Some questions about tires

drunkaroos

drunkaroos

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I recently got my xs650 back on the road after its 20 year stint in garages all over Alberta. Despite the tires looking nearly mint, I checked the tires - just to make sure they were safe - and what do I know, the tires are both older than I am. The front tire is 20 years old and the back tire is 21 years old. I checked both with a tire durometer, and the front reads 60 while the back reads 70. It appears the tires were put on before the bike's inactivity and have hardly been ridden on since, since they both have little to no wear on them at all, with no stress cracks, no flat spots, etc. Would it be safe to continue riding on these tires? I've ridden on them a few times while testing the bike out in rain and shine and they handled just fine.
Thanks for the responses
 
Myself and most people here will say replace them. But that could depend on what you are going to do with the bike. If all you are going to do is run to Timmy's on it and never go past 20 mph they should be fine. Any faster than that, replace them.
 
20 year old rubber might not be up to once it once was, I’m no expert and I’m sure other far more knowledgeable members will chime in soon but I don’t think I’d chance it.

Daniel.
 
Tires degrade over time because of "offgassing:" volatile compounds are slowly lost to atmosphere. Maybe a tad AR, but I won't ride on tires that are more than 4 years old.
 
Tires are cheaper than a crash. Old tires won't grip as well and you could easily low side if one slips in a corner. With patience and tire irons you can change them yourself saving $50-100 depending on what shops charge in your area. Plenty of good budget choices out there, I'm running shinko tires and have been pleased with them. I scraped a peg on wet roads with no sign of slip.
 
drunkaroos said:
I recently got my xs650 back on the road after its 20 year stint in garages all over Alberta. Despite the tires looking nearly mint, I checked the tires - just to make sure they were safe - and what do I know, the tires are both older than I am. The front tire is 20 years old and the back tire is 21 years old. I checked both with a tire durometer, and the front reads 60 while the back reads 70. It appears the tires were put on before the bike's inactivity and have hardly been ridden on since, since they both have little to no wear on them at all, with no stress cracks, no flat spots, etc. Would it be safe to continue riding on these tires? I've ridden on them a few times while testing the bike out in rain and shine and they handled just fine.
Thanks for the responses
Click to expand...
I agree with the previous responders.

....and welcome to the website ! Stick around, I think you will appreciate the camaraderie and information here.
 
Here's all you need to know/remember about motorcycle tires: all that stands between you and eternity are two fairly small contact patches between them and the road.
 

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