[GreenForce82]

Okay another rubber rot question:

5100 miles on bike fyi

My stock Avon front is getting down to the wear indicators AND is showing the telltale cracks of dry rot.

HOWEVER, my pops gave me his stock front a long time ago that was from a 2006 Classic and it has been kept indoors and or in a garage for its entire "shelf" life...

IT DOES NOT SEEM TO SHOW ANY EVIDENCE OF DRY ROT?!?!

So would y'all agree that the older but more tread having tire would be a good swap?

I can post pics of the dry rot on the sidewalls of MY stock tire and the complete lack thereof on the slightly older but completely unused one.

Also I want to put some slime for tubes in because of the age of the tubes and the fact that I may be making a long trip soon...

(for those of you keeping track I am still working on my plan for a cross country ride this fall/winter if things don't pan out soon here in northern Illinois...)

AND now for part B.

The rear is still looking good, How many miles are folks getting out of the stock rears, I wanted to replace both tires with better ones but it is just not in the cards financially...

If I do go on my trip, I will be a two wheeled "Rubber Tramp", working my way from town to town doing odd jobs and whatnot, so yeah, money is gonna be tight, kinda like hitch hiking but not quite... also I will hopefully ride through many towns where y'all live and get to meet some of the fine members of this site!

[Kevin Mahoney]

My experience with Green Slime is that all it does is make it easy to find the leak or hole in your tyre.

[D the D]

Shelf life on a new tire is 5 or 6 years according to most manufacturers and the DOT.  DOT also recommends replacing any tire that reaches 10 years old.  Ozone plays a big role in dry rot, so that is one reason why tires used on the street may dry rot faster than those in a bag in a garage.
Many here would ride on it.  However,  I must make my attorney happy and say you are on your own as I will not incur liability by putting that tire on if you came to my shop.  On a cross country trip I would make all consumables, including tires, as new as possible before setting out.
Rear tire wear really depends a lot on how you ride and your road conditions.  Mine might last twice as long as someone else's.  But if you have the square skidmaster, they seem to wear a long time. See if you can get pops to spring for a new tire.
You're hobo cross country ride reminds me of Rte 66, Then Came Bronson and Coronet Blue.  Except TV Land is nicer than real life.
Good Luck on your adventure.

[Vince]

     Every tire and tube is subject to a process called out-gassing. No matter how it is stored, every heat cycle (day to night counts) causes some of the volatile chemicals to "bake off". These chemicals are crucial to the tire's adhesion and ride properties. The now harder rubber will not stick well in corners or for braking. Dry rot occurs when these chemicals out gas and the tire is subject to load. Those tires are at or near the point of dry rot. You will find out when you start using it.
     The technical term for folks that save money on old tires and tubes is statistic.  Even a cheap new tire would be better than that old tire.
     +1 for D the D. I would not install it in my shop either.

[Blltrdr]

You need to check the date stamp (4 #'s inside an oval. first two are the week and second two are the year) on the sidewall of that '06 tire. My '03 had a tire on it that was 6 yrs old when it was sold new. Motorcycle tires have special compounds that harden with age. Not really what you want under you leaning through a corner. Tires are relatively cheap but if you don't have the cash I would suggest a non-aggressive riding approach until you can afford a new set. A new set of K70's with tubes can be had through Bike Bandit for about $150 delivered to your door.

[GreenForce82]

Thanks for all the great advice! I will definitely look into a new front tire instead, I might take the 'good looking' old one as an emergency spare.

Thanks again!