Keeping your tires in good shape includes constant attention to them, maintaining proper inflation at all times, and a little luck in avoiding street hazards. But dry rot is a problem some of our tires seem to experience, particularly if our motorcycles are not ridden year round.

There are a few simple things that you can do to minimize dry rot:

Do not store your motorcycle near electrical appliances. Ozone is generated around electrical appliances and is primarily responsible for the cracks in your tire rubber.

Do not use anything like Armor All on your tires. These products make the rubber look nice and clean and bright black, but they also rob the rubber of the chemicals they were manufactured with which are designed to minimize the effect of ozone.

Do not park your bike with the tires sitting on oil spots. The oil will deteriorate the tire rubber over time.

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