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Who has the oldest tyres?! (please check your date codes)

Discussion in 'Hangout Lounge' started by 750E-II_29Rbloke, Mar 21, 2013.

  1. 750E-II_29Rbloke

    750E-II_29Rbloke Active Member

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    Just thought I'd post up the date code of the front tyre that was on my XJ when I bought it. As far as I can tell, 3 digit code with no triangle means 1980's so my front tyre was made in February 1987. 26 years old 8O

    Guess as the bike's '83, at least the original owner paid attention to tyres & replaced when the originals were 4 years old...

    This came off a bike last on the road around 2 years ago! Best of it is, there's hardly any sign of cracking/checking so anyone just looking the bike over wouldn't have had a clue how bad it was...
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    750E-II_29Rbloke, Mar 21, 2013
    #1
  2. burger

    burger Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    Last spring my rear tire was original.
     
    burger, Mar 21, 2013
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  3. hogfiddles

    hogfiddles XJ-Wizard, Host-Central NY Carb Clinic Moderator Premium Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    Hardly any cracking?!?!?! There's plenty of it visible in the pic you posted! I wouldn't ride on that. I don't like to ride on tires that have ANY cracking.

    Personall opinion.

    Dave F
     
    hogfiddles, Mar 21, 2013
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  4. 750E-II_29Rbloke

    750E-II_29Rbloke Active Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    Dave, if you spotted the cracks surely you spotted it's also no longer fitted to the wheel! :D it's not the condition so much as the age that scared me.

    And most of the cracks didn't show before the tyre was deflated & removed, the act of flexing the hardened rubber in removal was enough to do that! :?
     
    750E-II_29Rbloke, Mar 21, 2013
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  5. BigMouse

    BigMouse New Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    This is a contest surely no one WANTS to win...yikes...
     
    BigMouse, Mar 21, 2013
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  6. neronova

    neronova Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    Will have to check my project bike, with 1500km, and not being registered since 1996, it could have tires as old as 30 years on it. Will check and get back to you! Would be good to check anyhow for safety!
     
    neronova, Mar 21, 2013
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  7. Foolber

    Foolber Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    i dont know man winning is in my blood.....

    But seriously old tyres are bad news, mine was made 2 years ago but is getting replaced this year :) although my 81 YZ125 still has tyres from the 80's lol :) one time i was riding my old 87 KX playing tag with a buddy and my front tire had lost 6 nobs or so and i went threw a burm and the front end chopped and i ended up into and over the bars, got new tyres that day :lol:

    iv never had a tyre blow on me yet but honestly dont want to, the dmv test said to NOT use your brakes that are on the blown tyre in that situation and i can agree with that.
     
    Foolber, Mar 21, 2013
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  8. Mike82mxm

    Mike82mxm Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    If I had the oldest tires I would be embarresed to post!
     
    Mike82mxm, Mar 21, 2013
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  9. osprey1000

    osprey1000 Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    Peronsonally mine are too old to be riding, hence they will be getting replaced ASAP. But here is a story that I thought I would share. Being that I work retail , over the winter I got into a pissing match with a customer ( I know not the right thing to do but hey,) about old tires on motorcycles. He was telling me that he had a '63 honda that he still rides, with the original tires still on it... Needless to say the pissing match was over the fact that he needs to get those babies off... Now I know that those are Tubed tires that are not as critical, but at 65mph, I don't wanna know what will happen to 40+old tires...
     
    osprey1000, Mar 21, 2013
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  10. 750E-II_29Rbloke

    750E-II_29Rbloke Active Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    Wow ^ Honda dude wins by a streak of piss.... :( (or a stream of it running down his leg, when a tyre delaminates at speed...)

    No telling some people huh, wonder if the tubes are original too? they wear against the tyre carcass over the years & tubed tyres are more likely to deflate quickly if a tube fails too. Crazy :?

    But yeah I'd agree nobody in their right mind would WANT to "win" this "accolade"

    Wonder if the Honda guy ever saw this?
    [​IMG]
     
    750E-II_29Rbloke, Mar 22, 2013
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  11. adrian1

    adrian1 Active Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    Smebody's gonna be in tears back at the pits! :)
     
    adrian1, Mar 22, 2013
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  12. Foolber

    Foolber Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    THEIF!
     
    Foolber, Mar 22, 2013
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  13. quebecois59

    quebecois59 Well-Known Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    This thread could have been titled "Have you checked your tires age?" but it is more funny the way it is actually written, and I hope it will have the same side effect (having everyone check their tires).

