Michelin Pilot Powers
- Thread starter FloydV
- Start date
They, like ALL tires have a born on date. Look on the side of the tire and just after the "DOT" stamp you will see a four digit #....like 1107 or 4206...the first two #'s tell you the week that the tire was made, the second two tell you the year...
First two #'s - 01-52...the week of the year that the tire was made
Second two #'s - 07 for 2007, 08 for 2008...etc etc
So for the above #'s 1107 was made the 11th week of 2007...4206 was made the 42nd week of 2006
First two #'s - 01-52...the week of the year that the tire was made
Second two #'s - 07 for 2007, 08 for 2008...etc etc
So for the above #'s 1107 was made the 11th week of 2007...4206 was made the 42nd week of 2006
They, like ALL tires have a born on date. Look on the side of the tire and just after the "DOT" stamp you will see a four digit #....like 1107 or 4206...the first two #'s tell you the week that the tire was made, the second two tell you the year...
First two #'s - 01-52...the week of the year that the tire was made
Second two #'s - 07 for 2007, 08 for 2008...etc etc
So for the above #'s 1107 was made the 11th week of 2007...4206 was made the 42nd week of 2006
Exactly.
ToXSicK RoCKeT
Registered
WOW, Learn Sumtin knew everyday! 
Thank You Thank You
Zewski
Registered
I work in the tire sales industry....mail order. If there is one thing that burns me it is people that watch DATELINE and then call us and demand a tire that was made in the last three weeks. THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN! There are times that we get tires from the manufacturer directly was three years old on day we got it! Age does matter, but on a bike tire it doesn't you will burn it up .long before age is an issue!
Sorry for the rant...it has been a long day!
Sorry for the rant...it has been a long day!
I work in the tire sales industry....
Sorry for the rant...it has been a long day!
Evidently so...
Apology accepted...
I work in the tire sales industry....mail order. If there is one thing that burns me it is people that watch DATELINE and then call us and demand a tire that was made in the last three weeks. THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN! There are times that we get tires from the manufacturer directly was three years old on day we got it! Age does matter, but on a bike tire it doesn't you will burn it up .long before age is an issue!
Sorry for the rant...it has been a long day!
A year or two old does not matter, but many tire wholesalers buy up old stock. Many of these tires might already be years and years old...if they sit of the tire rack for another couple of years...WTF how old does a tire have to get before somebody does the right thing ???
TruWrecks
Banned
Tires work best when they're mounted to the rims. 
PP 2CTs are good tires. They provide good stick, and good feedback. I've got about 2K on one set right now, and they look good. I'll probably get around 5K from them on the Busa. I will be going to Bridgestones after these tires. I like the feedback from the stones better. It may not be a better tire, but it certainly isn't worse. I just like the feel of them better than the Pilots.
PP 2CTs are good tires. They provide good stick, and good feedback. I've got about 2K on one set right now, and they look good. I'll probably get around 5K from them on the Busa. I will be going to Bridgestones after these tires. I like the feedback from the stones better. It may not be a better tire, but it certainly isn't worse. I just like the feel of them better than the Pilots.
TruWrecks
Banned
As tires sit on the rack they slowly get harder as the rubber dries out. It happens very slowly, but it does happen. Have you ever tried to press a fingernail into a 6 or 7 year old MC tire? It will be pretty hard compared to a tire that was made just a year or two ago. I have seen 8 year old tires loose chucks or rubber from just riding down a well maintained street. I have also ridden on them, and they felt about as sticky as plastic.
Zewski
Registered
Alright let me clarify.
In the 1970s, bias ply tires wore out in about 15,000 miles during two years of service. In the 1980s, early radial ply tires wore out in about 40,000 miles during four years of service. And by the turn of the century, radial tires lasting 60,000 to 80,000 miles were providing four or more years of service on vehicles averaging about 15,000 miles per year. In all of these examples, the tire treads "wore out" before the rest of the tire "aged out."
However, not all of today's vehicles average15,000 miles per year. Multiple-vehicle families, occasionally used recreational vehicles and vehicles driven only for pleasure are driven fewer miles per year. Additionally, enthusiast vehicles trailered to events, shows, stored or put on display for extended periods of time put on far fewer miles. It's possible to encounter ten-year-old tires with significant remaining tread depth because they've been driven less than 1,000 miles a year!
