I dont know much about Reeds and life expectancy. Is all i know is that i have been getting a really high attrition rate.

My current set have been on for 110 miles and coming to reassemble the engine tonight after winter storage i noticed a few of the pettels are not sitting flat on the cage.

The main offender always seems to be Bottom cylinder and of the bank of three either side, both middle ones now have a gap of about 0.25mm, of which the left hand bank has previously broken the middle reed twice before and currently has 'less strenght' than the right hand middle which also has a gap, infact all three LHS are weak and of the RHS bank, just the middle.

On the Top cylinder, once again the LHS bank of three has the middle not touching but the two either side ok and the RHS bank of 3, all are ok?

So what gives?

I am definately going to replace them as i have had two retirements from track days in the morning sessions for this problem and for the sake of a set of reeds its not worth not replacing them now.... but i really dont understand why they are failing so quickly?