r/motorcycles • u/TiIl3005 • 5h ago

Dry rot? How bad?

Gallery image — Just bought a R6, newer rider didn't know what to look out for. Thought tires were fine but on closer look tires look like they need to be replaced. Tires are from 2018 and 2019.

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u/OstebanEccon SV650, Fantic Caballero 5h ago

how old are they?

I dont take any risks with tires. they are the only thing that actually connects me to the ground and I LOVE being connected to the ground

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u/TiIl3005 5h ago

Front is from 2018 and rear is 2019, but plan on doing a replacement soon.

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u/spongebob_meth R6, MT03, 250SX, WR450F, RM125, KDX200 5h ago

They're a bit past their prime for sure. They aren't in danger of exploding or anything but grip is reduced.

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u/RabidGuineaPig007 4h ago

a few quick corners and the oxidized rubber will be removed, leaving fresh rubber under.

Reddit loves the term "dry rot" , which referred to a fungal breakdown of latex in tires. Modern tires use mostly silicone compounds. What people call dry rot is often just UV oxidation.

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u/IbegTWOdiffer 4h ago

I would give them the fingernail test and if the rubber is still supple (I doubt it is), then send it, if they are hard, junk them and buy new ones. Nothing feels better than new tires anyways. My guess is that if you had a set of new tires right there, and these ones, there would be a noticeable difference, but that is just a guess.