Motorcycle Repair: tire sizes, dunlop d404, silica powder

Question
I had a typo on the last question, I have a 1982 KZ1100 spectre. I thought the tires would work and thanks for confirming this. What would be the maximum age that a tire could have on it and still be safe to operate? Mine are Dunlop D404 and were made in the 21st week  of 2007 but are not cracking and have @1000 miles on them.

Answer
Greg, This could be tricky.Some tires will get hard and not very tacky to hold the road depending how they are stored. On a new tire there is kind of a silica powder on them that helps them not stick to each other and scrubs off after the first thirty miles or so. Some of the new tires boast dual compounds,like a harder center for milage and soft sides for cornering. Look the tire over very closely, it may work for you but remember that the contact patch of rubber from the tire on the road is really the only thing keeping you from getting deposited in a ditch somewhere. For short drives and medium rides it will probably work fine. I dont recommend a used tire for touring,its best to start out with a new one.