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Would you buy 3 year old race tires?

  • Yes

    Votes: 5 15%
  • No

    Votes: 29 85%
21 - 40 of 45 Posts
I too love missing sessions because someone wrecked their shit around a turn and it takes them 30 minuets to clear the track. :bigthumb:
Now you are just being a negative Nancy. Lol. Granted, they are used and I hope he would get them for very cheap. There is nothing wrong with running 3 year old tires period. I mean unless the things are coming apart already. Then that is just lame. But without pictures and the op is pretty smart, I would venture to say the the tires are decent enough for him to ask about it in the first place. I've never seen someone crash at the track because of tire failure, I have seen tons of crashes due to rider error though. However,most inexperienced will always blame the tires first. Poor tires, they don't even have a voice and can not even defend them selfs. #blacktiresmatter, #tracktiresmatter, #usedtracktiresmatter, #3yearoldtracktiresneedlovetoo
VOTE TRUMP 2016!!!!!!!
 
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.
 
Discussion starter · #24 ·
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 :D
 
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.
That's the thing. How are you to know where they've been stored for 3 years? I will say that yes, if they're stored somewhere they don't get direct sunlight and stay at a consistent 70 degrees 100% of the time I'd consider it.

But race tires?? I put too much trust in that tiny contact patch to skimp out on a few bucks for something I'm not 100% confident in. That's just me... :O
 
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.
 
Discussion starter · #27 ·
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!!!
 
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.
 
In your case, you know how the tire was stored and used. That is not a given when buying older tires from someone else.
That is what would concern me, not necessarily the age of the tires. I know someone who uses their spare wheels with rains mounted to hold down his ez up. All day those rains sit out there and bake in the sun... if you are buying take offs from some random person you are putting a lot of trust in them telling the truth about the history of those tires. Incidentally that same person went down because of running takeoffs that apparently at one point got soaked in oil, probably from a filter blowing out or a crash.
 
Discussion starter · #31 ·
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
 
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.
Two years with proper storage. One year is optimal for racing. Source: suspension guy JPH suspension
 
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
 
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.
 
Discussion starter · #36 ·
I wouldn't even worry about heat cycles unless you are running MOTOGP record times
LOL, if you're running MotoGP lap times, you sure as shit don't have to worry about heat cycles. The tires will only last you about 20 laps at that point anyway.

But yeah...what PSlo said.

And I think you're source on the tire life is a bit paranoid...the 4-5 year tire life with proper storage came from Pirelli and Bridgestone. I would trust the manufacturers more ;)
 
Discussion starter · #38 ·
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
 
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