How Often Should You Replace Motorcycle Tires?

In areas like Duluth, MN and Superior, WI, we have limited riding season for motorcycles.

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Depending on work schedules and life outside of riding, some people are only able to get a few hundred to a few thousand miles a year on their bikes.  While that's a bummer for those that love to ride, it is what it is, but it also leaves bikes sitting a lot.

Not everyone has a heated garage, or even a decent place to store their ride for a long northern winter and that can lead to premature wear on tires.

How do tires wear out while just sitting?  Usually it's a drying out situation, which some people call weather checked.  Weather checking is the small cracks that develop on tires, usually on the sidewalls and in between the tread.  Even tires with really good tread can develop weather checking and might be due for replacement.

Even if they aren't weather checked most motorcycle tire manufacturers like Dunlop recommends, they be replaced every 5-6 years.  That really stinks for those who only put on say a thousand miles a year and might be able to go 10,000 without it needing to be replaced.  Tires are not cheap, especially since COVID, so you might consider going longer on one than recommended.

Remember too that motorcycle tires have date codes on them.  The first two of four are the week it was made, and the last two are the year.

You do you, but here is what I usually do.  I run it for the six years, and if it isn't weather checked, I keep running it until it wears out or gets checked.  This has served me well for years, especially the ones I didn't get many miles on, but every tire is different.  You only have two underneath you on a bike, so make sound choices with your tires.