HarleyTechTalk

A while back on the old site someone explained how to decode the manufacture date on Dunlop tires.  Anyone remember?  I'm watching some on ebay and I want to try to get the seller to read the code to me.  Oh...and how old is too old?

The code is a 4 digit number WWYY where WW is the week of the year the tire was made, and YY are the last two digits of the year.  So 0506 would be the 5th week of 2006.  Generally, older then 6 years is considered to be too old for tires.

Oh... and if you have a REALLY old tire made in the 90's the date code it 3 digit WWY where WW is the week the tire was made and Y is the year.  So 158 would be 15th week of 1998.

-Craig

Stro This is just my opinion but there's allot of your hide riding on those tires. Ebay sounds a little dangerous to me.
You never know they could have been sitting on the bottom of a pile of tires for quite some time. There are allot of good deals to be had on Ebay but tires that's scary. On the tire there are numbers in a recessed area that is shaped like and oval get him to give you those numbers. Hope this helps be careful and good luck.

 So 158 would be 15th week of 1998.


-Craig
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Or 88 or 78 etc.

Quote from: ELPASO 52 on December 17, 2008, 03:22:03 PM
So 158 would be 15th week of 1998.


-Craig

Or 88 or 78 etc.

I don't think they date stamped tires before the 1990's.  That's what I was told anyway.

EDIT:  Ok... found some more info.  Apparently they did use this date coding system in decades prior to 1990 so you are right ELPASO52... it could mean 88 or 78 or...  I also found one article that said most tires made in the 1990's had a triangle following the last digit of the date code to identify the decade.  Oh well, I guess if you are dealing with tires that old it's all a risk anway.

i wouldnt use a tire over 3 yrs old the reason is dryrot the oils in the rubber disipate over time and from what i can remember it was always 2 yrs maybe 3 never and all the guys that have that rug in the garage so the bike tires dont get cold i guess// that rug is absorbing those oils faster so when youre tire acts like it just went bad over nite and you park on a rug thats most of the problem      jmho
                                                                           bill
knowledge is a terrible thing

here is the ABC news report on tire shelf life and reading the dates.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDgSk5xWkrI

Quote from: northbrun on December 18, 2008, 08:01:35 AM
here is the ABC news report on tire shelf life and reading the dates.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDgSk5xWkrI

excellent video link...thanks