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[gabhart]

OEM tires from 2011. They have 12,000 miles on them, tread looks good and the bike passed inspection last month. Curious when the AGE of the tire becomes a safety issue over wear and condition.

Bike is always garage kept. Thoughts?

[skratch]

5 year old tires?  i'd change them out myself.  if you look at dunlops warranty info, they will tell you that if the tire is 6 years old, regardless of tread depth, the tire warranty is no longer in effect.

I've had tires that were not that old that just felt 'hard' and did not grip very well. 

you only have two points of contact, why take unnecessary chances?

[CVODON]

Garage kept, only 12K, I would continue to use them. Normally a tire will begain to crack and check from heat cycles etc in that length of time but if yours haven't, then personally I would ride on.
My wifes 5 year old SUV with 40K has tires that still have 7/32" tread remaining, also garage kept. No way am I going to replace them either.
IMHO.

[muddypaws]

You need to ride more.....

[grc]

Even the tire and auto industries can't come up with a consensus on this.  Many tire companies say ten years, Ford Motor Company recommends six years, and some still have no opinion on the subject.  I'd recommend a close inspection of the tread area (at the base of the tread) and the sidewalls for any signs of checking or cracking.  That is a pretty good indicator of the condition of the rubber itself.  If you find such damage, I'd recommend changing the tires regardless of mileage or remaining tread depth.   

Even if a tire is just stuck in a corner of a garage and never hits the road, ozone will slowly deteriorate the rubber.  More ozone, more and faster deterioration.

Jerry

[spydglide]

Good excuse to visit the burn-out pit?  Sounds as if you've got miles/time left in those and as someone pointed out, a good reason to schedule some more 'rides'.  har!  spyder

[JCZ]

You need to ride more.....

   That was my first thought.  That's some expensive garage jewelry.

All the RV forums suggest 5-7 years regardless of thread depth due to deterioration from the inside of the tire.  Bikes don't carry the same weight as RVs however, it all comes down to "what is your life worth"?   The two most important components of any motorcycle.....the tires and the brakes.  JMHO   

[gabhart]

I appreciate all of the thoughts on this. Since I moved from Northern Virginia to North Carolina I have not been riding much as you guys pointed out for me. I am riding up to the DC area then to Indiana then back to DC then home in NC in the next 2 weeks which is one of the reasons for my question.

While I am changing the fluids this week I will make it a point to closely check out the tires. If I see no suspect conditions I will roll with what I have.

muddypaws, thanks for starting the Captain Obvious thoughts on this! Hope you are doing well. Any updates on the bike?