How To Tell If A Motorcycle Tire Is Bad

Proper traction is a critical part of motorcycle riding, so knowing how to tell if a motorcycle tire is bad is key for staying safe and having fun on two wheels. Luckily, it's easy to tell when you need a new motorcycle tire. You don't even need to ask a mechanic for help, even if you're a new rider. Here are 7 ways to know when to replace motorcycle tires.
We already know tires age and get hard, and of course they'll get worn out with use, but there are 5 more reasons why it could be time to change your motorcycle tires, even if they look almost new. FULL ARTICLE: youmotorcycle.com/when-to-rep...
0:00 Intro
0:09 1st way to check motorcycle tires
0:29 2nd way to check motorcycle tires
1:01 3rd way to check motorcycle tires
1:40 4th way to check motorcycle tires
2:44 5th way to check motorcycle tires
3:37 6th way to check motorcycle tires
5:13 7th way to check motorcycle tires
#motorcyclemaintenance #motorcycletires #tiremaintenance

[@glaicogobbo4046]

Good video Adrian, as well as the video about reusable and much more efficient purifiers.

[@HippoDrones]

Really helpful video Adrian, and the explanation to the tyre date on the sidewall is probably something many did not know. I've plugged tyres before and the plugs that held I've left on the bike, but had a few which the plug didn't hold, so ended up replacing the tyre.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Glad you enjoyed it! So far I've been lucky on two wheels... On four wheels I get at least one or two punctures a season :(

[@williambacon9535]

Excellent content. Thanks for posting it. I am not a new bike rider, but I did not know about the date on the side of the tire.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thanks Will, much appreciated. Always good to check dates, especially when buying a used bike :)

[@Rissa53913]

Awesome Video Mr.. Thank you.. I know my tires on my bike are bad but just wanted to double check b4 i go to my husband who is a diesels mechanic and also the tire guy at his work.. What do they say if you marry a painter?? Yep your house never gets painted.. 🤔😉🤣

[@andychallis9044]

You covered it well our kid , i have always been told just what you described re intrusion ,and if theres more than one repair reqd even if its in middle of tyre get shut , just storing hassle which no one needs all the best

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thanks! Ride safe!

[@jonathanmayberrydesigns]

THANK YOU. I just bought a bike and this helps me tremendously. You are clear and concise and a pleasure to watch. Boy are you correct about the flaming. None here, I don't suffer from severe insecurities like most of the flamers. Again, thank you.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Glad this helped and thanks for the kind words! Lol

[@postersm7141]

Excellent video and I 100% agree!!

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thanks!

[@flyingscot3666]

good video dude - I'm a new bike owner so sincerely appreciate you sharing your knowledge

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thanks man. Trying to make the kind of content I wish had been available when I started riding!

[@JRYDER13]

Great video and I would agree with everything you said 👍

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thanks!

[@xaviermatesanz6112]

Good stuff. Thanks

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thanks for watching!

[@jasonharley8230]

Love your videos, cheers

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thanks so much I appreciate that!

[@adriantarngriffin]

Many thanks.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Happy to help!

[@andrade3kids]

Awesome video sr

[@YouMotorcycle]

@@andrade3kids 🙏🏻 thanks

[@ZebraActual]

Nice video, but you should also add checking the valve stem.. they also get dry rotted and have far less strength and resistance against road hazards like rocks, hail, etc...

[@YouMotorcycle]

But this is a video on how to tell if a tire is bad or not... I agree valve stems can fail, but you don't have to replace the tire just because the valve stem is bad.

[@romey-o8934]

Great vid!

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thanks very much!

[@pierretampa]

Great video.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thanks!

[@markebbage9996]

Good video, well done bud

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thanks Mark, much appreciated! Ride safe

[@jakherrera45]

Thank you sir

[@YouMotorcycle]

Happy to help!

[@turylandin85]

Good job

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thank you

[@baldandbiking]

Stopped by to check out some of your vids and throw you a sub Adrian. Thanks for the tips. I could add one more reason to change your motorcycle tire to the list: The tire doesn't suit your riding style. Proper tool for every job, right?

[@YouMotorcycle]

I even looked at a dual sport bike and didn't think of that 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️lol thanks man

[@michaellorito4893]

09/09/23. I have tiny cracking on my Whitewall tires. All else is good. Is it game over for those tires?

[@YouMotorcycle]

What's the manufacturing date?

[@urstoff6352]

Thanks for savings so many lives

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thanks for saying that! Hopefully it will help save some people from unnecessary accidents!

[@bochiebochie]

I just replaced two perfect looking tires from 2010, only a couple thousand km's on them. When it rained my front slipped in a corner and I didn't trust them anymore. My wallet hurts but I'm glad to hear I made the right choice.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Hope you're alright! I'm doing the same and finally replacing the 10 year old tires shown in this video. They only had 7,500 km on them, but I'm leaving for a cross-country trip soon so, better play it safe!

