Read the following - "As a general rule of thumb, no tire should be used longer than 10 years from the date it was made and should spend no more than five of those years on your bike before being replaced."

Do you replace your tires at around 5 years, even if they look fine? I have Michelin Commander 2's, they have been on 5 yrs and only have 10,000 mi on them. They look great, and hate to change them but in the sake of safety will gladly do so. Thoughts?

 

I don't worry about how long I've had them mounted as they don't last anywhere near as long as the recommended timeframe.
I also don't get anywhere near that kind of mileage on a set of tires, probably because there are not as many twistie roads around me as I would like, so the center of the rear tire wears out sooner than desired.
I only get to ride about 6-10K miles per year, and I typically need a new rear tire every year.
Most miles I've ever gotten on a rear tire is just shy of 6K.
I manage my tire pressure as well or better than most.
I never do burn outs.

I typically replace the front tire with every other rear, or every time that I change brands.
Wheel bearings get changed with the tires.

I use RideOn sealant/balancer & currently have internal TPMS sensors to help me maintain my desired pressure.
I've run Dunlops, Commander II & Commander III's, and I'm currently running Metzeler ME888's.
So far, these are my favorites.

 

Every couple of years, typically 20-24k miles. I always use the original Dunlops.

 

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 let mine age. I replace around every 11.5K miles.

 

since everyone is dancing around your question, i'll answer it with what i would do. yes, i would change the tire after 5 years (+/-). reason being, even though the tread is still in spec, the rubber gets 'hard' and doesn't grip the road as well.

think about it this way. even though you've only got 2k miles in 5 years, is it really out of line economically to spend $500 for another set of tires that will last you another 5 years?

 

If you trust Dunlop as most everyone does, read this

They dry out, and since you live in the heat like I do, it happens quicker than more humid areas.

 

I was always told 7 years and that's what I stick with. I buy low mileage used bikes so the first set is usually changed due to time and after that it's usually mileage. I probably could have gotten another year out of my front, but I just swapped it yesterday because it hit the 7 year mark this year and was starting to look it's age. The rear got swapped last year because I picked up a nail.

 

I change them out at 5 yrs once they are installed on the bike, I don't/won't use tires that have a manufacturer date of of two yrs old before the install date. That would make the tires 7 yrs old.

 

I get around 2 years - 25,000 miles out of a set. When the front gets where it doesn't feel 'right' any more, I replace both. Easy enough job and it takes me around 4 hours counting beverage breaks.