Setting The Record Straight On Motorcycle Tire Age

Motorcycle tires wear out from use, but they can also expire from age. Keeping tabs on the age of your tires is important, but if you think your tires need to be as fresh as the contents of your fridge, we'd like to disabuse you of that myth. While it's good to be cautious when it comes to the condition of your motorcycle tires, let's be clear: Tires aren't milk, and it seems some consumers are obsessed with only buying tires that have a very recent date code. How recent? We've heard that riders are refusing rubber that's more than a year old.

A one-year-old tire is considered very, very fresh. In fact, most tire companies put the "sell by" date somewhere out around five years from the date of manufacture. So unless you don't expect to wear the tire out within five years from the date that's stamped on the sidewall, don't sweat it.

So, while rubber is not nearly as volatile as milk (blew your mind there, huh?), it's still important to know how old your tires are. Again, most tire manufacturers advise replacing a tire after it's around five years old. You might not be able to tell the age by glancing at it, but if you notice cracks along the carcass of the tire, it needs to be replaced immediately. Too bad the ole sniff test doesn't work here as it does with that carton of milk.

Here’s what happens as tires age. Tires are subject to a process called oxidation, whereby oxygen interacts with compounds in the rubber causing them to harden and eventually become brittle. As the rubber oxidization increases over time, tire performance decreases. Thankfully, oxidation in tires is a relatively slow process, but it can also occur to a motorcycle that is stored improperly. Concrete will leech the moisture out of the tires and can speed up the oxidation process.

Oxidation also occurs more rapidly at higher temperatures, so if you can help it, store your bike in a relatively cool location. If your bike sits for more than a few weeks at a time, it's always a good idea to raise it off the ground to prevent flat spots from forming on the tires. Check out this MC Garage video for more tips on caring for your tires and determining whether or not they need to be replaced.

Tires don’t have a “use by” date stamped on them like perishable foodstuffs because there are a lot of variables that determine the rate at which a tire degrades. However, tires do have a four-digit number stamped on the sidewalls indicating the week and year they were manufactured. This is particularly useful information, especially if you are buying a used bike.

So, remember the five-year guideline. And if you get a tire from your dealer that’s a couple of years old, don’t cry foul; there’s plenty of life left in it and miles of fun, safe riding ahead of you.