Ok to replace one tire at a time?

[Omarel]

My front tire is almost bald, but my back tire still has a couple thousand more miles. There's a large difference so my guess is they were replaced at different times before me.

I just bought the front tire online to hopefully install it next week.

I know some people say you should replace both tires at the same time.

Should I also replace the back tire even though it still has life on it?

[VaFish]

I replace them as they wear out or need replacing, front and rear get done at different times.

[HoneyBadgerRy]

Is it ok to replace one tire at a time. Absolutely.

Should you replace your rear is a different story though. If the rubber is more than two years old I would replace it.

[Omarel]

Originally Posted by HoneyBadgerRy

Should you replace your rear is a different story though. If the rubber is more than two years old I would replace it.

Ahh that's another good point. I actually don't know if that tire has been more than 2 years.Had the bike for a year. It actually might be more than 2 years old.

[HoneyBadgerRy]

Originally Posted by Omarel

Ahh that's another good point. I actually don't know if that tire has been more than 2 years. I had the bike for a year so far. It actually might be more than 2 years old.

They should have numbers on the side that mark the age.


42 means the 42 week, and 02 means 2002. You should be able to tell how old yours is by looking at the tire.

[VaFish]

Originally Posted by Omarel

Ahh that's another good point. I actually don't know if that tire has been more than 2 years.Had the bike for a year. It actually might be more than 2 years old.

Towards the bottom of this page is how to read the date code on motorcycle tires.

http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/...ignations.aspx

[jkv45]

As HB noted, tread depth isn't the only way to know when it's time to replace your tires.

Tires dry out and the rubber gets harder over time, no matter how many miles they have on them. After a few years they have lost some amount of ability to provide traction.

The date code is on the sidewall of the tire - 4 numbers in an oval - like "3609". The first 2 digits are the week of manufacturer, the second are the last digits of the year, so a tire marked "3609" was manufactured the 36th week of 2009. I would say 4 years is a safe max age. Much over that and it's time to replace it no matter how much tread is left.

I would check the age, and if it's close go for a new rear as well. You'll never regret having new tires. I've replaced a set of new tires with 500 mi on them because I thought they sucked.

Good tires are important.

[Omarel]

Originally Posted by HoneyBadgerRy

They should have numbers on the side that mark the age.

Nice! I'll check that out later. So 2 years is the mark and they should be replaced even if not worn out.

[HoneyBadgerRy]

Originally Posted by Omarel

Nice! I'll check that out later. So 2 years is the mark and they should be replaced even if not worn out.

That is my limit, you might be able to squeeze three out of them, but you are at a serious loss of traction after two years.

[VaFish]

Originally Posted by Omarel

Nice! I'll check that out later. So 2 years is the mark and they should be replaced even if not worn out.

I have to disagree with HoneyBadger on that one. I think 2 years is way to soon. Even the places that sell tires say to replace them after 5 years of use or 10 years from manufacture date.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...ers-guide.aspx

Since I don't know how much "Use" a tire mounted on a motorcycle has had, I go with 5 years from date of manufacture if the tire is mounted on a bike already.

[Bigballsofpaint]

Ya I go with the 5 year recommendation.

[HoneyBadgerRy]

Thats fair enough, but I'm not going to trust my ass to a 3 year old tire. But on the same aspect, you guys wouldn't ride without leathers.

[RacinNinja]

Originally Posted by VaFish

I have to disagree with HoneyBadger on that one. I think 2 years is way to soon. Even the places that sell tires say to replace them after 5 years of use or 10 years from manufacture date.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...ers-guide.aspx

Since I don't know how much "Use" a tire mounted on a motorcycle has had, I go with 5 years from date of manufacture if the tire is mounted on a bike already.

5 years is the given bingo marker for most people.

2 years for race tires like GPA's.

[VaFish]

Originally Posted by HoneyBadgerRy

Thats fair enough, but I'm not going to trust my ass to a 3 year old tire. But on the same aspect, you guys wouldn't ride without leathers.

HB, I didn't say you were wrong, I just said I disagreed with you.

Agree with the above. Although I tend to go more with synthetics and Kevlar on my legs and a leather jacket, we all have to ride as we feel comfortable.

The other side is if you ride your bike only 5,000 miles per year (which is not a lot of riding) the tires should only last 2-3 years anyway before they wear out. If you just let it sit in the garage you probably won't care how old your tires are. I have a neighbor who has a 10 year old bike with less than 5,000 miles on it. I'm sure it has it's original tires on it. I'm also sure he has no plans to put new tires on it.

