springman wrote on 09/14/16 at 11:06:33:



This is an excellent article, everyone should read it.
I am glad that the tires on my bikes and cars are all new or relatively new; none more than 2-3 years old.
It brings home the reality that the rubber you ride on is the last hold on life you have when out on the road.
I have skated quite often on old tires just because they had tread left.
God had extended grace to me often ... then there was that ONE time.  

I had been putting off changing the front tire because it actually had decent tread left. But I have been riding on wet roads lately and remembered that during the sisters ride earlier this year on wet roads my front tire lost traction a couple of times. It scared the dickens out of me the first time and the second time was not much better. Yes, I did slow down my pace substantially.

My aggressive biker friend won't ride on rubber more than 3 years old.

The rescue bike I bought was a 2002 with only 3,800 miles on it.  I rode on the 14 year old tires for a few hundred miles while I proved the bike was reliable.....and a rear wheel drift around a corner convinced me the tires needed to be replaced.  The bike was stored indoors and the tires look good - but the rubber had hardened and were not as sticky as they used to be.

I have an Avalanche that I drive when I need to haul something.  The tires were 12 years old, they had about 35,000 miles on them and plenty of tread....and they were downright scary when the roads were wet.  I replaced them last month, as I felt I had pushed my luck long enough.

It seems I wear the Cafe' tires out about every 3 years (6,000 miles), as I am buying pretty soft and sticky tires for it (Pirelli Sport Demons or Bridgestone Battlax BT45).  On the other bikes I think I will most likely replace them every 5 years.  The Honda NT700  bought is a 2010 with original tires and only 3,000 miles on it.....I guess it may be time to start looking for tires (MMRanch said he was sliding it on corners when he rode it).

If you poke around while riding, only ride when it is dry, and never ask you tires to perform at their maximum when you need to take an evasive maneuver....maybe you can ride on older tires - but most magazines and retailers recommend replacement at 5 years.

My tires are@4 years old.
Under 4,000 miles. I feel the rear misbehave occasionally..
Get some FINE tires soon.

Great article. Really made me think about how much my life was worth VS. the cost of two tires.

I guess I'm in the same boat. Original tires on a four year old bike with less than 2,000 miles on them. I understand the 'stickyness' is reduced and eventually lost all together but dang.... they LOOK brand new. I guess I'll be shopping for new tires this fall.  

RaleighGuy wrote on 09/15/16 at 05:06:52:


Well.....it depends a bit on how you ride, and where the bike was stored.  If the bike was stored in an insulated garage and not exposed to the really hot temperatures that can happen in a metal storage shed, and if you don't ride aggressively and explore the traction limits, and you seldom get caught in the rain and ride slowly in the rain when you do.....5 or 6 years most likely isn't an issue.

Even motorhomes can have tire problems....and trailers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LkLeljt4t0