of time. Had to get on the road. Got some new ones to put on now as they are worn out. I cannot argue the tire vs skin graft point though.

[GhostMerc]

The rule for radial tires is, at 6 years you should really look into getting new ones.  At 10 years it's "OMG, get that thing off the road"  It doesn't have to do with the rubber so much as it does the steel belts inside the tire.  It is possible for air and moisture to pass through the rubber and steel belt package.  Eventually the steel belts rust and are much more likely to break.