Stored Tyre Ageing / Life

[teg]

hello all

just trying to pick a few brains on tyre life - no not when theyre getting squared off at the shoulders from track time !

 

But when thyv,e had a lack of use !!!!!!!! eg a set of wets on loose wheels stored in garage , been used 5 or 6 sessions - is there a point in time / years from manufacture date that the rubber compound or carcass will deteriorate and change its properties .

 

are wets different to drys ? in my case i,m talking about street legal supersport road tyres and race wets .

your thoughts anybody ??

 

i would be talking about for fast group track day riding ,

incidentally i did hear of metzeler doing a test of some 5 year old supersport tyres that had been stored correctly ( whatever that means ) back to back with brand new ones of same type and could find no difference on track .

[khp]

teg,

 

I'm not a tire specialist, but the general rule I have been told is that tires should be less than 5 years old when you first mount them and once you start using them, they should be replaced after (max) 2 years.

 

This is due to chemicals that are put into the tire compound (to make the tire more flexible) that tends to evaporate with heat cycles and time.

 

 

Kai

[faffi]

It depends also on how they are stored. Cool and out of sunlight gives them a longer life. Also important is your pace and riding style as well as the behaviour of the tyre. Unused tyres perfectly stored - off the rim and standing in a dark, cool room without chemicals - can stay fine for at least a decade*. Once used, though, deterioration starts to set in regardless of how it's stored.

 

I have used a front street tyre as old as 13 years that was perfectly OK for riding on; it had lost some of the grip but was still very predictable. In fact, I've ridden brand new tyres that were worse. But some tyres can behave erratically when old. I guess it comes down to comparing the price of a set of tyres to that of a potentially crashed bike.

 

 

*Although virtually as good as when it was first made, it will still be a decade behind in development by then

[teg]

interesting stuff people

i know this is a bit of a "how longs a piece of string" type question but all input appreciated .

my tyres are stored in garage so dry and out of sunlight some off the rim but also some mounted on rim but not on bike , i keep them pressured .

i agree totally depends on riding style and previous use for example a brand new unmounted unused set stored for 5 years would be fine but what about a set thats done some track time (not enough to wear out ) in fast group .

i guess i,tll depend on all the chemicals involved and so i suppose some (e.g. wets) will be different to others .

i know from previous very basic experience that race car slick type tyres would go off after so long- in that the rubber would harden , in other words plenty of rubber left but grip was gone ,but i don,t think these are as versatile as bike rubber and this was a long time ago .

interested to hear of evryones examples .

[fossilfuel]

interesting stuff people

i know this is a bit of a "how longs a piece of string" type question but all input appreciated .

my tyres are stored in garage so dry and out of sunlight some off the rim but also some mounted on rim but not on bike , i keep them pressured .

i agree totally depends on riding style and previous use for example a brand new unmounted unused set stored for 5 years would be fine but what about a set thats done some track time (not enough to wear out ) in fast group .

i guess i,tll depend on all the chemicals involved and so i suppose some (e.g. wets) will be different to others .

i know from previous very basic experience that race car slick type tyres would go off after so long- in that the rubber would harden , in other words plenty of rubber left but grip was gone ,but i don,t think these are as versatile as bike rubber and this was a long time ago .

interested to hear of evryones examples .

 

I had 6 sets of Dunlop G-Tec....thats right G-Tec vintage '05. They are 195/70/17 rear 125/80/17 fronts. I turn them around depending on if it is primarily left or right had track. I have three used sets left, very used and just finished a track day at Jennings GP (Left hand track) and ran personal best lap times 1:28..they stuck like glue. I used the same set at Road Atlanta three weeks before (Right hand track) personal best lap times 1:42. I was a little concerned about back straight speeds at 170mph but I'm still here. I have to say good by to this rear tire though. I can't fine the wear bars anymore...very sad. I have run on the Dunlop 209 GPA's intermixed with the slicks just because of riding in Superstock races and damp conditions....but I keep going back to my favorites. This example might be a little over the top but I think most people don't get enough life out of their tires...throw them away to soon.

The tires that are on my profile picture are 5 years old 0205 and that picture was taken last Saturday the 24th.

[Cobie Fair]

Modern tires are amazing, for sure.

 

This last weekend of schools, I parked my bike towards the end of the 2nd day, with cords showing. I had zero traction issues, the thing was still sticking! Not recommending this, and don't even know what the tire was or how old, but it was a slick.

 

CF

[lwarner]

Modern tires are amazing, for sure.

 

This last weekend of schools, I parked my bike towards the end of the 2nd day, with cords showing. I had zero traction issues, the thing was still sticking! Not recommending this, and don't even know what the tire was or how old, but it was a slick.

 

CF

 

Haha, did it look like this?

[Hotfoot]

Modern tires are amazing, for sure.

 

This last weekend of schools, I parked my bike towards the end of the 2nd day, with cords showing. I had zero traction issues, the thing was still sticking! Not recommending this, and don't even know what the tire was or how old, but it was a slick.

 

CF

 

So... now I'm curious, if you ride a tire down to cords (not that I have any desire whatsoever to try that), do you only have traction concerns or is there a danger of blowout at that point? Like Fossil's example, high speed straight, tire is expanding, heating up, etc., if you are running out of rubber is the tire strength compromised, too?

[Cobie Fair]

Modern tires are amazing, for sure.

 

This last weekend of schools, I parked my bike towards the end of the 2nd day, with cords showing. I had zero traction issues, the thing was still sticking! Not recommending this, and don't even know what the tire was or how old, but it was a slick.

 

CF

 

So... now I'm curious, if you ride a tire down to cords (not that I have any desire whatsoever to try that), do you only have traction concerns or is there a danger of blowout at that point? Like Fossil's example, high speed straight, tire is expanding, heating up, etc., if you are running out of rubber is the tire strength compromised, too?

 

 

Not sure how much it will take to get through the cords, rather not find out. I talked with Will, and don't think it will generate much heat, but no traction. It would come apart in an unpleasant way

 

CF