Unfortunately, the growing realization that tires are perishable means that the tires on some of these vehicles will actually "age out" before they "wear out."
How long will tires last before aging out? The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and tire manufacturers are currently studying the many variables. Heavily loaded tires only driven occasionally in scorching climates face some of the most severe conditions, while lightly loaded tires driven every day in moderate climates experience the least severe. Add to that the amount of exposure to the elements (sun and atmospheric) and the quality of tire and vehicle maintenance practices (proper inflation pressure, wheel alignment, etc) and you have an idea of the complexity of the situation. While tire life will ultimately depend on the tires' service conditions and the environment in which they operate, the difficult task remains how to confirm and quantify it.
The current industry association recommendations regarding inspecting and replacing tires due to age originate outside the United States.
The British Rubber Manufacturers Association (BRMA) recommended practice issued June, 2001, states "BRMA members strongly recommend that unused tyres should not be put into service if they are over six years old and that all tyres should be replaced ten years from the date of their manufacture."
Environmental conditions like exposure to sunlight and coastal climates, as well as poor storage and infrequent use, accelerate the aging process. In ideal conditions, a tyre may have a life expectancy that exceeds ten years from its date of manufacture. However, such conditions are rare. Aging may not exhibit any external indications and, since there is no non-destructive test to assess the serviceability of a tyre, even an inspection carried out by a tyre expert may not reveal the extent of any deterioration."
More recently, The Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association (JATMA) recommended practice issued May, 2005, states "customers are encouraged to have their vehicle tires promptly inspected after five years of use to determine if the tires can continue to be used (recommends spare tires be inspected as well). Furthermore, even when the tires look usable, it is recommended that all tires (including spare tires) that were made more than ten years ago be replaced with new tires. Additionally, because in some cases automobile makers—based on the characteristics of the relevant vehicle—stipulate in the owner's manual the timing of tire inspection and replacement. Please read and confirm the content of the owner's manual."
Several European vehicle manufacturers of high performance sports cars, coupes and sedans identify that "under no circumstances should tires older than 6 years be used" in their vehicle owner's manual. However, it should be noted that European recommendations must include driving conditions that include roads like the German Autobahn, which allows vehicles to be legally driven at their top speeds for extended periods of time.
While American driving conditions don't include the high-speed challenges of the German Autobahn, the U.S. divisions of DaimlerChrysler and Ford Motor Company joined their European colleagues in 2005 by recommending the tires installed as Original Equipment be replaced after six years of service. (General Motors declined to offer a recommendation until a more scientific analysis of driving conditions and tire aging could be completed).
It is also important to note that the more aggressive the tires' tread compound, the shorter its life. DOT-legal competition tires would have the shortest shelf live before the aging process would begin to diminish their performance. Sometimes the tires that were just right at the end of this season will be too aged to be fully effective the next year. Max Performance and Ultra High Performance tires would be next, and so on down the line.
When properly cared for, most street tires have a useful life of between six to ten years. And while part of that time is spent as the tire travels from the manufacturing plant to the manufacturer's distribution center, to the retailer and to you, the remainder is the time it spends on your vehicle.
So what I am saying is that if tires are stored and cared for correctly (Temp controlled, and limited exposure to sunlight, the aging process is drastically reduced.) There are some wholesalers on the local level that will buy inventory they can not sell, for the most part most failures are due to improper inflation pressure, overloading the tire, and maybe last age. Most people who experience problems end up finding that the tire is 12 years old and it has been on their car for 7-8 years. Who is to blame for that?
In the 1970s, bias ply tires wore out in about 15,000 miles during two years of service. In the 1980s, early radial ply tires wore out in about 40,000 miles during four years of service. And by the turn of the century, radial tires lasting 60,000 to 80,000 miles were providing four or more years of service on vehicles averaging about 15,000 miles per year. In all of these examples, the tire treads "wore out" before the rest of the tire "aged out."
However, not all of today's vehicles average15,000 miles per year. Multiple-vehicle families, occasionally used recreational vehicles and vehicles driven only for pleasure are driven fewer miles per year. Additionally, enthusiast vehicles trailered to events, shows, stored or put on display for extended periods of time put on far fewer miles. It's possible to encounter ten-year-old tires with significant remaining tread depth because they've been driven less than 1,000 miles a year!
