I have two older motorcycles that use tube tires. One is my 1984 BMW that has alloy rims but designed for tubes, i.e. no safety bead on rim. The other is my 1970 Triumph w original spoke rims.
I am pretty safety conscience when it comes to tires, I’m about to change the tires on the BMW because they are 4 years old. I do not consider it urgent to change 2017 tires and I’m still riding it occasionally but soon. Tires are Michelin Pilot Activs, excellent tires for an older sport touring bike. I changed the tubes in 2017 and plan on reusing them.
I’m putting tires on the Triumph right now because of age, not tread wear. This bike sat still in a collection for years before I bought it and the tires are from 2007. There is no question that the tires should be changed but my question is about the tubes; how would they go bad inside tires in the dark, with no force of any kind on them, other than moderate air pressure?
I can anticipate the responses telling me to, “just change them,” don’t be a cheapskate, etc. I’m not cheap at all with needed maintenance and do more than most people in terms of changing brake fluid and hoses on vehicles, etc. I just also hate waste and cringe when I hear about people doing 3k mile oil changes on engines that are meant to go 10k intervals, etc. Every unnecessary oil or tire change is not only a waste of $$ but also environmentally screwed, new tires made or oil used for no reason, disposing of old tires or oil, that sort of thing. I’m a gear head but also an environmentalist, (at least I try to be), so these things weigh on me.
Most importantly, changing parts or fluids when not needed is a total waste that only benefits the seller of the unnecessary parts or fluids. It doesn’t benefit the machine. So convince me why I need to change the inner tubes, besides some abstract theory about them wearing out. What actually happens to them to change them in some material way and makes them unsafe after “X amount” of years or miles? They look like new, more or less. If I could see some change, I guarantee that I would not be asking. Old tires get changed before they need to be on my stuff, the Triumph came w the old tires and are getting replaced before any real riding. Thanks as always.
