How much does age and climate affect tire quality?

[Marsd1127]

Hey everyone, I'm still relatively new to riding again and have a question about the tires. I have a '14 FLHXS with the original tires. I bought it out of dealer fleet in '15 with 7200 miles and have since put on about 6000 of my own. The tread depth is still surprisingly good. Here in Chicago there are probably only a few months of riding left before winter, so next spring these tires will be almost 4 years old and will have gone through 3-4 Chicago years with some pretty extreme temperature ranges (100 degrees in summer down to sub-zero in winter). I guess what I'm asking is how much should I be concerned about the affect age and climate are having on the tires? What signs should I look for to determine if I need to get new rubber? Thanks for any help you can provide.

D.M.

 

[RuknRole]

Oils and chemicals in the rubber compound evaporate and brake down because of UV exposure. The rubber looses its flexibility and cracks at the surface. Think of an old rubber band that cracks when you stretch it. This is called Dry Rot. In addition to thread wear tires should be replaced at the first signs of dry rot to avoid sidewall failures or blowouts.
If the tires pass inspection I believe it's recommended to not use them past 10 years max.

 

[RuknRole]

 

[EvilTwin]

I agree , if it is showing any signs or cracks or dry rot get some new ones.