[verboten1]

Yes Go ahead and change them at different times. I didn't have the tool to do my wifes front tire, so it had a stock tire and a nice knob on the back for now.

I've not typically had tires last 1 year, let alone 2, but 2 years is a bit extreme if not worn out. My KLR is going on three, and the tires are still compliant and not cracked. Will be replacing before my Rockies trip this year though.

[FrugalNinja250]

One issue with not replacing tires simultaneously is if you go with a single tire replacement that's got significantly different traction characteristics than the remaining tire. For instance, if you go with a fairly sticky front tire but the rear is the typical rock-hard OEM tire you may have a higher chance of the rear tire losing traction a lot sooner than the front in an aggressive corner, leading to a lowside. I replaced both my DunRocks at 3K because they were dry-rotted (at only 3 years old!) with Kenda touring tires, and since then I replace tires as needed with the same model. If I were to go to a stickier sport tire model I would replace both at the same time, then just replace as needed.

["A"]

Replace what you need.. if a tire is not worn, not dry rotted, doesn't have leak, no hole; ride it until it needs replacement.

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by "A"

Replace what you need.. if a tire is not worn, not dry rotted, doesn't have leak, no hole; ride it until it needs replacement.

Unless it is too old.

Age is the least obvious reason to replace tires, so it's very often overlooked.

4 to 5 years is a safe guideline for cycle tires unless they are showing odd wear or cracking.

["A"]

Originally Posted by jkv45

Unless it is too old.

Age is the least obvious reason to replace tires, so it's very often overlooked.

4 to 5 years is a safe guideline for cycle tires unless they are showing odd wear or cracking.

A tire can be stored properly for a long time and still be usable.. maybe not for race track use when every second counts for your lap time.

I don't think there is a need to waste/replace perfectly usable tire on a bike for my daily commute that doesn't require more then 65% of available traction.

[RacinNinja]

I can usually get two rears to one front.

But I always stick with the same brand/model. I do not use differing brands/models on the bike.

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by "A"

A tire can be stored properly for a long time and still be usable.. maybe not for race track use when every second counts for your lap time.

I don't think there is a need to waste/replace perfectly usable tire on a bike for my daily commute that doesn't require more then 65% of available traction.

Ah...no.

There are times when only 100% of available traction is enough. You never know when that will be. "Wasting" a tire is better than wasting some perfectly good bodywork or gear.

My first street crash, back in the 80s before I knew better, I can attribute to crappy tires. I've replaced ('wasted") new oem cycle tires with 500 mi on them because I didn't like them. I've also replaced 3 year old auto tires with 70% tread because I didn't feel they were safe.

Ride on old crappy tires if you want, but I never will. I wouldn't suggest it to anyone as being a good idea either.

["A"]

If you have to use 100% of available traction on public roads, more than likely you are doing something illegal or getting yourself into dangerous situation that you should have avoided to begin with.

Whatever your personal preference is in tire replacement; does not constitute the common usage of motorcycling community at large.

I much rather relying on my ability to predict and avoid danger; rather then depending on my tire to perform at 100% of available traction.

My suggestion was to replace what's necessary, unnecessary tire replacement is just waste... and there is finite amount of rubber/waste that we should all consider.

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by "A"

If you have to use 100% of available traction on public roads, more than likely you are doing something illegal or getting yourself into dangerous situation that you should to begin with.

Whatever your personal preference is in tire replacement; does not constitute the common usage of motorcycling community at large.

I much rather relying on my ability to predict and avoid danger; rather then depending on my tire to perform at 100% of available traction.

My suggestion was to replace what's necessary, unnecessary tire replacement is just waste... and there is finite amount of rubber/waste that we should all consider.

Ever hear of an emergency stop? I'm not talking about dragging a knee.

There are all sorts of "common practices" that are just plain stupid - so that's not proof it's a good choice.

Thinking your skills are good enough not to need 100% traction at some point is naive.

["A"]

Yes, I ride between Manhattan and Brooklyn, I know and use emergency braking on nearly every single ride.

Again, I rely on my ability to predict and avoid danger, not to brake for danger, because braking only reduce the amount of available traction and options to avoid danger.

I never said my skills are good enough, but they are what I rely on over replacement of unworn tires... since brand new tires are more likely to behave differently than old tires that I'm used to.

[HoneyBadgerRy]

Originally Posted by "A"

Yes, I ride between Manhattan and Brooklyn, I know and use emergency braking on nearly every single ride.

