Are my tires ok?

I have what i believe are the original tires on my bike. (Dunlap) I have no idea how to tell if they are still in decent shape. The rear tire is flattened in the center and am not sure if this is normal. The ones on my previous bike were not that way i dont think. It just passed inspection so im pretty sure they are legal. Do these tires tend to get flattened in the middle and if so is it ok that it i?. Its only the back tire. The tire pressure is about 42lbs. I wonder if the "kids" at the dealership spent a few minutes burning the rear tire before i picked it up. I hope not with the brakes the way they are on these. I dont remember it looking like that when i looked at it and purchased it. Sorry for the long and stupid post. As you can tell I really am clueless on this.

 

If they are flat in the middle, you have the dreaded "Texas" tires. It is a common phenomena for those who ride in texas (except for the lucky few that live around the hill country west of kerville). Have no idea how you got "texas" tires in upstate NY.

gw

 

With tires, you are not only dealing with miles but age. If you really suspect they are 4 years old and they have as much wear as you are describing, you should just get a new set. The OEM Dunlop and Metzler tires were not that great. The OEM Bridgestone tires were better.

There are plenty of tire threads on this site. Take a moment and read up and educate yourself on the different options. Most any decent non OEM for the VFR will be good choice and provide you with a decent riding experience.

 

For age, take a look at the tire. You should see DOT and then a whole bunch of letters followed by a 4 digit number. Mine is 4908. That means that the tire was manufactured in the 49th week of 2008. Take a look to see how old your tires are. And +1 to what everyone else said above. I would just get a new set. No sense in jeopardizing your life or your ride for $300 in tires.

 

I'm guessing your in the same boat as me. Low mileage 06 with D204's?, mines at 2500miles. I'm almost positive mine are the original tires. The VIN says she was made in Late 05 so the tires are pushing 4 1/2 plus years old. I'll be pricing out and ordering new tires this week end once I figure out what I'm gonna go with.

If you do a little googling about tire manufacture date codes and Dunlop you may be able to figure out when yours were made.

 

FYI for folks in this thread. If you are in the US the Michelin tire price took a deep dive recently.
You can get a set of power pilot 2cts for $220 and a set delivered of Pilot Road 2ct for about $270 delivered. Way cheap for those tires. Previously, both model tires were at or above $300 a set. Most dealerships will change your tires for something like $30 each if the wheels are off the bike.

Other tires to look at: Bridgestone BT021 sport touring or BT016 Sport, Pirelli Angel sport touring, Rosso or corsa III sport, Continental Road attack or sport attack; Dunlop road smart sport touring or Qualifier sport.

I am a fan of the sportier tires. I like Michelin power pilot 2cts or the Bridgestone BT016. 5-6K per set. For price and longevity I think the Bridgestone BT021 or Pirelli Angel would be a good choice.

 

Treat yourself to a new set of tires, you wont be sorry.I suggest some Metzler M-1 or M-3. To nice of a bike not to have some nice tires to enjoy it.