I went to the Dark Side less than halfway through my extended warranty. BTW, that expires in 4 days! (total waste of money if you ask me) I can't see how running Dark would have anything to do with any of the other components. Probably just another reason for them to stick their hands in your pockets. (more money for them)

 

[QUOTE=HummingBird Nut;16799230]I have been eyeing your tire vs running a similar tire the opposite way and honestly, it appears running the tire with the correct rotation makes sense. Rain dispersal along with mud and other debris through the rain sipes seem to be gathered when it's run in reverse to match the OEM tire. Running the tire without changing the direction as you have pushes the rain and other debris away plus offers better control. So it makes sense to me to run the rear tire without reversing it. It would also mean less mud and gunk caking directly in back of the tire on the bikes frame and oil cooler if equipped and the voltage regulator/rectifier. I live on a dirt & gravel road out in the sticks so when the road is wet, I have a ton of crap I need to wash off.

My next tire I had already planned on having it wider and taller, but I also think I will run mine the way you have and see how it works out. If nothing else I can always change it back.

A side by side comparison or your tire vs someone elses (not mine):
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Your opinion and thoughts match mine exactly, here is a pic of the same tire mounted reversed direction and as the tire rotates forward it will push the forward puddle to the middle of the tire where the tread dead ends and traps it.

 

I have been quizzing people on this forum for quite a while and haven't heard of anyone having the same problem I did running a BattleAxe in the correct orientation.

I had several that had to be changed out with good tread on them because of the rubber cracking. Since I've started mounting them in the reverse direction, I haven't had another issue with them.

One other warning, keep a close eye on your tire pressure. The BattleAxes profiles start to look like a stop sign if you run them on low pressure.

 

That is some seriously interesting information. I wonder if that would apply to other rear MC tires as well. Seeing the evidence with your pictures speaks volumes.

I tend to do pre flight inspections before a ride to make sure things are sitting right meaning correct air pressure, belt tension, brake pad wear and whatever else. Especially if the bike felt different during the previous ride. I have a digital air pressure gauge I had picked up on Amazon for checking air. (Accutire-MS-4021B) It works great for quick checks.

I think what I'll do in the near future is to pick up another MC rear to have on hand as a just in case. The current one I'm running is the BattleAxe in reverse so I'm thinking once I get the other tire, I haven't decided on brand or size yet, I'll do the reversal with the BattleAxe to the correct direction and put it through the paces to see if I can replicate what happened to your tires. And supply pictures if the same things happen. My riding style varies. Sometimes I ride like a demon straight out of hell, and other times I ride like a 100 year old lady.

 

I've had great luck with the Battle Axes as a whole. I bet I've had at least a dozen of them all together. My 2013 has had one up front since before it rolled over 10,000 miles until my last tire change when I put a Michelin Commander on it. I'm coming up on 133,000 miles now so for at least 120,000 miles the BA was rolling on the front and I had a couple on the bike before this one.

They are a dual compound tire, so they work best running down the superslab. Here in the Ozarks, the twisties eat the softer sidewall rubber up pretty quickly. They're still a good tire though and you can't beat the price. I usually get them for a couple of bucks over $100.