Deja Vu, think I may have done this before. But, Yes, Yes I understand I'm sh*t stirring here. I was moving stuff around in my shed and came upon a three spoke wheel that I hadn't looked at in years. I don't care for the three spoke wheels which is one reason I hadn't bothered with it. But Looking it over I noticed that the rubber tire had nibblets ( the rubber nits that are part of the manufacturing process and wear off after a couple of uses) like it had never been used. Further it is a Metzler LaserTec 100/90 V16 front wheel and the date of manufacture is 0118. Ahh ouch! Six years old if I read that right. Just a tad old. I am so tempted. Orange's tires are 15 years old. And here is a photo of the tire with nibblets. Tempted I am to use it. What do you think?

Yes, you can use it. 
There's no age limit for tyres, it's an old rumor but with no realistic basis.
Time does affect the tyre performance, yes. But how much, how quick? Nobody can tell, not even manufacturers.
The chemical composition of the compound evolves with time, depending essentially of its exposure to light and ozone; the importance of this ageing varies a lot from a tyre to another, depending of the storage conditions.
It may create a thin layer of hardened compound at the surface of the tyre. A few prudent miles should get rid of it.
If the coumpoud remains soft, if no crack can be seen at the surface, then use it. 
I'll use with no hesitation a 6 years old tyre; I often do.
I'll be more attentive to the 15 years old tyre but would not reject it before a road test.
Note that I remember I once had a customer who brought me a '79 r45 with its genuine Metzeler tyres. It was in 2016. The bike had only 7000 kms, the tyres was never changed. He wanted new ones, but I reused the rear tyre on my airhead...it was OK on dry roads. Did not tried on wet tarmac.

They'll also probably survive longer if they're kept in the dark and either under- or non- inflated. I remember that Haynes' suggestions for long-term storage recommended that (amongst other things) you jacked the wheels off the floor and deflated the tyres.

Ah, yes, sometimes we feel olde and tired. It makes us miss things, we're not as sharp as we used to be, a bit dull handling like hard rubber on a cold road. I'm not sure which Beemer, new or old, can use a narrow 16" tyre, even an R18.

As for age, I just peeled a set of Metzeler M1 tyres off a customer's super clean, sub-7,000 original mile K1200R. They were as hard as the chopping block I use out back for splitting firewood. Their date marking was 2006. Every tyre manufacturer I've ever sold rubber for over the years - Avon, Bridgestone, Conti, Dunlop, Metzeler, Michelin, Shinko & etc. - have suggested a new sell-by freshness date of five years. Around here, no shop will touch a ten year old or older tyre except to remove it. 

Last June I had a catastrophic delamination of the tread on a Conti Road Attack 2 Evo GT front tyre. It was dated 2115, so less than ten years. I felt the shake and the thump as it happened while riding with a pillion and managed to pull to the roadside safely. In the end I was able to source a replacement within two hours, tho' we were remote from towns. 

You makes your choices and takes your chances.

Those Metzeler M1 on the K1200R handled like plastic kiddy cart tyres skittering across kitchen linoleum.

Two Wheels Better wrote:Last June I had a catastrophic delamination of the tread on a Conti Road Attack 2 Evo GT front tyre. It was dated 2115, so less than ten years.

No wonder it was bloody hard. It's had to come back in time over a hundred years!!!!

Dai wrote:

Two Wheels Better wrote:Last June I had a catastrophic delamination of the tread on a Conti Road Attack 2 Evo GT front tyre. It was dated 2115, so less than ten years.

No wonder it was bloody hard. It's had to come back in time over a hundred years!!!!

Wowee.  K bikes really are time machines*.  







*  But, I already knew that.

TacKler wrote:

Dai wrote:

Two Wheels Better wrote:Last June I had a catastrophic delamination of the tread on a Conti Road Attack 2 Evo GT front tyre. It was dated 2115, so less than ten years.

No wonder it was bloody hard. It's had to come back in time over a hundred years!!!!

Wowee.  K bikes really are time machines*.  







*  But, I already knew that.

Silly bugger, that means it was built during the 21st week of 2015. Sheesh.

Two Wheels Better wrote:

TacKler wrote:

Dai wrote:
No wonder it was bloody hard. It's had to come back in time over a hundred years!!!!

Wowee.  K bikes really are time machines*.  







*  But, I already knew that.

Silly bugger, that means it was built during the 21st week of 2015. Sheesh.

Party Pooper....

TacKler wrote:

Two Wheels Better wrote:

TacKler wrote:

Wowee.  K bikes really are time machines*.  







*  But, I already knew that.

Silly bugger, that means it was built during the 21st week of 2015. Sheesh.

Party Pooper....

There's no reason to confuse the newcomers, or the oldies, either.
 

Yeah, party pooper. I was having fun with that