35 year old new tire

[wrenchjohns]

Long story, in late 1970s while redoing my xs1 the wife somehow got in a family way so I gave the xs1 project bike to my brother. His wife gets in the family way and the xs1 got lost in his basement. Fast forward to 2013, brother now races a 67 VW, I ride 2007 FLHRC. Now I find the xs1 in my garage and after about 45 minutes tinkering it starts on 2 kicks and runs ok. My plan is restoration but I have a problem, the tires (Conti K112 & RB2) still look brand new, the K112 (never touched the street) still has nibs and the paint stripe on tread. I've been an auto mechanic for years and know that car tires should be replaced when dry rotted, worn out or after 10 years, but I've never personally hit timeout on car or bike. Any chance these tires are kinda safe?

 

[racerdave]

Kinda safe? Is that like you only, kinda want to take a chance?

 

[Newagerocker]

Those tires are perfectly safe for a static display!

 

[wrenchjohns]

I live near DC, kinda safe is all we get here.

 

[richardthemotorcycle1]

I think it depends on where the tires have been seating all this time, I put carpet down for my bike tires to seat on, cement is hard on tires. just my opinion. I have kinda tires on my bike, they are a great tire.

 

[jayel]

those tires will be as hard as a rock, and have about the same amount of traction, definitely replace I wouldn't trust them to get you around a curve at any rate of speed

 

[Royboy]

Kinda safe is like kinda pregnant. You either is or you ain't. Thirty five year old tires would be scary on a four wheeler. On a bike no way.

roy

 

[Iowa Mark]

Oh, come on. What's the worst that can happen?

 

[wrenchjohns]

Seems consensus is no go, so I guess the gut was right.

 

[gmenard]

A tire may look good in appearance but you can never tell the real condition of it when it comes to composition.

 

[fredintoon]

Oh, come on. What's the worst that can happen?

Hi Mark,
since you ask, the rider can turn into a long smear of forensic evidence.
Bought a 1980 XS650 on my son's behalf a few years back, less than 5,000KM on it and still wearing it's original tires.
Tires looked perfect but riding the bike 7KM home was a really scary experience, those tires rode like they were made of wood.
Told my son, "the bike is in just about perfect shape but those tires have gotta go"
"But those tires look perfect"
"Try riding it round the block and then tell me what you think"
"Those tires have gotta go!"

 

[XSLeo]

You say you "have been a mechanic for years and you know that car tires should be replaced when dry rotted, worn out, or OVER TEN YEARS OLD" Why don't those same rules apply to bike tires.
Personally I'd cut those years to 5 years old. A lot of the tire manufactures I asked recommend 6 years on tires.
As tires age not only do they get hard the plys start to separate. This can lead to blowouts. A blow out on a car with four tires and you may survive with just a good scare. A blow out on a bike with just two tires and you may not survive.
Leo

 

[XS650DL]

Long story, in late 1970s while redoing my xs1 the wife somehow got in a family way so I gave the xs1 project bike to my brother. His wife gets in the family way and the xs1 got lost in his basement. Fast forward to 2013, brother now races a 67 VW, I ride 2007 FLHRC. Now I find the xs1 in my garage and after about 45 minutes tinkering it starts on 2 kicks and runs ok. My plan is restoration but I have a problem, the tires (Conti K112 & RB2) still look brand new, the K112 (never touched the street) still has nibs and the paint stripe on tread. I've been an auto mechanic for years and know that car tires should be replaced when dry rotted, worn out or after 10 years, but I've never personally hit timeout on car or bike. Any chance these tires are kinda safe?

No! Period.

 

[DIRTY DOG]

hell we ride motorcycles there is nothing safe about it so kinda safe is all we have lol
if the tires look ok on dry rot run them around the block then replace them a tire that old is not safe out on the highway. just my .02