[@bochiebochie]

@@YouMotorcycle the same with me, I just returned from a weekend in the German mountains with some rain here and there. I couldn't be more happy about my new tires! So much grip and confidence. Best choice ever.

[@user-oz5mg5mx8k]

I’ve done the same on my RE Bullet 500, tyres that were on it were 9 years old and only done 2000 miles and look great but not worth taking the chance. Years ago I had an old Honda CD200 with original tyres which looked great condition wise but I had a blow out on the rear luckily going down a country lane. Could not control the bike no matter how much I tried and landed up crashing into a cottage wall. Long story short the tyre case was rotted unyet outside of the tyre visually it looked spot on. I never chance it now.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Oouuff! Glad you're okay! And yeah... Tires are so critical on motorcycles. We only have two of them and such a small contact patch. Better to play it safe.

[@alecxixfernandez5212]

What brand do you use on the VROD .??

[@YouMotorcycle]

Avon Cobra

[@averyzaliasylvia4026]

Great video however i want to address the old tires, if you store them correctly old tires can still be used just fine. Ari Henning did a video on this. But as a general rule, it is best to replace it unless you know how the tires are stored and you trust the expertise of the person who store them.

[@jorgeeltoritoperez7238]

I’m confused 😐 I bought a motorcycle with tires with a good condition who ever was the owner he take care the motorcycle and everything looks brand new but this motorcycle still have the original tires 🛞 from 2012 and they still look good I don’t see anything wrong and still holding the air just fine .,, should I still change those tires ? I’m confused 😐

[@averyzaliasylvia4026]

@@jorgeeltoritoperez7238 I mean if it can't hold the air then it must have a puncture somewhere and you must patch it or replace it depends on the type of punctures. But i wasn't referring to that, i am talking about the overall condition that leads to tires performance/traction. i.e no cracks, the rubber still looks good/didn't appear worn, and it handle well. But we're talking about 2012 tires and assuming that the owner very rarely used the bike and stored it well then i think its fine. Just check the odometer and if its more than 10k then the good rule of thumb is to replace it.

[@jorgeeltoritoperez7238]

@@averyzaliasylvia4026 yes tires are perfect and only 800 miles in this motorcycle and they hold the air and the two tires

[@jorgeeltoritoperez7238]

@@averyzaliasylvia4026 thanks 🙏

[@YouMotorcycle]

Great point! Personally, once tires hit 10 years old, I feel A LOT better, mentally, when I get hit with really bad weather on the bike, like cold and wet, knowing that I replaced the old tires with fresh sticky soft new rubber. When stuff hits the fan there's something to be said for peace of mind and confidence in your vehicle.

[@kryptikarts3922]

Any tire brand, size or just recommendations for mainly highway use ? I ride a c50

[@YouMotorcycle]

I'm not familiar with what size or model of tires comes on the C50, but I had several M50s and they came with IRCs and I hated all of them. As soon as the tires were replaced and the IRCs came off the bike felt much better and gave me much more confidence. Back to your questions: Any tire brand: I prefer Metzeler, Pirelli, and then Michelin and Avon, I don't think you can go wrong with those brands. I've had ME880s, Night Dragons, Cobra Chromes.. I've had Michelins on smaller sportier bikes but not on cruisers. Shinkos get mentioned a lot because they're cheap. They won't last as long, but if you only plan on having the bike for a few years and don't ride too much, that's also an option. Size: I would stick with factory recommended size to be honest. You don't want to end up with a tire too fat for, or too thin for, your rim, then you'll either risk running into trouble, or have to invest in a different rim, figure out what fits, etc. Just not worth the hassle in my opinion. I stick with stock sizes virtually all of the time. Hope this helps!

[@kryptikarts3922]

@@YouMotorcycle thanks man this definitely helps tons, much appreciated, I’ve been eyeing pirelli so I’ll just get that set, i ride to work with gas & traffic being how it is lately. I also got my civic in the air for a clutch job i barely have time for right now I also saw you mentioned in a different video breaking your the walls or channels inside the muffler, do you know if doing so would set off an engine light ? Or do i need the power commander before doing so? I was thinking of putting aftermarket pipes & intake but that seems like a good thing to try before doing so, i don’t think its all that too bad stock anyways Love the content dude definitely subbed and notifications on here ✌🏽🤟🏽

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thanks man. It didn't give me any errors. You can google it and ask some questions in some forums an you can hear from more people about it. But if you're willing to spend the money on some slip on exhausts anyway, you can try this first and see what you think.

