Topic: Can you date these?

[Freebirdbeachbum]

Are they the original or just really old?

[jlh3rd]

I'd say they're old. The rust residue is typical of tires mounted decades ago. The size designation is old school. Usually tires have a manufacture date/code. You asked original but for what bike? 70's hondas normally left the factory with bridgestone mainly, but Dunlops coulda been used. I don't think continental was original equipment, but any tire could be switched to any manufacturer later on.
Whatever bike you're talking about usually has a sticker on it that names the tire the bike came with, as did the manual.

[Bodi]

The date code format changed in 2000 to a revised standard: 4 digits showing the week and the last two digits of the year of manufacture (starting at 00 for 2000). A tire made today in week 08 of 2021 would have the code 0821.
Your tire has the old pre 2000 format DOT code and reads "316" - the tire was made in week 31 (late July)... however the year is uncertain but ends in 6: 1996, 1986, 1976. It's odd that the year number is in the main mold and only the week is easily changeable but that's how I would read this. Do not use for riding, it's way too old. For a display bike OK but as far as I know the bike came with Bridgestone tires from the factory, not Continental, so it isn't original.

[Freebirdbeachbum]

For a display bike OK but as far as I know the bike came with Bridgestone tires from the factory, not Continental, so it isn't original.

Note the tube is a Bridgestone made in Japan.

[jlh3rd]

For a display bike OK but as far as I know the bike came with Bridgestone tires from the factory, not Continental, so it isn't original.

Note the tube is a Bridgestone made in Japan.

yes...what is your question?

[Freebirdbeachbum]

For a display bike OK but as far as I know the bike came with Bridgestone tires from the factory, not Continental, so it isn't original.

Note the tube is a Bridgestone made in Japan.

yes...what is your question?

Well...if it's accurate that most came with Bridgestone tires and the tube is a made in Japan Bridgestone tube, then one could deduce that the tube could be the original tube. Then, if the tube is original, the tire may be as well because most owners would replace the tube when replacing the tire and the tire, based on it's condition, design and markings appears to be vintage. It's not a Bridgestone, but perhaps they ran out of Bridgestones and used the German-made Continentals for a period. It's not unheard of for a manufacturer to make such changes based on supplies available at the time, especially back then when the supply chain was not as tight as it is today.

[Alan F.]

Some have confessed on web forums to reuse tubes. (I wouldn't)

It's possible that when the bike was young the tires were swapped out and sold off as gently used.

Without a documentation trail anything is possible.

[newday777]

For a display bike OK but as far as I know the bike came with Bridgestone tires from the factory, not Continental, so it isn't original.

Note the tube is a Bridgestone made in Japan.

yes...what is your question?

Well...if it's accurate that most came with Bridgestone tires and the tube is a made in Japan Bridgestone tube, then one could deduce that the tube could be the original tube. Then, if the tube is original, the tire may be as well because most owners would replace the tube when replacing the tire and the tire, based on it's condition, design and markings appears to be vintage. It's not a Bridgestone, but perhaps they ran out of Bridgestones and used the German-made Continentals for a period. It's not unheard of for a manufacturer to make such changes based on supplies available at the time, especially back then when the supply chain was not as tight as it is today.

Your deductive reasoning is very flawed. Honda factory never put on Conti tires on any of the bikes in the 70s.
More likely the installing dealer probably put the stone tubes in the Conti tires because of on hand stock of stone tubes and a request by the customer for better traction and handling of the Conti tires.

I was a parts manager and switched out to Conti tires on my bikes and stocked Conti tires as well as Bstones and dunlops....

[754]

 What is the mileage on the bike ?
 I mean if it's  like 18, 000 miles.. it would not have original tires .
 Are you just  wanting to say this bike still had its original tires ?

[Freebirdbeachbum]

For a display bike OK but as far as I know the bike came with Bridgestone tires from the factory, not Continental, so it isn't original.

Note the tube is a Bridgestone made in Japan.

yes...what is your question?

Well...if it's accurate that most came with Bridgestone tires and the tube is a made in Japan Bridgestone tube, then one could deduce that the tube could be the original tube. Then, if the tube is original, the tire may be as well because most owners would replace the tube when replacing the tire and the tire, based on it's condition, design and markings appears to be vintage. It's not a Bridgestone, but perhaps they ran out of Bridgestones and used the German-made Continentals for a period. It's not unheard of for a manufacturer to make such changes based on supplies available at the time, especially back then when the supply chain was not as tight as it is today.

Your deductive reasoning is very flawed. Honda factory never put on Conti tires on any of the bikes in the 70s.
More likely the installing dealer probably put the stone tubes in the Conti tires because of on hand stock of stone tubes and a request by the customer for better traction and handling of the Conti tires.

I was a parts manager and switched out to Conti tires on my bikes and stocked Conti tires as well as Bstones and dunlops....

OK parts manager. Based on your expertise and inspection of the pictures, neither tube nor tire could possibly be original so they must have been installed by the dealer subsequently at the customer's request for better traction and handling (because you assume the customer was such a precise rider that he wasnt satisfied with the Bridgestones...seems like a stretch assumption). Now having got this better traction and handling tire, he went on to hardly use it based on the treadwear.

Now circling back to my original question, when would you then date these items?

[Freebirdbeachbum]

What is the mileage on the bike ?
 I mean if it's  like 18, 000 miles.. it would not have original tires .
 Are you just  wanting to say this bike still had its original tires ?

If you refer to my original post, I'm simply asking how old this tube and tire are. I have no agenda, just curious as it helps me in understanding the history of this particular bike as I have little to go on.

[david 750f]

Re-read Bodi’s post on how to date tires. That tire can only be from 1976, 1986 or 1996 (I think the 90’s tires have an additional triangle marking).. back in the day I swapped out tires even if the bike was new. The OEM tires were not known for their stickiness.

[newday777]

Re-read Bodi’s post on how to date tires. That tire can only be from 1976, 1986 or 1996 (I think the 90’s tires have an additional triangle marking).. back in the day I swapped out tires even if the bike was new. The OEM tires were not known for their stickiness.

Correct. You may never know what actual year it was. It could be 1976,1986 or 1996.
The 31 is the week of the year.

[Terry in Australia]

Your deductive reasoning is very flawed. Honda factory never put on Conti tires on any of the bikes in the 70s.
More likely the installing dealer probably put the stone tubes in the Conti tires because of on hand stock of stone tubes and a request by the customer for better traction and handling of the Conti tires.

I was a parts manager and switched out to Conti tires on my bikes and stocked Conti tires as well as Bstones and dunlops....

Agreed. Honda never installed Conti's as standard, as they were contracted to Bridgestone. All that's has happened here is the owner has had a new Conti (much better tyre) installed after wearing out the original POS Bridgestone, and the installer has re-used the original Bridgestone tube. Not rocket science.

[Freebirdbeachbum]

Agreed. Honda never installed Conti's as standard, as they were contracted to Bridgestone. All that's has happened here is the owner has had a new Conti (much better tyre) installed after wearing out the original POS Bridgestone, and the installer has re-used the original Bridgestone tube. Not rocket science.

Thanks all. I’d say I’ve likely got a 50 year old tube in a 45 year old tire.