I'm almost ready to put me old R 80 G/s Monolever back on t'road, but was a bit concerned about the tyres. She currently wears Pirelli MT 50 - 90/90 - 21 on the front, and Pirelli MT 50 110/80 - 18 on the rear. They are both in excellent condition, with plenty tread and no cuts, abrasions or cracking to be seen anywhere, BUT....they are over 20 years old! I pumped them up to pressure the other day and drove her about the garden, and they have kept their pressure, BUT....they are over 20 years old.
Anyone have any advice on this, please? I fancied a pair of Metzeler Tourance, but they don't seem to come in the required size, so if anyone knows of a place where I could obtain those sizes, or recommend a suitable quality alternative.
I can't help you Dingus on where to get new tyres, but I think its a good move doing so. I had a bike last year which I bought second hand. The tyres looked brilliant with plenty of tread. However I kept loosing the back end, even on the slightest turn at slow speed. The bike was 12 years old and the tyres could have been the originals or 2nd set fitted. It turned out that the tyres had age hardened and there was no real give in the rubber, hence sliding on the back end.
Thanks for that, David....some fella at the BMW Club suggested I try Heidenau tyres (they also advised against using the old Pirellis, as they would have the performance of Lego toy tyres), and after a quick search for suppliers in this country, I found some here:
Good for you V-Rod
But I wouldn't feel comfortable or safe on 11 year old tyres
Regardless of milage or where they were made
How many miles have they done
If I get a tyre to "last" more than 2 or 3 years I reckon I've done well
But each to their own
If "you're" happy on old tyres carry on
Not for me though
With an "average" contact patch being about the size of a credit card
I would always pefer the best I can get/afford
If they are not "top quality" then I modify my riding to take account of that
hi Emzed
How many miles have they done
2272 ml my bike is a 02 so that makes it 11 year old but really its brand-new
pic's on my profile and I'd just got back from picking it up the date is on the pic's to
my tyres are only just scrubbed in really
it's common sense really with old boots
but if I was rebuilding an old bike and the tyres looked good
I would run the bike get rid of any teething problems then think of new tyres
Well V Rod, I'd take heed of what Bill306 says if I were you
Tyres will biodegrade over time whether they are used or not
11 year old rubber will not have the adhesion qualities of a new tyre
2272 miles
Is there a zero missing in that milage ?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a go at you for being a "low milage" biker
Each to their own, whether you ride all year, or just high days & holidays, tyres are THE most important part of a motorcycle
You can spend thousands on the engine & chassis but without good tyres it's all wasted
Less than 2,500 miles in 11 years doesn't mean that the tyres are "nearly new"
It means that you've missed the "best" performance that the original tyres would have provided
Granted they may "look" like new ones but the rubber is 11 years old and well past it's best
A dealer wouldn't be able to sell you such a tyre whether it was legal (tread depth) or not
I don't know what the actual legal position is but I am fairly sure that tyres over 4 years old ( from the date of manufacture ) would be sent back to the factory or warehouse as "old stock" by a professional tyre supplier
I seriously urge you to reconsider your continued use of your "vintage" tyres and invest in some new rubber
There's a manufacturing date code on the sidewall of a tyre. 4 digits means it was made this century, e.g. 2708 is week 27 of 2008. 3 digits followed by a small triangle means it's a 1990's tyre, e.g. 019 is the first week of 1999. And if it's just got 3 digits, it's from the 1980s and should be in a museum. I wouldn't trust a 10 year old tyre....
Off at a slight tangent One of the main reasons for caravans turning over is down to tyre failure as they do few miles and so never look like they are degraded Ultraviolet light attacks them whilst they are parked up I would not trust any tyre older than five years whether it be on a trailer car or caravan and certainly not on a bike Just my 2p
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