I replaced my IRC's long ago (at least 5 years) with the Pirelli MT66 and have been really happy with them.

I was out riding the twisty's today and they still felt great but when I stopped to hang out I did the penny test on the rear and it looks like it may be time...
Looks like I got a little over 12K on them...does that seem about right?
What have other's gotten on this tire?

Of course the center is where I measured and they aren't flattened there at all but definitely less tread than the sides.
Thanks!

I also run the Pirellis.  I'm looking forward to keeping them for 12k miles. That's good info!  

This is certainly a personal and financial choice.  If you ride around town and never get too far from home (and friends with a truck/trailer to come help), and if you don't push the limits by riding around corners quickly or riding in wet weather...you most likely can get a few more miles out of the tire.  Riding on a tire for 5 years is at the limit that most dealers and retailers recommend for replacement.  You don't need a lot of tread depth in the center of the tire, and some tires are made without any grooves in the center as water can easily squirt out the sides of the round tire profile on a motorcycle tire.  You should check the tire date code on the tire and see how hold it is, as it could have been sitting around a while before the retailer sold it to you.  There will be 4 digits stamped in the side of the tire somewhere - the first 2 digits are the week it was made, and the last two will be the year.  If you tire is 5 years old it will have something like 4811 stamped on it.

I prefer to order tires in early spring when the new shipments have arrived at the warehouses and the retailers are having sales.  That way I can get tires that are only a few months old, and they haven't been sitting on a shelf for a while....that way I don't mount tires that are already a year old.  

 

Oh hey,
One other question...should I go ahead and replace the front also since it's pretty old too? Seems like lots of folks go through 2 rears before replacing the front but that seems counter intuitive to me...

Tru Dat!
Thx!

My 2003 still has the original tires , the tread looks good and I see no sidewall cracks.  It has always been garaged , but this discussion has reminded me I am on borrowed time.  Thirteen years is a long time for a tire. I am trying to decide between a 130/80 or 140/90 for the rear and then will replace front and rear soon.
.

Sarge wrote on 11/16/16 at 09:16:57:


Yes, thirteen years it too long.  I recently rode on a 2002 with the original tires, and they would slip if pushed hard in the corners.

You don't want a 130/80.....you should get a 130/90 if you want a tire almost identical in size to the stock IRC 140/80 - or you should go to a 140/90 if you want a larger tire.

I went from stock to Metzlers, really a big difference.
Wore those out at about 16000 miles I think.
They cost, but so does a slip.
I was going to replace them with the same, but couldn't wait for my size to arrive so i bought Dunlops.
Half the price, but really happy with their handling.
Have a couple clicks on them now, and it has been soaking here in the PACNORWEST, they stick well, but then again, I'm a slow poke