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Rubber hardens with age; we all know this. At some point this degradation of the rubber may be a critical factor in survival. Really worth a life gamble?
If you wear out your tire in the 5 yrs then it's a no brainer, for those of us who only ride 2k per year, the 5 year recommended replacement comes into play, because after 5 years the tires are still like new. Back to the original question, replace at 5 yrs, even if the thread is perfect, or just ride and watch it? In the name of safety, or is the 5 yrs BS?
I don't take the 5 year rule as hard fast, (to me it's like the life span of a helmet, the one's pushing that are the manufacturers for safety concerns and probably a little marketing there too) but I personally wouldn't run anything much over that from my experience. My truck tires have been on for 7 years and the tread is still fine since I don't drive it that much. But, I can feel the reduced traction from the rubber hardening, so its time. I have ridden 10-year old tires on a couple bikes over the years, and traction on those is not great. You probably wouldn't notice it as much if the bike is your only on, as you likely get used to the degradation as it is slowly happening, but switching between and old and new gives a pretty stark change in feel in my opinion. So I fall somewhere in between. If your tires look and feel fine, you might be able to squeeze more time out of them. Whether it's worth it is only a decision you can make for yourself.
General rule is around 3/32”, or near the top of Lincoln’s hair line. Alternately, your wear bars are level with the remaining tread. That, an any age cracks replace immediately.
Last edited by son of the hounds; Apr 1, 2024 at 09:48 AM.
In anyway, I am amazed at how much tires have improved over the decades. My first bikes I was lucky to get 6-8K on them, I still drag footpads and get 11-12K on the rear and over 15K on the front. I like Dunlops and Michelin's for the wear just keep inflation at near perfect and inspect every couple of rides. BTW picked up a screw recently and since I drive out on the reservation with no cell service I carry one of those plug kits and a small inflator. Plugged the tire and waited for several minutes for the little inflator to do its thing, got back home with ease.
I use the wear bars to decide if it is time for replacement. Michelin and Dunlop both say the 2/32 is the shouldmust replace spot, although I notice a lowering grip level at just under 3/32.
Can't think of a better way to spend my time than wearing out tires on a bike! Especially a Harley type bike!
He clearly explained the reasons that tires CAN time out before wearing out, but IMHO, he certainly didn't "debunk" the "tire age myth".
All his comments support the fact that a tire starts to degrade the moment it is popped off the mold... The question has always been... how long before they NEED to be replaced, regardless of condition or thread depth.
As the video pointed out, there are several things that contribute to, and can escalate, tire degradation. Obviously, tire manufacturers can't know how people use, or abuse, their tires. So for liability reasons, they will more than likely have a recommendation closer to a worse case scenario, than to the owner who is fastidious about his tire care..
Regardless of the variance in recommendations, is indisputable that tires age and can become dangerous before the tread reaches worn out levels. It is also obvious that there can be no hard, fast rule on time, due to the many factors that affect tire degradation.
There was a study shared on a forum (not sure if it was here or on an RV forum I read) that showed the chance of a tire failure increases substantially between years 5 and 10. With RV tires they rarely wear out before 10 years... I just replaced 6 tires on my RV, at a cost of $3900, that were 7 years old and looked great. First trip on the new tires showed how "hard" the 7 year old tires got. The ride was substantially better.
I don't have to deal with the age issue on my bagger, as those tires get worn out before 5 years... However, I have three other bikes that don't get the same mileage as the bagger. Their tires usually hit 7 years, with some (or plenty) of tread left. I have no issue replacing them at 7 years, or sooner if issues appear with the tires...
But that is MY comfortable risk level.... Your mileage may vary..
Last edited by hattitude; Apr 1, 2024 at 10:11 AM.
I've rode tires that are decades old, and I know its a mortal sin. In general I know I have pushed the limit time wise on front tires,
Was just talking to a friend who has a number of bikes, some old, that don't get a lot miles, and his number was 7 years. So he just started running shinko. He is not racing these bikes.
With multiple bikes somtimes it years catch up, especially with front.
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