Tire Question

The Dunlops on my Commando are about 15 years old but have had maybe 800 miles on them. There is a ton of tread left. What I'm asking is with the age of the tire could I just replace the tubes and leave the tires alone? The things look almost new no cracks or checking. They don't leak or any thing like that. Or should I just leave them alone. What do you guys think?

I read about tires getting hard but If they look good I would just leave them.

I'm not the last word, but, "You can use a $5 helmet if you have a$5 brain".... probably applies to here. Jeez...get a grip...do you want to ride on 15 year old tires? If you do, you might want a real real good helmet. Just sayin'

I'm sure it technically matters, but maybe not in the real world. There are chopper guys that buy vintage tires from the 60's and 70's still and ride around just fine.

And, if they're hard enough, you'll get 50,000 miles out of them.

Really, by all means use them........within their limitations.

A old hard tire is a tire with little grip. If you don't mind falling occasionally and bending up your beautiful bike (not to mention your body), then go ahead and use them. Smart money will toss them immediately.

The age when auto tires get hard that I've heard is 5-7 years....my employer replaces them at 5 years on our generator trailers and I need to replace a set on a car I own that are about 6 years old and have gotten hard enough to be dangerous though they still have plenty of tread. FWIW there is a news story on tire aging at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/05/27/eveningnews/consumer/main698335.shtml

Look for dry rot cracks on the sidewalls when inflated. If cracks I toss them. (Actually I pay $1 to a local tire guy to recycle them.)

Good to know.

In the meantime, you can check your own tire's age by finding the four digits of the tire's "DOT" number if the tire was made in 2000 or after.

Click to expand...

Just cheeked my internet bargain tires I just bought to see that they are 4 years old. Doesn't matter. they'll be dead before the end of the season.

I would replace the front with an AM26 and ride the rear until it wears out. You only get 4-5000 miles from a rear tire on a Commando, but the front will dry and crack before it wears.

Just stay away from wet roads.

The first thing I did a couple of years ago when I bought my Cdo was fit new Avon Roadrider tires. The PO stated the front tire, an old Dunlop was 17 years old but still looked good and the rear was a Cheng or something like that about 3 years old.

Wes and me keep a look out for cheap old hard cracked tires with some meat left in the middle to get some economy d/t THE Gravel. They work as well as brand spanning new as long as staying in sane mostly legal usage. Adjust air for nice ride to compensate for old age stiffness. They may even last a bit longer than new tires which tend to ablate rapidly on our way out and back to soothing tire saving pavement. Cords showing ain't much an issue either except makes so thin pebble points can get through to the tube. When center cords show it means time to play on THE G by leaning and spinning tire to rooster tail off what side meat remains. The spray on solvent that is sold for snow-ice traction softens the rubber somewhat so might consider that while shopping up replacement bargains. Motorcycle tires do not blow out within their speed rating, only the tubes do. Spend your cash on best tubes.

I use stuff like this both to help heal the aged tire and secret weapon on about new race only tires when I go out to hunt down sports riders.
http://www.unique-idea.com/TIREGRIP.htm

Is the bike for show, or do you plan to actually ride it? If it's the latter, i would replace tires and tubes with something new. Old tires get hard and loose grip. If you are just going to show the bike and put around on it a little bit, you might be able to get away with the old tires for a while. I'd change them anyway. Not worth the risk. Of course they would fail inspection up here being too old.

RSR

my tyre wear has been as little as 3200 miles on both front and rear if I ride it hard but it usualy is 2 rears to a front.

maylar said:

I would replace the front with an AM26 and ride the rear until it wears out. You only get 4-5000 miles from a rear tire on a Commando, but the front will dry and crack before it wears.

Just stay away from wet roads.

Click to expand...

Its purely an economic and ascetic decision as even wet and slick roads is essentially same risk on old as new rubber. It is a delight though to feel the nicer handling and ride on new-broken in tires. Beware some-many new tires have less traction than old hard cracked ones till 50-100 miles. Old tire on hot summer tarmac are made for each other, as long as not holding the ton for long or leaning hard under power. No one with more show off bike than road rod will want to have old tires seen, so that's a myth to ignore too. I love the more show than go bikes too - just like the air brushed girls in pin ups, just not fooled to want to live with them for real. If not for the shipping expense I'd use nothing but cheap old tires on pure factory Trixie Combat who has no mods or intentions to press any limits of handling or endurance. When at Barber's Swamp meet I picked up an old hard but hardly used set for like $25. Old tires can cause some wobble woes we hear about but I"ve not noticed that as a bother to counter the labor and $$ savings gained.

Its also a myth that any cycle over 250 is economic d/t gas mileage as tire wear on more powerful bike eats up the tires to more than eat up any gas savings, not counting many other items being used up too soon too.
I can no longer use economics as excuse to wife to acquire a real motorcycle, ugh.

Ballpark buck and a quarter a tire. I mount my own as I
use TT100s so you can save too if you do likewise. Cdo
you can swap tires, both 19". More savings.
No, I cannot imagine taking the chance on oldies. No poor
or weak brakes either.
Cheap insurance including life insurance.

muhahaha :lol: :mrgreen:

Seriously the 5 year rule is probably the best to follow.

example of old tires.... vintagepureheaven.blogspot.com/2011/05/denton-nc-amca-swap-meet.html
scroll down to the NOS $800 tires from the 70's haha
you can't make stuff like this up

Thanks for the replys. The tires seem to be pretty flexable, but with the age of them I just didn't know. I got the bike in the mid 90's and the tires where brand new at the time. I really don't ride it that much as you can see. I have a 73 Husqvarna that has its original Trelleborg and they are little hard.

Thanks,
Guy

Three years ago I bought my 1970 BSA Victor, with 5100 original miles. The original Dunlop tires looked to be in excellent condition, mint in fact, but with no date code (RED ALERT; this means the tires were at least 19 years old). Since I bought it as a rebuild project, I removed the wheels immediately and took them to my trusted suspension shop to dismount the tires. As soon as the tires began to detach from the rims, they exploded in a cloud of dust and rock-hard pebbles of rubber.

New rubber and new brakes are essential to safely enjoying these old bikes. Guys, please, for your own sake, and that of your families, spend the 200 bucks and get some decent tires under you.