l got old bike and was very concerned about tires even though thread is good , rubber might be “vintage”.
wasnt paranoid my tires are from 2009…def changing those 6 years is enough
for thouse who wonder how to check that - have a look on DOT printed on your rubber . first no is week, second is year. mine is 5109, so around december 09
see pic on:
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Riding_Street_Images/20101111TireDate.sflb.ashx
Good shout. Lots of people won’t know that.
That is a good little tip. Although none of tyres have lasted past 6 months.
Handy to know, thanks!
Here’s a good reason not to use tyres more than 5 years old
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=3097978
damn mine are pushing 6…no wonder they feel stiff riding… l need to get new ones asap…!!
as per brains_t shared article ->
"DBP or Dibutyl phthalate, is the plasticiser most commonly used in tyre’s.
Dibutyl phthalate’s don’t bond with the rubber on a molecular level, they sit between the rubber molecules preventing them from bonding (and therefore hardening) together.
As far as I know, it (Dibutyl phthalate) “sweats” out of the rubber over a long period of time, whether the tyre is being used or not. The result is minor cracking along the side wall of your tyre’s, which eventually leads to MOT failure.
Ever noticed how elastic bands harden? same thing…
5 years sounds about correct for tyre’s, some European countries state a life of 2 years, this is where a lot of part worn tyre’s come from… Some of our new tyre’s are in fact old scrapped European stock."
Had this on my car, as l use winter tyres (trips to Skiland etc), my rear summer pirellis lasted ages - tyres tend to wear in cold weather. Still had 3mm but side walls were flaking.