    I know my front tire on the Seca is 5 years old, and the rear one has to be changed anyhow so I didn't bother checking the date. Tires on the Magna are brand new (2012). Don't know about the ones on the XS650 1977, but they are not original for sure.
     
    quebecois59, Mar 22, 2013
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  14. Kickaha

    Kickaha Active Member Premium Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    The wheel failed not the tyre, it's still fully inflated :lol:

    I did a race a couple of years back on 20 year old tyres, for the bike I was riding and the tye of race it was there were no problems, right on the limit of the bike they would start to slide but quite progressively

    A lot of it is how they are stored, just because they are old doesn't automatically mean they'll fail
     
    Kickaha, Mar 22, 2013
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  15. quebecois59

    quebecois59 Well-Known Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    All right, here is my '77 XS650 rear tire date:

    [​IMG]

    No problem with this one year is 2005, eight years old is fine for me because I don't ride that bike very often neither fast. But what are the PCE letters mean?

    Now the front tire:

    [​IMG]

    That one shows some cracking and is 12 years old, definitely has to be changed soon. Again, what about the PCD letters?
     
    quebecois59, Mar 22, 2013
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  16. Foolber

    Foolber Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    thats a ducati, i sent that to him last night on a PM, then started playing counter strike and totally forgot to post it in this thread. i aint got no quarles though...he was talking about the honda guy that the other guy above him was talking about with his 30 some year old tyres lol

    and i agree with storing, if anyone has heard of the top notch auto auctions, (Barret jackson, stuff like that) cars from the 60's and 70's that are all origial cause they were kept under a cover in a garage that is temp controlled sell for more, ESPECIALLY if they have the original tyres :)
     
    Foolber, Mar 22, 2013
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  17. MercuryMan

    MercuryMan Active Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    Having blown out a front tire on my auto taught me not to risk it on a moto. It's not possible to control a bike that blows out a tire unless you are straight up and going SLOW.

    front tire 11/2011, rear tire 2/2013.

    That pic reminds of the time my brother forgot to lock the ball on our moto trailer and the bikes on the trailer passed us on the interstate after breaking free-it was exciting in a bad way!
     
    MercuryMan, Mar 22, 2013
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  18. bigfitz52

    bigfitz52 Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    What brand of tires are they? I believe that's a manufacturer-identifier code, but I'm not 110% sure.
     
    bigfitz52, Mar 22, 2013
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  19. quebecois59

    quebecois59 Well-Known Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    Both are Bridgestone Spitfires 11.
     
    quebecois59, Mar 22, 2013
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  20. 750E-II_29Rbloke

    750E-II_29Rbloke Active Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    What, sorry, didn't realise you owned the intellectual property lol

    But yeah I should have mentioned I didn't take nor find the pic, it was sent in a PM about something else entirely. I also realise it's a Ducati, was thinking maybe Mr 1963 tyres/tubes dude might like to see the accident as a reminder that grip isn't a joke on bikes, specially old, possibly valuable (sentimental as well as cash) machines.

    Storage can have a lot to do with how well rubber ages, as a lot of the damage is by UV light. However damage is also caused by ozone & simply sitting in one position for too long as well.

    On the letters I'm not sure, will see what my Avon rear has on it. The front (ATA) was Yokohama...
     
    750E-II_29Rbloke, Mar 22, 2013
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  21. 750E-II_29Rbloke

    750E-II_29Rbloke Active Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    This is true, and sorry, should have mentioned it really but slipped my mind. Thought it was kinda fitting for the thread anyway, no grip = wet pants 8O :? :oops:
     
    750E-II_29Rbloke, Mar 22, 2013
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  22. Foolber

    Foolber Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    no it was a joke, i have a "different" sense of humor
     
    Foolber, Mar 22, 2013
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  23. 750E-II_29Rbloke

    750E-II_29Rbloke Active Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    I gathered that (see "intellectual property" post above) :wink: , just felt it was worth pointing out that I did in fact blatantly overlook forum "etiquette" :D

    I figured asking the question would prompt people to look too, but I modified the title to ask people to check too just in case they were too busy laughing at my 26 year old front to think of it themselves :p
     
    750E-II_29Rbloke, Mar 23, 2013
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  24. TIMEtoRIDE

    TIMEtoRIDE Active Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    I picked up a Suzuki 250 with only 295 miles on it, with the original AIR in the original tires (1982). I certainly wouldn't ride it with those tires, other than going up & down the block to test the clutch/gears.

    That race bike HAS to be 'shopped !!
     
    TIMEtoRIDE, Mar 23, 2013
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  25. billrocks45

    billrocks45 New Member

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    Re: Who has the oldest tyres?!

    I had this issue last year when restoring my XJ650. (Used to be my dads). He hadnt ridden it in years, it had low miles, and from 10ft away or so, the tires looked ok, still holding air, decent tread left, but get up close, and there was a lot of cracks in the sidewalls. Didnt ride it more than around the block till I got new ones installed.
     
    billrocks45, Mar 23, 2013
    #25

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