Forum

[Norm]

Thing with a bike, if a tyre fails you can be in serious trouble quickly, not such an issue with a car. Some years ago at our AGM our Club Sec and his wife took a very nasty buster because the rear tyre failed on his Super Meteor. On all our old bikes we now try and assure that everybody is using current tyres and not just ones with good tread. We had the same problem with bikes only doing a few hundred ks a year.

[Michael]

I have a 97 year old tyre on my bike... should I think about changing that in 7 years

[Bullet Whisperer]

Well, I am taking no chances - not only a new tyre, but also a new tube and rim tape are on their way and will be fitted to the Norton, then it will be going straight back for a re test well within the 10 day time frame, to hopefully get a ticket. I have been off motorbikes because of duff tyres [many moons ago], it is not very nice and I like to think I keep an eye on them, but, this one got through the net until the MOT man saw it and this is why I am happy to carry on MOT' ing any 1960 and older machines.

[Beezabryan]

I always fit new tyre with new tube, somehow makes sense to me. But not to others it seems.
Recently stopped to help a not very young couple struggling with a rear wheel puncture. The tube that came out already had 2 patches and when I suggested dumping it the reply was "that's OK it will mend" Anyway he did use the new tube that he had with him.
Oh and the tyre was stiff with age and only went back using the tyre soap I carry with my spare tube & tools.

[PeteF]

I'm with you Bryan, I always replace tube and tape.

[Scalyback]

The thing to remember is, that most parts on your bike are milage related. The wear on engine parts, brake shoes, things like that, but tyres are age related.



I'm sorry to say, but if you fitted new tyres to your bike 6 or so years ago and have only done 50 miles, then you really should consider replacing them.>Br>


Again... It's not how much they are worn, it's how old they are.



Obviously, it's up to the bike's owner, but think of it this way, there is a bike and there is the road. It's the tyres and nothing else, that ensures you can corner and that the bike performs as you expect.



Yes they cost money to replace, but you balance your safety vs. the cost.

[Bullet Whisperer]

O.K., I know that tyres are obviously very important and probably worthy of a thread all to themselves, but the point I was considering with this tyre issue in question was that the MOT guy spotted something that I didn't on a machine that didn't have to have an MOT in any case, thus preventing a potential hazard going uncorrected and onto the road. I will be extra vigilant with tyres from now on [not that I would have considered myself ignorant to their potential failings before] and I have always changed tubes with tyres in any case, but in theory, it could have been any other aspect of a pre 1960 machine in superficially good shape which could have been at fault and gone undetected and onto the road, without MOT and possibly causing some sort of hazard as a result. I am not saying 'Bring back the MOT for pre '60 vehicles', just that I still value a machine being looked over by a competent third party once a year, for extra peace of mind.

[Alan R]

Hi guys----------------- In modern industry an item may be repaired/overhauled/built etc. by a "team" to agreed specs......And then checked by someone from a different discipline for correct assy. etc. using an agreed check or tick list..............This maintains consistency of checking and thus the quality of the product is also maintained..................In a similar way how many of us actually check our bikes against the MoT Testers Manual, and then get Mr.A.N.Other to final check before presenting at the MoT Test Station ??..................I'm the first to admit not doing this..........Personally I think this "No MoT" idea was just a bit of a "Vote-Catcher"......................... Why not make all Auto-Cycles and Mopeds Tax- Exempt instead ??

[Alan R]

EDIT}--------- Hey SCALY, you given up on being Green now ??

[Davie Hall]

A cracked tyre wall is easily missed. My bike was checked over before I presented it for it's mot and passed first time. About 200 miles later a friend mentioned that there was a split in the wall of the front tyre, there was definitely no signs of degradation in the tyres when I checked them pre mot and when I checked the manufacture date the tyre was 9 years old and approx 19000 miles on it and was the tyre fitted when the bike was built. Just goes to show how easy it is to miss