Again, I rely on my ability to predict and avoid danger, not to brake for danger, because braking only reduce the amount of available traction and options to avoid danger.

I never said my skills are good enough, but they are what I rely on over replacement of unworn tires... since brand new tires are more likely to behave differently than old tires that I'm used to.

But if you had great sticky brand new tires you would have the traction to pinch the front brake for .5 seconds, shave some serious speed off, and then make a maneuver easily that saves your ass when you would be **** out of luck on other tires.

The other day I was riding in town and a blue corvette took a left right in front of me, and I didn't have anywhere to go (besides the sidewalk or oncoming) so I got on the brakes hard enough to lift the rear tire (briefly). I highly doubt I would do that if I had lesser brakes or tires. (Hypermotard and a brand new battalax s20f)

[csmith12]

What A is saying is... the 95.5 seconds of confidence and prediction is worth more to him than the .5 second at the last moment. I tend to agree... right up until that last .5 second. hahahahahahaha

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by "A"

Yes, I ride between Manhattan and Brooklyn, I know and use emergency braking on nearly every single ride.

Again, I rely on my ability to predict and avoid danger, not to brake for danger, because braking only reduce the amount of available traction and options to avoid danger.

I never said my skills are good enough, but they are what I rely on over replacement of unworn tires... since brand new tires are more likely to behave differently than old tires that I'm used to.

That's a contradiction.

In no way does having more traction diminish your ability to predict and avoid danger. It increases your ability to avoid and react to it.

It's a ridiculous argument.

["A"]

You asked if I've ever heard of emergency stop.. I have... and I use them on most every ride; therefore I know the importance of having a set of dependable tires that can perform emergency stops.

Having more traction is only needed when you already know you are in dangerous situation, not to predict dangerous situation.

To avoid danger, you need to look for ways and options that do not require maximized traction (braking), by simply going around obstacle instead of impact; yes at times is may be going onto the sidewalk or opposite lane, I choose those options quite frequent, too... since they are better than impact...

Braking is almost never the first reaction I choose to avoid dangerous situation, because braking limits the amount of available traction/options to avoid impact.

I rely on my ability to predict and avoid danger because they are needed regardless what equipment or bike I am riding. Good tires, worn tires, brand new tires.. they all perform differently but knowing that you can rely on your skills and ability is more important than grabbing a handful of brakes that limits your ability to turn or swerve to avoid impact.

The topic of thread is whether: OK to replace one tire at a time?
I think it is OK.
You disagree, present your case, give your reasons.. simple as that.

[Mechanikrazy]

Yes, you can replace one tire at a time. The tires still have grip, and nothing crazy will happen. However, there are some things to consider.

Usual rule that I have heard for replacing a tire is 5 years on rim or 10 years from manufacturing date, whichever is first.

However, the new tire may have a different profile from your old. It is not a big deal, but it may give you a different feel from the bike. Even if it's the same pattern, the new versus worn (depending on your riding style) might have a different feel.

I don't put a ton of mileage on my bikes but do go to the occasional trackday, so I tend to replace both tires at the same time prior to a trackday. The extra cost is worth the peace of mind to me.

[BDfromBC]

It's really not an issue. Change tires as they wear, it's fine, but if your mind wants total peace, of course change them both! Any tires new or old... Be careful, and ride safe.

[Rifleman]

I've done it all and survived. changed tires at different times, Parelli on the front, Dunlop on the back...

it's all good

new rubber all around = new bike... change rubber only when needed = frugal biker

5 years is a good number. I can never get mine to last that long, but my daughters front tire was 6 years old when I changed it... cracking down in the tread is a good sign you need to change. Means the tire flexes in the turns but the rubber has lost it's elasticity.

give a new tire a good washing and scrubbing with a brush. The surface needs a little prep before full power and lean angle is applied.

[FrugalNinja250]

Originally Posted by HoneyBadgerRy

But if you had great sticky brand new tires you would have the traction to pinch the front brake for .5 seconds, shave some serious speed off, and then make a maneuver easily that saves your ass when you would be **** out of luck on other tires.

The other day I was riding in town and a blue corvette took a left right in front of me, and I didn't have anywhere to go (besides the sidewalk or oncoming) so I got on the brakes hard enough to lift the rear tire (briefly). I highly doubt I would do that if I had lesser brakes or tires. (Hypermotard and a brand new battalax s20f)

If you're depending on perfection you're riding the wrong bike. Nothing's 100% perfect, nothing ever will be.