Old new tire dilemma - Should I ship it back

[barber1303]

I just received a eBay purchased tire advertised as "Brand New". While it is certainly unused, the manufacture date is week 19 of 2018. I have several motorcycles I ride and tire life is determined by time and not wear as I don't put much more than a couple hundred miles on each per year. I'm looking at this as I've already lost 2 years of tire life. My dilemma is what are the odds that I'll get a newer tire if I send this one back and buy one from one of the larger retailers? Any experience to share? I'd hate to go through the efforts of shipping this one back and ordering another just to be in the same situation...or worse. Thoughts?

Chris

Edit: I have no motorcycle tire retailers in my area that carry Shinko 230's, so I'm limited to buying online.

 

[desert_max]

Tough call. I am in a similar situation in that with a number of machines in the stable requiring care and feeding, tires age quicker than they wear. I guess it depends on what you paid for the tire and how much you can afford to absorb when you replace it.

 

[dannymax]

I always had good luck with the big supply places like Motorcycle SuperStore or Tires Unlimited. Figured it was due to the huge volume they move.

 

[Dan Lee]

I requested it when I ordered my new tires, ordered them over the phone, told them if it wasn't a current calendar year stamped on the tire, I would be returning them. Rockymtnatv.
I was told tires should be changed out if older then 6 years.

 

[barber1303]

Thanks for the feedback fellas. I sent the tire back and ordered a replacement from Chaparral Motorsports. Hopefully their throughput is high enough to keep newer stock on hand.

 

[barber1303]

Just took delivery of my new front tire from Chaparral and it was manufactured in March of this year. Lesson learned...if manufacture date is a concern, buy tires from higher volume dealers and not from one-offs on eBay.

 

[sdt354]

Date stamped is a major help. Country of origin also. Some Metzler tires were manufactured in Brazil. I ask in advance for current, and German manufactured only. The Sportec's MR 7's I'm running now are nice riding, and good handling.And priced right.

 

[Zeus36]

Chaparral Motorsports rocks. I get all my tires from them. Fast shipping too.

 

[crolf]

Several years ago a company (reputable) sent me a new 18 month old tire. I complained. They sent me a truly new one.

 

[Vinmax]

Date stamped is a major help. Country of origin also. Some Metzler tires were manufactured in Brazil. I ask in advance for current, and German manufactured only. The Sportec's MR 7's I'm running now are nice riding, and good handling.And priced right.

Some Metzelers are also made in China. I'm not kidding. My new rear ME888 Ultra is made in Germany. Says it right on the sidewall. My new Z8 Interact front (and I just LOVE both these tires) ............. made in China

Vinnie

*from another website;
-I never thought I would see a "Made In China" on the side of a Metzeler Tire (SportTec M5) but today, as I unpacked new tires for the HP2........there it was. A German tire, made in China. The Rear tire was not however, and carried its own "Made in Germany" Stamp. The front M5 SportTec match unit seems cheap, has a different dot pattern for the stem balance mark, and simply looks, well, made quick. Is this really something I should be concerned with? How do others feel about a Chinese tire on the front of your bike? Am I going to try it, or is it going to try me? I wonder if the factory where it is made is coal fired as well. Will our new bike pistons and cranks be next?

-The Chinese can make products as good or better than their counterparts. The real secret is in the oversight by the parent company. If it is in place, no problem. The real issue is if you don't have strict oversight, they will mess with the process to be more profitable, and to get other extended family members in the supply chain, disrupting the process.
A company like Metzeler probably has good oversight.