[@lcarlson7725]

As a Scientist, I noted at approximately the 2:00 mark your comment regarding the aggravation of time caused by the pressure of motion and forces caused by the expansion of space. Cross referencing that comment to the 0511 date stamp clearly labeled upon the tire and the time/date of which I saw your video the first time (10:16 am EST on 15 October 2023), I was able to actually extrapolate the age of the Universe and in fact, confirm the time of the Big Bang, some 14.3 Billion years ago. Well done Dude. Well done. Oh - and your motorcycle content is also excellent

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thank you scientist dude, thank you.

[@ginoasci2876]

HELP PLEASE i have a new but left over 2022 triumph scrambler XC…..the ride is always bumpy. new paved roads are bumpy. if you were to ride this bike in a track the ride would be bumpy old paved roads are bumpy. the ride is always bumpy. my bike is a 2022, which i bought this week in june of 2023. considering it’s a left over i’m thinking it has been sitting in the showroom for a long time and one or both tires have a flat spot. as that flat spot hits the ground on every revolution, it will feel bumpy. i could be wrong but that’s the only thing i can come up with. unless the suspension needs tuning. even if the suspension needs tuning the ride should be smooth of pavement, especially a newly paved road. this is why i think it’s flat spots on the tires. have not che led the tire pressure, assuming the pressure is correct from the dealer. your thoughts ?

[@YouMotorcycle]

Soften up the suspension a bit Check that tires aren't over inflated Visual check the tires for flat spots

[@ginoasci2876]

⁠@@YouMotorcycle : thank you for the response !!! tire pressure is good. suspension is adjusted. assuming no flat spots because the bike is new. your thoughts ?

[@007Nox]

Best tires for Fz07?

[@YouMotorcycle]

what kind of riding do you do on it?

[@annbullock7622]

Nothing wrong with your video, especially with side wall pictures , I had a cobra chrome with 800 miles on it nail in the side replaced the tyre made me cry but that's life and €275 lighter.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thanks! Also, good choice on the cobra chromes, nice tires!

[@jorgeeltoritoperez7238]

I have a motorcycle and it has 2012 brand new but we are on 2023 and I don’t wanted to trow this tires and put new ones on and I don’t ride on highway is that ok ?

[@YouMotorcycle]

Did you watch the video?

[@jorgeeltoritoperez7238]

@@YouMotorcycle you was right I almost had an accident my tire looks good like new and it when flat on the highway thx god was the back one ., that tire was 5 years old ., now I need to get two new one thx for the video

[@abdullahumer9941]

My motorcycle skids a lot these days even when applying brakes at a 40 km/hr speed. My Bike is a 150cc engine bike & with tubeless tyre at Rear covering 30,000kms and front 35,000km(tube tyre). Should I replace tyres as I have checked alignment of tyres it's all right.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Based on this video, what do you think?

[@44hawk28]

A new product on the market in the last couple of years is 303 protectant, spray your tires at a couple of times a year with this it will reduce the Aging of the rubber substantially the other problem I have with your observation, is that the age of the tire does not tell you that it's bad. In the 1960s a gentleman came from New Zealand and set 9 World Records on a motorcycle that had tires that were at least twenty years old on it. They weren't making tires to any kind of reasonable standard in the 1940s that would have even applied in the 1960s much less today. Do I think you're sticking your neck out a little bit, yes. That said, a brand new set of tires you don't know anything about them anymore than you know about the tires that you just took off. If that's all you had to go on, that's not enough to replace the tire. How you store it and how you treated the tire, by not treating it first of all. The tire with all the cracking on the side got that way because somebody wasn't maintaining the damn tires. This is user caused. I have witnessed tires that were cracked, go 150,000 miles plus after the cracking started showing up. They literally were put on four different cars after the cracking was showing up and the last car it was on was stolen so I still don't know how many miles further those tires went. But they had 215,000 Mi on it when the car was stolen and still had good tread and the tires were operating fine because they were always kept treated. They were also kept with proper air pressure in them. As for the flat spot on the Outer Perimeter of the tire. Unless you're riding on curves most of the time, and not great down the road for most of the time, unless you're really getting really down close to thin tire carcass on the outside, you don't need to replace the damn Tire. And how much money is a tire company setting you to say that some of this bullshit. There's one that I can't tell you why it happened, the Bulge in the tire that's probably from a low tire that hit a pothole that tire needs to come off yesterday. Yes punctures are to be judged on a case-by-case basis.

[@YouMotorcycle]

The gentleman from New Zealand setting a speed record going in a straight line with no obstructions on old tires.... He did not set an all time record on a twisty race track with old tires. You're right, old tires go straight just as fast as new ones do, but it's turning and braking where you need good traction from fresh rubber, not in all out top speed.

