Z3n
Squid.
Seems like soft carcass tires function more actively as part of the suspension. Does that also mean they are more sensitive to pressures and suspension settings, ie need more work to dial in on a given day?
I haven't had any problems like that. They can require different settings, but switching from soft sidewall to hard sidewall can require different settings too. Just depends on the rider and bike, I wouldn't say there's an advantage or disadvantage to either.
Saw this thread was back, just wanted to say thanks for this. I didn't see this factor in any of the (many) articles/posts I read before buying a bike. I bought my bike from a guy who had bought it cheap, gotten it running, and sold it to me 'ready to go, man' with pre-2000 tires on it. Not blaming him, just saying I didn't think about old tires as a hazard until reading your post. Thanks for saving me some skin.
You're welcome. Glad it helped you out.
I just bought a 2002 Honda that had 4700 miles on it... and the stock BT056's.
I hemmed and hawed about out-right replacing the tires because their date stamp was ~9 years old.
I decided to ride themup Hamilton/ Mines with no ill effect.
They seem to stick fine for my B pace, but knowing they're old is in the back of my head ( and right hand. )
It depends on a lot of factors. As a rule of thumb, not knowing how they were stored, not knowing what's happened to them in the past, I would replace them. There's the possibility that they're fine, if they were stored in good conditions (ie, a temperature controlled garage, out of direct sunlight, and without the bike resting on one contact patch for the entire time).
I have seen crazy things done with bikes that have old tires...I have a friend who was running A group on a set of absolutely trashed, 5+ year old michelins with NINE trackdays on them, he just didn't know any better and was astounded when he moved to fresh tires...he thought it was normal to push the front and rear like that all the time.
Tires are the only thing keeping you upright...in my mind, it's better to spend a few hundred and have tires that you can trust and be confident with than risk a much more expensive crash (and injuries).
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