Cracks in tread on rear tyre

[Slartibartfast]

I had my rear tyre replaced n it so long ago and noticed the other day that it felt sluggish so checked the pressure and was surprised to notice that not only was the pressure down but that hundreds and hundreds of small cracks had developed in the read of th tyre itself. I pumped the tyre up to 40psi again and checked it a week or so later only yo noticed it has lost a few PSI again.

I'm not exactly sure how many km's I've done on this tyre but it can't be that many. Any idea what's causing this?

[thevili]

JMHO...
To me it looks age and weather related damage.
Check the date of manufacture, because it could
have been inappropriately stored in dealers storage
for example.
Are you parking the bike outside on the sun?

[asillito]

Looks like you are running the tires under recommended pressure. The tread on the centre of the tire is good, yet the sides is worn. Usually it's the opposite of what normal wear is. That could be contributing to your cracks.

[JUDAH-9]

Are those actually cracks? Has the owner been cornering at a high/aggressive level? It looks more like the wear and tear that develops on tires from riding/pushing the bike hard in the twistees, as it’s primarily showing the wear on the outer edges of the tire. I really couldn’t tell if those were actually cracks from the pic provided, so my guess is its wear. In my years of experience with bikes, I’ve never seen cracks on that part of the tire.

[Slartibartfast]

They are definitely cracks. The forum seems to have reduced the fidelity of the images when uploaded but the original clearly show cracking:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hgbCi6cTzznnS5beA
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6DQubZtoWNuyweoh6

[mbuenavides]

How safe it is to use tires with crack?

[Zoom]

Are those actually cracks? Has the owner been cornering at a high/aggressive level? It looks more like the wear and tear that develops on tires from riding/pushing the bike hard in the twistees, as it’s primarily showing the wear on the outer edges of the tire. I really couldn’t tell if those were actually cracks from the pic provided, so my guess is its wear. In my years of experience with bikes, I’ve never seen cracks on that part of the tire.

I agree, it looks more like really aggressive cornering, or accelerating hard out of corners. I looked closely at the photos and it looks more like displaced rubber than cracks. Can you actually stick something very thin into the cracks?

[JUDAH-9]

They are definitely cracks. The forum seems to have reduced the fidelity of the images when uploaded but the original clearly show cracking:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hgbCi6cTzznnS5beA
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6DQubZtoWNuyweoh6

Not only can I see the cracks vividly now, I can also see that the tire looks old and shows signs of aging and possibly dry-rotting. If you recently bought those tires, my first thought is you were sold tires that were already well-past their shelf life date, and should’ve have been pulled from stock rather than sold to you or anyone else. If I remember correctly, I think the rule is...if/when it’s been 2 years since the date the tires were produced, they should be removed from the seller’s inventory. However, most companies intentionally overlook that requirement, and sell them to unsuspecting customers anyway. Because of that reality, I NEVER order tires over the internet. I ALWAYS call the company, speak to a live person, and request that person verifies the date of production on the tire, before I place my order over the phone with that person. I realize that process takes a few minutes longer, but its definitely worth it to me. My recommendation is to contact the company that sold you the tires, and try to get them to replace the tires, based on them being defective, whether or not they were old tires when you purchased them. If they refuse to oblige/support you, find another supplier, and make sure those replacement tires have a very recent production date. I would not continue riding the bike with those cracked, unsafe tires mounted. It’s far too much of a risk.

Good luck with your endeavors, and please keep us posted on the outcome.

[MR.X]

How safe it is to use tires with crack?

Don't take chances to ruin / scrap the bike for 300$. Safer the better as tire is the only thing that touch the ground.

[JUDAH-9]

Don't take chances to ruin / scrap the bike for 300$. Safer the better as tire is the only thing that touch the ground.

100%

[UVATom]

You shouldn't ride with that tire. How low was the pressure and how long do you think it was low?

[HyperPete]

Here in the US, NHTSA says that tires more than 6 years old should not be used, or should be replaced.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/Safety1n...713_v4_tag.pdf

Also, here in the US, tires must be marked with their date of manufacture.

https://www.tirebuyer.com/education/...-of-your-tires

By the way, do you carry your towel with you when you ride? 😉

EDIT: I think I see a date code on that tire.

[StitchsLoft]

Time for new tire like 6 months ago!

[tinman357]

Replace remember 2 tires one life please ride safe

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

[Slartibartfast]

Time for new tire like 6 months ago! [IMG class=inlineimg]https://www.m109riders.com/forums/images/smilies/huh.gif[/IMG]

I did replace it 6 months ago: 😉

[Slartibartfast]

I think I see a date code on that tire.

Very good. I think you are right.
[Edit: Actually it was on a different part of the tyre]:
Looks like 2012 to me!

By the way, do you carry your towel with you when you ride? 😉

Always! Mind bogglingly useful item: 👍

[troutwilly]

Been watching this thread for a week now and OP has not said what the date code is on that tire.
Would be an interesting bit of info.

[Slartibartfast]

Been watching this thread for a week now and OP has not said what the date code is on that tire.
Would be an interesting bit of info.

How do I find the "date code"?
Was that not what I just posted?

[Slartibartfast]

How do I find the "date code"?
Was that not what I just posted?

Arr, I see.

Hmm, seems the tyre was in fact made in the beginning of 2018:

[JUDAH-9]

It looks more like the middle of 2018, hence 0618...June, 2018. So, if you purchase them about 6 months ago, they were right at the point of needing to be removed from inventory (if the maximum shelf life is 2 years). I realize how upsetting this may be. But, your safety, health, and life are far more important. Thus, I recommend you get a set of new tires immediately, with a focus on the AVON METZELER, and DUNLOP brands...in that order. I also recommend going with a 160/60 size for your front tire. It improves the ride comfort of the bike, as well as providing a slight increase in the ride height and ground clearance of the bike.

[majalomalk]

0618 the first two numbers refer to the week and the second two are the year so it was manufactured in the sixth week of 2018 i believe shelf life for a tyre is actually 5 years but obviously you wouldn't want to buy towards the end of this.

[JUDAH-9]

Thanks for clearing that up for me. It’s been a while since I’ve purchased tires. I thought it was month and year, rather than week and year. 👍

[troutwilly]

Just Googled "recommended motorcycle tire shelf life" and read a few articles. There's also some "people also asked" articles that come up.
Seems a tire's recommended life is about 5 years, shelf life could be 2 to 5 years, but who would buy a tire that was almost at life's end.
Tire life is based on many factors, both while on the shelf and while on the bike; sunlight, contact to concrete, chemicals, type of riding, and temperatures.
While you can never know what happened to the tire while on the shelf, only the owner would know what may have happened while on the bike.
Slartibartfast, if you're not in a hurry to ride I would contact who you purchased it from and/or the manufacturer to see if there could be any warranty adjustment. But I would not ride on that tire again.
Good luck.