[@RIPLinkTTV]

Ok, so if my FJ1100 has lightly cracked wheels (on the tread and nowhere else and they're very minor cracks) would it be safe to at least go 20 miles on it?

[@YouMotorcycle]

If you want to risk it, to ride it to a shop I'm assuming, I would say take it slow, back roads, no highways, on warm sunny days only. I would expect your tires are pretty old (check the date stamps as shown in the video), and assume they are old and hard and won't have much grip. Abundance of caution :)

[@RIPLinkTTV]

@YouMotorcycle yep, I planned on only taking the back roads and since it's at my buddies place I'm gonna take her to a shop. Thankfully I live in a pretty warm area so I should be good there. Thank you so much! Edit: I'm very familiar with the dates as I used to work in a Discount Tire so that's the first thing I'm looking at tomorrow along with the tires again.

[@YouMotorcycle]

@@RIPLinkTTV nice, good call. Used to work at Goodyear and helped prepare some of the point of sale kits that would go out to Discount Tire. Small world :)

[@RIPLinkTTV]

@YouMotorcycle nice! Yeah, we still continue to get Good Year merch at all DT stores, so that's a very small world indeed. I will say I'm excited to get my bike back, given that it's a 1985 Yamaha FJ1100. I love that bike and will post more vids once I have a gopro setup.

[@bobbysweeney5377]

Pa here. I just got sold a new Pirelli back tire for my v rod cvo, from a motorsports shop. Went to have installed, and told they will Not touch it. Apparently the shop sold me a tire for $220 that was stamped 4808. A 14 year old freaking tire!

[@YouMotorcycle]

You should bring it back. They might be able to send it back to their supplier for a refund if it isn't something they've had on the shelf this whole time

[@bobbysweeney5377]

@@YouMotorcycle the kid said it was there before he was and he had been there over a year. He said most guys didn't know how old. I bet they did. I'll ask tomorrow

[@YouMotorcycle]

@@bobbysweeney5377 Fingers crossed, good luck!

[@mattarchey9062]

Those rotted tires look exactly like mine. I bought the bike like that. Instead of paying $150 to tow in 12 miles, I decided to ride ...I didn't die but damn if that wasn't the sketchiest ride ever.

[@YouMotorcycle]

As long as you arrived safely! ✌️

[@mrnoedahl]

Great job my hillbilly friend.

[@YouMotorcycle]

lmao. Happy to help, but I'm born, raised, and never left the biggest city in the country lol

[@mrnoedahl]

@@YouMotorcycle Then now is the time.

[@YouMotorcycle]

"I could leave but I'll just stay. All my stuff's here anyway." - Local Toronto band

[@TheCanadianBubba]

Only the die-hards riding now ! Do they even make cold weather compounds for bikes ?

[@YouMotorcycle]

I'm still riding! It's not so bad here for now. Heidenau makes winter specific tires!

[@Paulfarmer-en4vh]

Are you aware tyres are mostly artificial rubber with various compounds 5:19

[@YouMotorcycle]

Yes. I used to work for a tire and rubber company. Why do you ask?

[@BedHeadBuilds]

How dangerous is it to ride 70 mph on dryrot tires

[@YouMotorcycle]

How much is your health worth?

[@BedHeadBuilds]

Not much according to the life insurance

[@YouMotorcycle]

@@BedHeadBuilds LMAO alright well since you're not worth much dead let's try to keep you alive long enough to change that lol. Sidewall plays a huge role in both your vehicle's handling as well as in your vehicle's suspension. Sidewall cracks can quickly lead to a loss of your vehicle's normal characteristics and can go from normal to catastrophic in an instant. I wouldn't risk it. Life's hard enough as is.

[@BedHeadBuilds]

@@YouMotorcycle I just put Pirellis on it last week I'm not riding on the dry side walls I did it one time around the block after I got my bike running because I had to rebuild the entire engine I just wanted to make sure the gears work only 20 miles an hour but just from riding around the block on the shity tires after I put the Pirellis on is a huge difference now I just have to get my Honda Shadow to start so I can make sure the good work in that and then some more money into it I'm a broke b****

[@YouMotorcycle]

@@BedHeadBuilds good call on the Pirelli tires and good luck on the rest of the work!

[@pocoapoco2]

Reason #8 that you have a bad tire--if it says Shinko on the sidewall.

[@YouMotorcycle]

🤣 I did not see this coming

[@Poppinwheeeeellllllieeeeez]

You need to hit some curves once and a while by the look of it.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Missed the part where I mentioned I just bought these bikes eh?

[@rondhole]

It is right but often well kept/garage tires are much better than newer tires. 10y old in garage is better than 2 years parked outside.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Depending on the environment (temperature/heat cycles, UV from sunlight vs shade, hot garage vs climate controlled, etc), yes, no, and maybe:)