bike was bought new 3 years ago. it was operated for the 8 months then sat for 12 months. the operated for another 6 months then sat for another 7. i‘ve had it now for a couple of months and i want to know if i should get new tires. they are not cracking or flaking and they don‘t chip away when i dig my finger nails into them. what do you think?
Without tire rot or chafing go back to the tread depth. The US Minimum is 2/32 Place a penny upside down in thread if it touches Abe's hairline you are OK. BUT trust in tires is the best feeling around bikes, if you're worried get new tires.
the major issue for motorcycle tires is usually tread wear. second to that comes dry rotting from them sitting for a long period of time. The average life span in terms of miles is about 10,000 depending on how you ride. But the actual time for your tires to go bad can vary considerably with where you live and where the bike is stored. Also the older a tire is the less effective it will be when breaking. My advice would be to check the tread depth of the tire if its past 50% and the tire is three years old. Replace it. Hope that helps!