Replacement rear tires for my GW RS trike?

[Lazarus]

It has 2012 Nexens on it now, with 24500 miles on it. They literally look brand new, but so many say to replace after 5-7 years regardless of mileage. I’ve decided to replace them and would like to hear from you folks what brand rear tires you have on your RS trike, and are they working for you. Thanks.

 

[tourman]

Don't waste your money, tires are fine.

 

[Ironhorse54]

I agree with Tourman. . I’ve had tires on my bikes that were 10 years old and waited until the tread wore off where they needed to be replaced. Never had a problem.

 

[HDUSA1]

I started to respond that I would probably run them another few years, then I looked at the age again.

If they are indeed 13 years old, I'd think pretty strongly about replacing them. As tires age, the waxy emulsifiers in the rubber compound oxidizes and the rubber gets harder. I would be concerned with them having less grip on an older polished pavement and while they might last you several more years, only you can decide at what risk level you are comfortable with and what your pocketbook is saying.

I just installed a Roadsmith kit on my 2020 Ultra last year and they came with Radar Dimax AS-8 tires. I've never heard of them before and was going to replace them when I put TPMS sensors in them this winter, but they actually seem like a decent tire after I took them off the rim.

Although this was on a Harley Trike, 14TG put some BF Goodrich tires on his and seems to really like them as they seem to be a little more "cushy" tire. If I ever replace the Radar Dimax tires on my trike, that's what I'm going with. You'll get positive comments about Goodyears and Michelins as well.

Here's the thread:

Tri Glide Rear Tire choices question

I have the same question on the HD forum, but I know some on here are not members there… so I will copy the same question on here. (Apologies if this is a repetitive question). I have a 2014 Tri Glide and will be needing new rear tires. The size is: 205/65 R15 and it currently has the original...

triketalk.com

 

[Ironhorse54]

I have very little risk level concerns in reference to the age of the Tire, but I do have a pocketbook that is always telling me wear them out and get your moneys worth. Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

 

[pwhoever]

I don't think I would be comfortable riding on tires 13 years old regardless of how much tread is still there. I would consider if they are maybe 6 or 7 years old but definitely not 13 years old. I won't even do it for my truck . For that matter, there is absolutely no way I would even consider mounting tires that were 13 years old. I won't even buy or mount tires that were 5 years old.

IMHO, it's time to replace them and I'm guessing that you have been thinking the same otherwise you wouldn't have started this topic. @HDUSA1 brings up very good reasons for this. In this case, you are only buying 2 tires as opposed to buying 4 for a car. There are plenty of options available and shouldn't be much more that $200 to do. For that price, it's well worth replacing the tires.

I would suggest just about any name brand would be fine. When I replaced the rear tires on my 07 CSC, I went with Goodyear Eagle radials. Goodyear, Cooper, BF Goodrich, etc will all have tires in the correct size. A couple tips, keep to the same size as there is very little wiggle room for going any larger and the speedometer is mated with the rear output on engine so a different size will throw off your speedo. And do not go with a run flat. It will give you a stiffer, rougher ride and isn't really necessary. On bikes, the front wheel will kick up road debris that gets stuck in rear wheel as it follows behind. On a trike, each wheel is in its own track so very little chance of the rear tires catching debris from front wheel.

 

[geol]

Special Trailer tires (ST) like on an RV age out at 4-5 years and seldom look worn but will blow up if you keep them on too long. The tires on my Road Smith were manufactured in the 9th week of 2011. 14 years old and have no intention of changing them as their tread is still fine. There isn't much weight on the rear tires as compared to a car so the tread doesn't really wear and I see no signs of cracking/crazing on the sidewalls to they stay on unless I hit the lottery (don't play the lottery so maybe Pulisher's Warehouse sweepstakes?).

 

[Ironhorse54]

I’m right there with you, GEOL. I have been told that car tires and brakes on the trike will probably never wear out. I may want to replace them due to age rather than mileage. Unless I see some type of damage or cracks, splits, like you mentioned, they will stay on the trike.

 

[pwhoever]

One other thing that I didn't bring up that I wanted to mention. Even if there is plenty of tread and no cracks in the rubber, older tire rubber has been exposed to plenty of UV light and varied temperatures which begins to harden them and as a result will not have the same traction as newer tires. It also stiffens the ride you experience as well. It is not something that is obvious as it happens over time. It's a very subtle change but is in fact happening. It becomes very obvious as soon as new tires get installed. You get that smooth feeling back immediately. I can understand folks wanting to get their money's worth before replacing which is an individual choice but they will end up sacrificing some ride quality with older tires.

 

[geol]

I’m right there with you, GEOL. I have been told that car tires and brakes on the trike will probably never wear out. I may want to replace them due to age rather than mileage. Unless I see some type of damage or cracks, splits, like you mentioned, they will stay on the trike.

Hope you mean the brakes on the rear as I do go through front brake pads regularly (about as frequently as on any 2 wheeler).