absolutely not, plenty of new tires that could be had for cheap!

 

Where? I very rarely see any deals on NEW race tires. Most places don't discount them because they know people will buy them at full price anyway. All the good deals on race tires that I've ever seen either involve tires that are at least 2-3 years old or are slightly used (like a few track sessions).

I must say at the beginning of this season I bought a used front and 2 rears (one was brand new and the other was almost new, like 7-8 laps)...they were Michelin Power Cups and bought them off the WERA forum from a guy on the east coast. They were also 2 years old at the time. Had no issues with them and the front outlasted both rears lol.

 

Sight unseen, no. I might if I could inspect the tire first but not at my current skill level. I'm still feeling out how much traction I have coming out of a turn. If I were more confident and could inspect the tire I might consider it.

Edit: well, that said, I don't even like buying used sportbikes... hmmm....

 

Yes if in new condition. No if used.

 

No I wouldn't, rubber ages, hardens and becomes brittle and slick... they would be no better performance wise than the crappiest touring tires you can buy.

 

Found new tires on eBay. When pressed for age was told they met age standards of 10 years.

I passed and bought the same tires from STT $25 more. They came in and less than one year old.

Purchase used. NO.

Did use some 2 year old tires given to me.

 

I was told the shelf life of most race tires is 4-5 years if stored in a proper environment, without ever being used. But not really sure what happens if they're used a bit.

 

Confidence is a big head thing for me. I'd be thinking about the tires in every turn if I didn't have that warm, new tire fuzzy. I guess that's a no from me too.

I've used race takeoffs before, but never much more than a year old. And I've been given the less than 5yrs advice as well.

I gotta think you are at a point where you would notice really great grip vs okay grip. Great grip is more fun! I'd stick with newer tires, or newer race t/o's. Go for the discounted t/o's on the race, trackday forums. Does Sportbike Track Gear still have race tire deals?

 

0 yes, and 9 no so far....I think I see where this is going lol

I'm convinced.

 

Would I buy them? No. Might they work? Maybe.

 

I would buy them and sell them on craigslist as new

 

Ouch!

 

I thought there was a post for a while where people were selling their race take-offs. Maybe you could give that a look.

 

mototom nailed it. They *might* be ok, but to do what I do I need confidence and the last thing I want to add to the mix is a variable.

Worth the price to get new or get takeoffs that arent that old.

 

Hell. No. I try to minimize everything I can to keep me vertical when I ride, especially on the track and peace of mind is a huge part of that for me. I don't need to add another variable that I need to second guess because I wanted to save 50 bucks on old rubber and can really ruin my day, my bank account, and my physical health.

 

I would. Live dangerously, more. Only 3 years? Nothing wrong with 3 year old tires. Even if they are race tires. Big deal.

 

I too love missing sessions because someone wrecked their shit around a turn and it takes them 30 minuets to clear the track. :bigthumb:

 

Would it be any different for say a set of supercorsas? I had purchased a pair mid year for track days and they still had plenty of life left for the next season but people made me second guess using them saying they wouldn't be near as grippy. I just hate to throw away a set of tires.

 

I would think that if they sit in a garage that doesn't go through dynamic highs and lows as far as temperature, IE the entire North East, that tires shelf life increase dramatically. Then again I don't work at Dunlop and that's where I think AlexZX6R probably has a point.

Seems like this really just comes down to individual comfort and what you are okay with as a rider.

 

I'd be more concerned about if the tires are out of heat cycles. I would check with the manufacturer to see if those tires have a limited number of heat cycles before they degrade.

 

I wouldn't even worry about heat cycles unless you are running MOTOGP record times

 

Heat cycles is not really a major issue anymore with modern tires. Tires will wear out mechanically (from riding) way before heat cycles affect them. Regardless, the tires I was looking at (both fronts) have 1 and 2 heat cycles on them respectively. One was used for 2 days and the other for 1 session...or so I'm told. They're 2 years old, but by the time I would use them would be 3 years since I won't use them until next spring.

Anyway, I decided not to pursue this anymore. Pretty much 95% of people I've talked to said NO. If they were street tires, I would definitely do it, but I agree that having the peace of mind and in turn confidence to push your tires knowing they can handle it is a big deal to me on the track. I may not be quite as fast as others, but every time I go out on track I ride at 95% of my ability or more, so having the confidence to push that front tire can make the difference between possibly doing a personal best or keeping up a race pace vs. just lolly gagging around wasting time, gas, and rubber. Also might make the difference between coming out of the turn on 2 wheels vs. on my head

 

You can go out in a track session and feel how the tires are responding based on your past track knowledge. I bought race take offs for $100 a set. Good savings. Even if they were 3 yrs old, I am not gonna go out balls to the walls on any set of rubber. New or old. Feel the tires out, if they grip, they grip. Don't be scared. It's just a tire. Feel it, look at it and then ride it. It's fine. Unless you are Marc Marquez.

 

Out of curiosity, I just went out to the trailer and looked at the date of manufacturing for the current front tire I have on my CBR500....Feb 2014. So I've been riding on a 2 and a half year old tire, and last month when I ran it, I shaved 2 seconds off my best time at my local track lol. That tire was on my zx6r before, and it's the same tire that my zx6r came with when I bought it early this year, so I know that tire has had some days on it and a solid 10-12 heat cycles I bet by now.

This makes me really want to work for a tire company now to find out some scientific facts about some of this stuff. Damn you Michelin for not hiring me 2 years ago when I interviewed there!!!

 

I guess it comes down to your pace, and how comfortable you are at it. In your case, you know how the tire was stored and used. That is not a given when buying older tires from someone else.

 

2 more that voted yes! Alex is not alone! lol

In any case, I ended up not getting them. It was tough to say no though. I could've got 2 fronts for $100!

 

If they were brand new I'd run them on the street.

For any track or race use, 1-1.5 years old is the maximum for sure... I buy tires like 9 months old

 

OMG STOP THE INSANITY!

Heat cycles are no longer a concern for motorcycle tires and have not been since they stopped using natural rubber in them some time ago.

The only concern is storage temperature as extended exposure to cold can cause damage to the tire. I have tires with tears in the sidewalls because I left them in my trailer over the winter. Thankfully they were all takeoffs but they are ruined.

 

Maybe. Even the CMSP safety program teaches 2 years for Sportbike tires.

 

Not sure what CMSP is but I doubt they know better than the manufacturers. Keep in mind, like with most things, degradation occurs over time. In other words, whether they say it's 2 years or 5 years, it doesn't mean that up to that point everything is fine, and then as soon as it goes over it's crap. A 1-day old tire is better than a 1 year old, which is better than a 2-year old, which is better than 3, and 4 and so on. I've talked to some really fast guys who have ridden on race tires that are 3-4 years old and they said it's fine but don't expect to get the most grip. They won't be like a brand new tire. If you want to be competitive in a MotoAmerica race, an old tire isn't going to get you there, but for track days, they might be fine depending on your pace. There is a reason why some of the really fast guys that fight for wins in national races change out their tires after 1 race. Even though it might still have 80% life, they're not getting the same amount of grip of a new one and that might cost them half a second a lap. For most of us, that's not a big deal, but when you're trying to win races, that could be the difference between winning and getting 3rd or 4th.

 

Very insightful. True Dat. It's always a matter of degrees. Like I said before, if you go out blasting on any tire, you could end up on your ear. Feel the track, feel the tire, and take heed no matter what you are riding on. Wether it be a brand new slick or a 3 yr old booger.

 

I'm trying to win races lol all my tires are 2 years old or less. I just buy a set and use it for the year pretty much... On my 636 I have some take offs all a year old