Preserving new old stock tires

[Pasorules]

Today, I was at Suicycle (motorcycle shop in Roseville, CA), looking for a tire for my Moto Guzzi, when I noticed (3) 160-60-16 tires for sale. I almost fainted. The were selling them for $132.00. The clerk said he would blow them out to me for $50 each. Of course I bought all three. I was just at this shop a month ago, after modifying my swing arm, looking for a 150-80-16, which I bought. Had I only known they had what I needed, I would have been golden (at least for a while).

Does anyone have any ideas on how to do a long term storage on tires without them degrading?

[riascns]

I dont think it is possible to stop tyres degrading, just slow it down.

Oxygen, ultraviolet light and the polymerising agents will all continue to work over time.

I read somewhere that a tyre looses half its grip by the time it is 5 years old due to natural hardening processes, and will therefore become dangerous on slippery roads.

I bought a 750 paso with new michelins on it last year. You could feel the tyres are hard and takes from riding confidence and enjoyment when compared with my 907 on new bridgestone radials. Even my old CB900 with new narrow continentals gives better feedback and confidence at similar speeds.

Essentially if you tour at low speeds, dont brake hard and dont ride in the wet...........

Sean

[paso750]

So you bought old tires and want to wait that they become even older to ride them ?
Unless you put the bike on display only I would`ve saved the money for a new 150/80 or 180/60-16 instead.

G.

[Pasorules]

Thanks for all the tips. I love my paso. I will post a picture of it soon. I happen to think I have one of the best looking Paso's around.

[paso750]

I happen to think I have one of the best looking Paso's around.

We`re curious !

[ducinthebay]

All tire rubber is partially cured when a tire is new, and will continue to cure over time, getting harder all the while. Cool and dark will slow the curing process. Heat and sunlight will accelerate it. If you have a wine cellar, that would be good. Or your crawl space under the house.

Old bicycle racers used age tires several years in a cellar to get them to harden up just a bit while keeping some level of traction. It was thought that it made the tires faster since the casings were just a bit harder, and had lower rolling resistance. But then again, would you trust the lore of guys who regularly reach oxygen deprivation?

Good luck with those tires.
Cheers,

[higgy]

Here is the latest info on storing tires

Storing Tires



Since heat and exposure to the elements are the important factors that influence a tire's aging process, drivers can prolong their tire's life by minimizing their impact. Here are some tips for storing tires that will not be used continuously.
• Don't store a vehicle with weight on its tires for extended periods of time. Long-term inactivity is more harmful to tires than weekly drives that flex the tires and help maintain oil dispersion within the rubber compounds.

• Keep the tires out of direct sunlight whenever possible. The sun's ultraviolet rays and radiant heat are detrimental to rubber. We have used a pyrometer to measure tires that were simply sitting in direct sunlight on a parked vehicle. Surprisingly those tires' temperatures measured 135° Fahrenheit on their surface.

• Before storing, use a tire brush to clean each tire with soap and water to remove brake dust, dirt and grime. If the tires are still mounted on wheels, use a wheel brush to clean the wheels with an approved cleaner as well. Dry with a towel and let any remaining moisture thoroughly evaporate.

DO NOT APPLY ANY TIRE DRESSINGS. Tire compounds are formulated to resist ozone cracking or weather checking.

• Place each clean and dry tire in its own large, opaque, airtight plastic bag (such as lawn and garden bags) for storing. Avoid allowing any moisture to remain and remove as much air as practical (some drivers even use a vacuum cleaner to draw out as much as possible). Close the bag tightly and tape it shut. This places the tire in its own personal mini-atmosphere to help reduce oil evaporation.

• While Seasonal Tire Totes make it neater to store tires, easier to carry tires and reduce the possibility of depositing brake dust, dirt and grime in the trunk or on the back seat during transportation, Seasonal Tire Totes are not airtight nor designed to prevent exposure to the atmosphere. The recommended solution would be to place each clean tire and wheel into the airtight plastic bag and then cover the sealed bag with a Tire Tote.

• If you choose not to store white letter/white stripe tires in plastic bags, it is important they be stored or stacked white-to-white and black-to-black to prevent staining the white rubber. The black rubber used on the tires' white letter/white stripe side is compounded differently then the black rubber used on the opposite side. A layer of non-staining black rubber covers the white rubber on the tire's white side to prevent oils in the tire from migrating into the exposed white rubber and discoloring it, however the black sidewall uses standard rubber. Stacking all tires white sidewall up will allow the oils from each tire's black sidewall to migrate into the white rubber of the tire below it.

• Place the tires in a cool, dry location. It is better to store tires in a dry basement or climate-controlled workshop than in a standard garage, storage shed, hot attic or outdoors. While basement and shop surroundings tend to remain cool and dry, conditions found in typical garage, shed, attic and outdoor locations often include a wide range of hot and cold temperatures, as well as seasonal precipitation and humidity.

• Keep the tires away from sources of ozone. Electric motors that use contact brushes generate ozone. Keep your tires away from the furnace, sump pump, etc.

While tires will age somewhat regardless of what precautions are taken, these procedures will help slow the process compared to taking no precautions at all.

Hope this is helpful, I use an old freezer I have in the basement to store my tires each in their own individual black plastic bag. I also save every dessicant bag I run across and include a few in each bag. JM2C's

[Desmo_Demon]

Just as an FYI for older tires....

Two years ago, I traded a 90's 900SS triple clamp to a buddy of mine for five front tires. These were all race takeoffs that he used for one session each - in 2001 and 2002. They were stored in a climate controlled room and kept away from direct sunlight. We burned through four of them the last two summers (reserving these older tires for warmer summer months since they were race compounds), and my wife is currently burning through the last front, a Michelin Pilot Race. She's got about 500 miles on the front tire, and she says it is sticking like glue and it only has about a 1 cm "chicken strip". Thing is, the tire was manufactured in September of 1999 - eleven years ago.

If a tire is stored correctly, it'll stay in good, usable shape for quite a number of years.

[higgy]

If a tire is stored correctly, it'll stay in good, usable shape for quite a number of years.

Absolutely