When is weathered too weathered to ride?

[CRASH]

I actually don't think these original tires off my '69 Spyder are in bad shape. They actually look good enough where I've leaned towards just keeping them. But I'm going to be putting my kids and my wife on this when it's done, so I want them to have some good tires to ride. My question is: Can I sell them as 'ridable'? None of the cracks go all the way through, and both were inflated when I got them.

Here is part of the top of the rear. There is some of this around the whole thing. The sides look great, except the red stripe is faded off. I did find one crack on the side, but you can't see it when the tire is inflated.

This is the worst part of the sidewall on the front. The rest looks better, but still not 'new'.

And here's the top of the front tire. Again, it looks like this pretty much all the way around. if I don't squeeze it, it doesn't look this bad at all.

 

[Bri-in-RI]

Hang on to them and keep them so you can always make that bike original again. Probably not much market value in the condition they are in, but they could add value to that particular Spyder later.

I 100% agree with this statement. 8)

 

[deorman]

Put 'em in the closet. They'll give up under any serious use, but still good for display purposes. :|

 

[CRASH]

This bike's finish is too far gone to bring back. So it's getting a full repaint. In other words, won't be original. :?

 

[B607]

When I was a kid I was riding one day and one of the neighborhood bullies rode up next to me. I thought I was in for trouble. About that time his front tire blew out. It was violent enough to send him to the pavement. Keep that in mind when you ride those cracked up tires. :wink: Gary

 

[Ichoptop]

my dad use to say "never ride something like that farther than you would want to push it home".

 

[outskirtscustoms]

To answer the question, If you have to ask you're already on questionable tires. Change them. I'd still keep them as display pieces though.

 

[CRASH]

The kids are getting new tires. That's decided. I just want to find NOS so I can keep them period correct.

As for these, I'll just be honest with the condition and let the buyer determine what they want to do with them. I mean, at $200 per tire, they are getting a deal and can do whatever they like, right?





(of course I'm kidding on the price.




or am I? Offers? )

 

[Rustinkerer]

I had Schwinn Superior ww's on my Corvette back in the mid 90s. They were off a '67 bike, and probably og to that year. One exploded in the middle of the night, and I lived in an apartment! It was disturbing, to be awakened by a noise that loud, and I had no idea what happened. A few days later, i went to take the bike out for a ride, and realize what happened. I also had a tire explode on my Jeep a couple years ago, that was at about 10pm.

So, I'm pretty conservative now, when it comes to tires! I might run around the block a couple times, but not trusting cracked old rubber anymore! :shock: -Adam

 

[outskirtscustoms]

I used to have old cracked bias ply tires on my old '66 International 1200 pickup. I had one blow out and sent the split rim flying across the highway and nearly sent the truck into the center median. Luckily nobody was in the way of the truck or the split rim. After that I put on new tires and a junkyard set of modern steel rims. Worst I have done on a bike was I blew out a tire on a landing and tacoed a wheel but I would have done the same with a new tire.