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How old are those Pirellis? The most recent Pirelli 165s I've seen were P3s, which I don't think have been made for quite a while. There should be a date code on the sidewall of each tire, consisting of three or four digits. The first two are the week (from 01 to 52) and the final one is the year (0 to 9) As this could lead to confusion about the decade, the year has been represented by two digits since the turn of the millennium (00 to 07 so far) If the tires are more than 10 years old, they are not to be trusted, even if they look OK. In my experience, Pirellis tend to become dull and oxidized looking more quickly than most other brands. They also seem to feel mushier than some others---for me, the definitive 165-15 is the Michelin XZX. They have excellent cornering ability, crisp steering feel, are good in the rain, and wear like iron. They are also among the roundest tires made, so they balance nicely with a minimal amount of weight, and run without vibration. The worst tires I have ever experienced were Firestone F-560s, 165-15, made in Brazil. They were incredibly out of round, and no mater what I tried, the vibration they set up was unbearable. The Pirellis, if they are recent enough to use, should have been fairly round when made, though, of course, they may be worn lumpy if they are used.
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