i wouldn't ride on a tire older than 2 years... yes, it is possible for a tire to degrade over time.

 

It really depends how tires are stored. I just saw a thread with a new-ish tire that shipped over the winter and froze. Totally killed it. Bottom line - the condition of the tire is secondary if you're not going to have confidence in it. 3/4 of this game is mental.

 

Yeah I think Ill just take it slow and if there are anymore moments might get rid of it. I think its at least 2-3 years old... doesnt feel normal but maybe it will get better.

 

I think its at least 2-3 years old... doesnt feel normal but maybe it will get better.

If you look on the sidewall of the tire it will tell you exactly when it was made, and my guess is that its probably double that since Dunlop hasn't made the 208 in several years. Look for this stamp in the rubber. First 2 numbers are the week is was made, 2nd 2 numbers are the year. So for example this tire was made in the 39th week of 2002.

 

same goes for automobile tires. typically will have 4 numbers on the sidewall of the tire representing the month and year of when it was manufactured.

 

sounds like your tires are brand new? you have to break in the new tires for a couple hundred miles if i recall. they are still slick and what not. do a site search on it.

 

about 2 years ago is when the news did a story on how to check the manufacturing date on tires. They did it because some minivan had 8 year old tires that were claimed to be brand new; and the glue gave out on them or something and killed everyone on the freeway.

I'm pretty sure the rubber doesn't go bad. If it does at all it's only got to be the outer part of the rubber, which will rub off after riding.

I like the quote about it being a mental game though. If you don't have a 1 day old tire to compare to your 3 year old tire there is no use in saying it is gripping less, it probably isn't, but if you think it is, then it is.

 

about 598 days. after that they start to mingle.

 

I have a 207 on my shelf from like 8yrs ago, never used it and no one wanted it. Finaly went to toss it and found it had turned red like rust. :scratch

 

Depends a lot on the storage, tires have metal in them which will rust and rot out = blow out. As far as Dunlops, well i went from a battleax to a dunlop cuz i got it cheap and i'll just say I will never put a dunlop on my bike again. I could hit the highway for a long ass ride and the tire would never be tacky, always felt slippery. Got a Michelin Pure on the way (170 w free shipping!!!)

 

Five year old tire. :nono

I agree with getting a new one.

 

Have the same question. I bought my bike with Metzeler M3 tires on it. They were almost as new and even werent scrubbed in (4ex, almost 2/3 of the rear tire didn't touch the pavement ever).

After about 300 miles I checked the tires again. Nothing changed and the tires surfaces seems to be pretty hard (almost the same as they were). After initial "scrubb in" I started riding a bit harder and got few rear slides on a perfect pavement during acceleration on exiting the corner and even on the straights during hard acceleration (on a dry asphalt).

The tires were manufactured in 2007 (IIRC).

Any ideas on the tires? Are they still good (and the problem is me being rough with throttle/2-3 years won't kill such tire/etc) or should I replace it (all tires degrades over the time and should be raplaced)?

 

Yes, I have experience with this. In 2006 I brought a set of Bridgestone BT-002's for my 750. Before I put them on, I had totaled out the 750 and the tires sat around untill a couple weeks ago when I mounted them on my gsxr 1000. The tires feel like crap. I can't even get close to full lean. Also it took a real long time to break them in. I thought maybe I forgot how to ride or something but I'm pretty sure it is the tires. I'm probally lucky I haven't tossed the thing down the road.:twitch