Re-treaded motorcycle tires ... any good?

[Paughco]

Here's the REAL way to get new tires!



Not sure if the insert video thing will work, so I'll insert it as a link: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HhGZhORKhNk

Seeya
 ATB

[Ray]

round.... check
rubber.... check
rebate.... undoubtedly

What could possibly go wrong?

(That said, these are not heading to the 135 hp, 550 pound monstrosities that routinely apply 0.5 G forces in braking and in the corners.)
(OK - I can see them on a Yamaha scooter.... )

[Motorhead1977]

That's interesting. However based on the dress/lack of safety equipment in the video I'd "guess" that they're used in a part of the world where motorcycles are used as basic transportation at relatively low speed. Necessity is, after all, the mother of invention.

[Grumpy Goat]

That's interesting. However based on the dress/lack of safety equipment in the video I'd "guess" that they're used in a part of the world where motorcycles are used as basic transportation at relatively low speed. Necessity is, after all, the mother of invention.

Not only used as basic transportation, but only transportation, and by people with little means. That said, I never saw that done for motorcycles but if they can be done for trucks which have much greater loads on their tires then it makes sense that it should work for motorcycles. A Google search reveals many hits ...

[Liteitup]

Every gravel hauling dump truck in Texas has recaps on it everywhere except the steer axle. Evidenced by all the gator skins on the interstate in the summer.

[Grumpy Goat]

Every gravel hauling dump truck in Texas has recaps on it everywhere except the steer axle. Evidenced by all the gator skins on the interstate in the summer.

Indeed. I see them all the time, as one who frequently uses interstates. 

I think that retreads for motorcycle tires should be fine as long as the connection between the new tread and the old tire is sound, i.e. good glue and sufficient heat to fuse them together. Not sure I’d use them though.

[dravnx]

Losing a retread on a truck is pretty much a non event. How do you think this would effect a motorcycle at highway speeds?

[Motorhead1977]

Losing a retread on a truck is pretty much a non event.

For the truck driver. Not so much for the car driver or motorcycle rider in the next lane.  As far as the effect of losing a retread on a motorcycle, I'd like to find out in SEC (someone else's case)

[Lee]

Losing a retread on a truck is pretty much a non event.

For the truck driver. Not so much for the car driver or motorcycle rider in the next lane.  As far as the effect of losing a retread on a motorcycle, I'd like to find out in SEC (someone else's case)

We've had retreads start to come loose on trucks when following on the bikes and car. 
We were always able to drop back before the big chunks started to fly.

[Lee]

 they can be done for trucks which have much greater loads on their tires 

Back in the 1970s when I was first driving you could buy retreads for car.
I can't remember if I bought retreads, but I did buy used tires for my $200 car.

[Oldrider51]

If you watch Itchy Boots, I can see some countries where these tires would be used. Also, the tires are biased ply not radial.

[Grumpy Goat]

OK, I will bite, even though the question could be read as passive aggressive ...

Losing a retread on a truck is pretty much a non event.

As a person who has been hit by sh!t flying off a vehicle while riding a motorcycle, I would hardly call it a non-event if the loose truck retread hit someone or even suddenly came into the path of a motorcyclist, while travelling at highway speed.

To the truck, it is likely insignificant since there is a lot of wheel redundancy in the multiple wheels remaining on the road. However, depending on the loading on the truck (and consequently its tires), the exposed tire carcass could see extra heating load causing a blowout and total loss of support at that wheel. This could then lead to overload of the remaining tires causing tire temperatures to rise, thereby increasing the potential of further blowouts if the de-treaded tire is not replaced promptly.

How do you think this would effect a motorcycle at highway speeds?

Since motorcycles have only 2 shots at contact with the road, the loss of a motorcycle retread could be more catastrophic than for a truck - it certainly would be more significant. That said, I think that the risk of serious grief is similar to the catastrophic failure of a U-joint in the cardan shaft, say, while doing 75mph and pulling back in front of a loaded semi doing 70mph ...

Looking at this in a slightly different way, new motorcycle (and car) tires are made by heat fusing layers of rubber sheet onto a tire carcass, sort of like a retreading process. Tires are not somehow cast from a contiguous doughnut of rubber (or anything similar), but are built up in layers, which theoretically could separate given the right conditions.

Likewise, retreading relies on the reapplication of a layer of tread using adhesives and heat to fuse the new tread on the existing carcass. The weakness in all of this is in the soundness of this vulcanizing process, including the condition of the carcass and the interface between the two. I do not claim to have any knowledge of the standards controlling the retreading process - and I suspect there may be none (especially in countries such as in the video in the OP), or if any they are not strongly enforced sufficient to offset any lack of confidence in the marketplace.

Bottom line - if there were stringent standards applicable to retreads, and retreaded tires were such that there were no significant numbers of delamination occurrences, more people would buy them if that was the affordable option, and the risk of grief would revert to that of the cardan shaft mentioned above.

[Lee]

OK, I will bite, even though the question could be read as passive aggressive ... 

Losing a retread on a truck is pretty much a non event.

As a person who has been hit by sh!t flying off a vehicle while riding a motorcycle, I would hardly call it a non-event if the loose truck retread hit someone or even suddenly came into the path of a motorcyclist, while travelling at highway speed.

To the truck, it is likely insignificant since there is a lot of wheel redundancy in the multiple wheels remaining on the road. However, depending on the loading on the truck (and consequently its tires), the exposed tire carcass could see extra heating load causing a blowout and total loss of support at that wheel. This could then lead to overload of the remaining tires causing tire temperatures to rise, thereby increasing the potential of further blowouts if the de-treaded tire is not replaced promptly.

He meant for the truck.
On a rock truck there are usually 8 tires under the box. Northern states with stricter load limit have more. Around here some have cheater axles, so that's 4 more tires.
Semi trucks have 16 tires under the trailer.
I've seen rock trucks and semis going down the road with one box or trailer tire shredded without any problem.