Unfortunately, the growing realization that tires are perishable means that the tires on some of these vehicles will actually "age out" before they "wear out."
How long will tires last before aging out? The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and tire manufacturers are currently studying the many variables. Heavily loaded tires only driven occasionally in scorching climates face some of the most severe conditions, while lightly loaded tires driven every day in moderate climates experience the least severe. Add to that the amount of exposure to the elements (sun and atmospheric) and the quality of tire and vehicle maintenance practices (proper inflation pressure, wheel alignment, etc) and you have an idea of the complexity of the situation. While tire life will ultimately depend on the tires' service conditions and the environment in which they operate, the difficult task remains how to confirm and quantify it.
The current industry association recommendations regarding inspecting and replacing tires due to age originate outside the United States.
The British Rubber Manufacturers Association (BRMA) recommended practice issued June, 2001, states "BRMA members strongly recommend that unused tyres should not be put into service if they are over six years old and that all tyres should be replaced ten years from the date of their manufacture."
Environmental conditions like exposure to sunlight and coastal climates, as well as poor storage and infrequent use, accelerate the aging process. In ideal conditions, a tyre may have a life expectancy that exceeds ten years from its date of manufacture. However, such conditions are rare. Aging may not exhibit any external indications and, since there is no non-destructive test to assess the serviceability of a tyre, even an inspection carried out by a tyre expert may not reveal the extent of any deterioration."
More recently, The Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Association (JATMA) recommended practice issued May, 2005, states "customers are encouraged to have their vehicle tires promptly inspected after five years of use to determine if the tires can continue to be used (recommends spare tires be inspected as well). Furthermore, even when the tires look usable, it is recommended that all tires (including spare tires) that were made more than ten years ago be replaced with new tires. Additionally, because in some cases automobile makers—based on the characteristics of the relevant vehicle—stipulate in the owner's manual the timing of tire inspection and replacement. Please read and confirm the content of the owner's manual."
Several European vehicle manufacturers of high performance sports cars, coupes and sedans identify that "under no circumstances should tires older than 6 years be used" in their vehicle owner's manual. However, it should be noted that European recommendations must include driving conditions that include roads like the German Autobahn, which allows vehicles to be legally driven at their top speeds for extended periods of time.
While American driving conditions don't include the high-speed challenges of the German Autobahn, the U.S. divisions of DaimlerChrysler and Ford Motor Company joined their European colleagues in 2005 by recommending the tires installed as Original Equipment be replaced after six years of service. (General Motors declined to offer a recommendation until a more scientific analysis of driving conditions and tire aging could be completed).
It is also important to note that the more aggressive the tires' tread compound, the shorter its life. DOT-legal competition tires would have the shortest shelf live before the aging process would begin to diminish their performance. Sometimes the tires that were just right at the end of this season will be too aged to be fully effective the next year. Max Performance and Ultra High Performance tires would be next, and so on down the line.
When properly cared for, most street tires have a useful life of between six to ten years. And while part of that time is spent as the tire travels from the manufacturing plant to the manufacturer's distribution center, to the retailer and to you, the remainder is the time it spends on your vehicle.
So what I am saying is that if tires are stored and cared for correctly (Temp controlled, and limited exposure to sunlight, the aging process is drastically reduced.) There are some wholesalers on the local level that will buy inventory they can not sell, for the most part most failures are due to improper inflation pressure, overloading the tire, and maybe last age. Most people who experience problems end up finding that the tire is 12 years old and it has been on their car for 7-8 years. Who is to blame for that?
Nice cut and paste
But we are talking about MOTORCYCLES here, with ONLY two tires...if one tire were to fail, the consequences can be drastic. On a car or pick up you have four tires and might be able to safely stop your vehicle.
Do YOU by just ANY tire? or do you check the manufacture date just like most of us do ???
I for one am glad date-line showed that. Keeps the consumer informed. the tire company wasn't telling anyone.
semperfi
Registered
They, like ALL tires have a born on date. Look on the side of the tire and just after the "DOT" stamp you will see a four digit #....like 1107 or 4206...the first two #'s tell you the week that the tire was made, the second two tell you the year...
First two #'s - 01-52...the week of the year that the tire was made
Second two #'s - 07 for 2007, 08 for 2008...etc etc
So for the above #'s 1107 was made the 11th week of 2007...4206 was made the 42nd week of 2006
Thank you...good to know.
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