What is the oldest "new" tire you would install?

[Bengt_Phorqs]

Tires carry a date of manufacturer on the sidewall.  In the USA it begins DOT and has a 10 digit number, the last four digits being the month and year of manufacture.  i.e. DOT xxxxxx0108 would have been made the first week of January in 2008.  What is the oldest "new" tire you would install on your bike?

[Bob_Roller]

In my case, I wouldn't install a tire that is older than 18 months, as this incessant heat during our 'hot season' usually makes tires 'weather hardened' by 5 years or so .

That's one of the reasons I use a soft compound tire that wears out in 3 years or so with my typical usage .

[Mike V]

I found a very reliable tire source here in San Diego and always request the production age of my new tires to never exceed 3 years old. (36 months).  My vote.

I've even instructed my wife and daughters of the date stamp on tires. Can't be too careful these days, I wouldn't want the DMV to fail my bike for antiquated tires. They don't come with stickers do they?

[Barry]

I think Bob makes a good point, tire life depends to some extent on storage and usage conditions.

To relate an extreme example when I bought my bike it had done 6200 miles in 28 years. I thought the front tire was original because it had gone hard and had surface cracks. The reason I said "thought" was because before the year 2000 the date code did not indicate which decade the tire was manufactured in so it could have been 1999 or 1989 or 1979.  The rubber was hard enough to have been 1979 and so was grossly unsafe because it wouldn't grip anything like a new tire. Don't get the idea that the tire was grossly structurally unsafe though. I cut it off the rim so as not to struggle with it and damage the rim. Below the shallow surface cracks the rubber was OK.  And would you believe it had passed an MOT.

I thought the rear tire was not original because there were no cracks, it was nothing like as hard as the front and there was  too much life left in at 6200 miles. I later came to believe it actually was original but only after putting another 3000 miles on it.    

So what am I saying ?    I think the tire life thing is a bit overdone. The tire manufactures are going to play safe aren't they. Sure soft sticky rubber is safer than harder rubber especially for a racer but I'd be prepared to judge the tire on it's condition and happily buy a 3 year old tire that had been properly stored and was still soft.

[Landlubber]

"properly stored and was still soft. "

....sorry Barry, but what is "soft".....old tyres are simply that, old tyres.

...I was once a fast type rider (Honda sponsored), we would ONLY use a brand new tyre, there is an enormous difference between old and new rubber on the track, so i guess the same must apply to road tyres....if you have the choice, buy new rubber....the compounds will be different anyhow with older versions, they only get better with new ones......

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

I chose 24 months.

[Justin B.]

Depends on how stored.  Low heat, away from ozone generating devices, etc.  When I buy a tire before I need it they are stored inside the house in a dark closet so I feel OK with a 2-3 year old tire...  If one was stored out in the 100+ degree garage next to something with an electric motor that ran a lot (or other ozone generating contraption) I don't know if I would even go a year!