Motorcycle tires update page 3( will replace with what?)

Most Harley tires are like trailer tires: they age out before they wear out. :)

I bought a 2002 motorcycle last year (FLHTCUI). Tires looked good. I've put about 7500 miles on the bike since I got it. Front tire is now toast.

I just ordered a new one to be installed immediately after I get home.

Just for fun, I looked at the date code: 0302!! Original tire!

As far as running track take-offs on the street - you don't get race tires up to their operating temperature riding on the street. I would argue that street riding never gets the tire hot enough to consider it a "heat cycle".

fj12ryder wrote:

Frankandbeans wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:

joebedford wrote:
Some guys I know are selling their used track tires for street use - the center is still pristine. it's only the edges of the tread that're worn out!

Not a chance! Most tires have a limited number of heat cycles before they are pretty much toast. They get hard and not worth a hoot for grip. I've seen some pics of some that have basically turned blue from the heat cycles.

They don't turn blue from heat cycles. It's the oil in the composition of the tire that naturally goes to the surface over time. Happens every year on my race bikes with the tires that are kept on the bike over the winter. Doesn't affect grip in the least.

Not everyone agrees with that: From "Race Track Tyre Wear Guide"

"What makes it blue? Motorcycle tyres actually contain oils that keep the tyre soft and the bluegreen tint you can see on your tyres is just the oils coming to the surface.

Each time you take a tyre through a heat cycle you are losing the oils that keep the tyre soft, so the more heat cycles a tyre has been through the less effective the rubber is going to be for you.

As a side note, heat cycles will affect track tyres a lot worse than road biased tyres, as road tyres are expected to go through these cycles."

I have yet to see, or own, a set of track tires get affected by heat cycles. Why? Because they don't last long enough to be affected by "heat cycles". Not to mention, any modern race tire (Pirelli, Dunlop, Michelin, etc) all advocate the use of tire warmers. So, theoretically, my tires see one "heat cycle" per day. I turn the warmers on in the morning and they stay on the bike whenever I'm not riding.

Here's another question to make you think: If an older tire starts to have diminished traction, is it because the tire is just wearing out due to the mileage put on it, or the heat cycles? And how exactly can you differentiate the difference?

I've had good luck with the older Bridgestone BT020, so I tend to like the Bridgestone for decent tread life and sticking power. But I've also had good luck with the Conti Road Attack series. Pretty tough to get a bad sport bike tire anymore.

Thanks for the opinions. Now I have to decide on what to replace them with. On the GS I will go with the Metzler Tourance, On the street bike it has Bridgestone battlax 160/60zr-17 rear and 110/70zr-17 front.

I'm not that aggressive of rider anymore and they will probably age out before wearing out.

Frankandbeans wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:

joebedford wrote:
Some guys I know are selling their used track tires for street use - the center is still pristine. it's only the edges of the tread that're worn out!

Not a chance! Most tires have a limited number of heat cycles before they are pretty much toast. They get hard and not worth a hoot for grip. I've seen some pics of some that have basically turned blue from the heat cycles.

They don't turn blue from heat cycles. It's the oil in the composition of the tire that naturally goes to the surface over time. Happens every year on my race bikes with the tires that are kept on the bike over the winter. Doesn't affect grip in the least.

Not everyone agrees with that: From "Race Track Tyre Wear Guide"

"What makes it blue? Motorcycle tyres actually contain oils that keep the tyre soft and the bluegreen tint you can see on your tyres is just the oils coming to the surface.

Each time you take a tyre through a heat cycle you are losing the oils that keep the tyre soft, so the more heat cycles a tyre has been through the less effective the rubber is going to be for you.

As a side note, heat cycles will affect track tyres a lot worse than road biased tyres, as road tyres are expected to go through these cycles."

Dirt bike tires last a lot longer the just a regular street tire but like what was mention before check for cracks. The tubes usual go before the tires do.

fj12ryder wrote:

joebedford wrote:
Some guys I know are selling their used track tires for street use - the center is still pristine. it's only the edges of the tread that're worn out!

Not a chance! Most tires have a limited number of heat cycles before they are pretty much toast. They get hard and not worth a hoot for grip. I've seen some pics of some that have basically turned blue from the heat cycles.

They don't turn blue from heat cycles. It's the oil in the composition of the tire that naturally goes to the surface over time. Happens every year on my race bikes with the tires that are kept on the bike over the winter. Doesn't affect grip in the least.

joebedford wrote:
Some guys I know are selling their used track tires for street use - the center is still pristine. it's only the edges of the tread that're worn out!

Not a chance! Most tires have a limited number of heat cycles before they are pretty much toast. They get hard and not worth a hoot for grip. I've seen some pics of some that have basically turned blue from the heat cycles.