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Lambretta Tyres & Dating Them Prior To Purchasing
I have added this News Post as a result of seeing tyres advertised on eBay by a Scooter Shop, listed as a fitting for:
“Lambretta Ld /D model Continental tyres whitewall 400×8 2 off” – “new shop old stock”
As well as images showing the Continental White Wall tyres 4.00 – 8 55J M/C, also on display in the images was the DOT reference 4111. This means that the tyre in this image was produced in October 2011 and you should think about if you want to bid on / buy this tyre or not!.
Breaking this down:
- 4.00 – This is the width of the tyre and height of the sidewall in inches.
- 8 – This is the rim diameter in inches.
- 55 – Load Rating. This expresses the tire’s maximum load capacity in pounds at the pressure indicated (psi). In this case 55 = 481 lb ( Search online for “load rating chart motorcycle tyre” for other load ratings)
- J is the Speed Rating – J represents 62 (J=62 / L=74 / M=81)
- M/C means Motorcycle
The DOT reference
A DOT reference of 4111 means that the tyres were built on the 41st week (October) of 2011. These tyres are coming up to being 8 years old.
The first two digits (41) are the weeks in the year. In this case 41 represents October. The second digits (11) are the year 2011.
If we look at Continental Guide lines and website located here: https://www.continental-tires.com/motorcycle/more-than-tires/faq
A correctly stored, unused Continental tire can be sold and used unconditionally like a new tire. However, Continental advises against selling or using used tires with an unknown history
Continental recommends replacing all tires more than 10 years old – as per their stamped manufacturing date – with younger ones.
Notes:
A tire can be stored in a shop for 2 years or even more. I would therefore be surprised to find a tyre that is a few months old.
Some websites state a Motorcycle tyre should be replaced within 6 years. I would be of the veiw that
Summary:
With this information at hand, please give some thought before purchasing your tyres and think about reviewing the date they were produced. If the tyres are old, you need to consider their storing history before considering to buy them.
Week to Month Website: https://weeknumber.net/
Jan Weeks – 01–04
Feb Weeks – 05–08
Mar Weeks – 09–13
Apr Weeks – 14–17
May Weeks – 18–22
Jun Weeks – 23–26
Jul Weeks – 27–30
Aug Weeks – 31–35
Sep Weeks – 36–39
Oct Weeks – 40–43
Nov Weeks – 44–48
Dec Weeks – 49–52
Tyre Example
The tyre below is one of mine that shows 1914. The number 19 is week 19 (which is May). The 14 is the year 2014. This tyre was produced in May 2014 and depending on how I use it and how the Lambretta is stored, I should replace it between 2020 and 2024.
In the second example, the tyre below is one of mine that shows 0119. The number 01 is week 01 (which is January). The 19 is the year 2019. This tyre was produced in January 2019 and depending on how I use it and how the Lambretta is stored, I should replace it between 2025 and 2029.
