Inspection and dry rot

I recently purchased a 600 Honda Shadow at a good sized dealer in
north Texas. The bike is a 99 with only 3000 miles (though I've put
120 on it since purchse). I called the dealership a week after I
purchased the bike and told my salesman that a friend and I noticed
dry rot on the front tire. He told me to bring the bike in. The
service manager did not offer to correct and said that this level of
dry rot was not a safety issue.

The dealership did place an inspection sticker on the bike on date of
purchase.

Should dry rot (on front and rear tire) prevent the bike from passing
inspection? I'm quite worried about the safety issue.

Thanks ahead of time,
Gary Garber

 

You can always threaten to go to the people that license the inspectors.
Likely the dealership would rather give you an $80 tire than have to explain
to the state why they passed a dry rotted tire on a bike they sold.
Rob

 

Just think of it this way - it's your tires starting to split apart.

Any cracking should prevent being passed for inspection. Tell the dealer to
either replace the tires or you'll turn them into the state for falsifying
an inspection.

 

You offer some suggestions without knowing the details of delivery of that
used motorcycle.. For example "As is".. "limited warranty" and other terms
of the purchase..How much of the price was negotiated ? How long was the
motorcycle in stock with the dealer ? The inspector of the motorcycle could
have merely missed some of the dry rot, due to the wheels positioning.. If
the buyer wants a new motorcycle, he should buy one and be sure the tires
are new.. Any time a used vehicle is purchased, the buyer should know that
he is buying just that.. a used vehicle.. There will surely be some
inherent changes to be made.. Wear and use of the vehicle doesn't warrant
the dealer changing tires or other accessories at his own expense.. I
recently replaced the front tire on my Vulcan within a month of inspection..
The tire had some dry rot.. I am not a dealers' advocate, but right is right
and wrong is wrong..

Bill Walker
Irving, Tx.

 

As a sidenote, I just returned tonight from Orlando (actually, Altamone

What? No Triumphs, Ducatis, Aprillias, or Cagivas?