Front Tire Mounted Wrong Direction
Novice
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Port Coquitlam, BC
As for tire treads being directional to disperse water. In 2009 when Harley changed tread patterns of the stock dunlops, the front tires were wearing poorly and they would replace the fronts with new tires. The new tires were the same as the old tires but the pattern was reversed. True story.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,948
Likes: 54
From: The Burgh
Yup, my 2009 FLHRC was delivered with the Dunlop 407 on the front. This model had a bad cupping/scalloping issue. The MoCo released a service bulletin (google: M-1258A) that acknowledged the issue. They replaced the 407 with the 408. Same tire, except the tread goes in the opposite direction.
Did this stop the cupping? I'm not so sure. I have 7K miles on the 408 and I start to experience the same wobble I had with the 407 if I take my hands off the handlebar.
I find it difficult to believe that turning it around will give any problems. Sounds more like internet folklore than science! Phone or email the manufacturer of that tyre and get it from the horses mouth. That way you will get a definitive answer. And let us all know what they say!
That sounds like a sensible approach to me .
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,032
Likes: 9
From: Queen Creek, AZ
Well, as of this morning, it appears that the guy that did the installs is going to take care of things. He says he's going to send me a new tire and $100 check to cover the cost of going somewhere to get it mounted. I can't complain about that and will be happy once it's all completed.
J&P has been silent on the issue. Not a peep from the "upper management" that were going to be getting my information. I assume their stance on the whole thing is going to remain that "it wasn't us that mounted the tire"....and as I said, while that may in fact be true, the setup they had there in Sturgis sure did imply that it was all one big J&P area. Little deceiving if you ask me.
So..bottom line...I'm going to be happy in a couple of days...and according the the manufacturer, there are problems created by mounting a tire opposite of the arrows, however it takes "a couple thousand miles" to manifest itself, so the 900 or so I put on would have been ok....although i wasn't comfortable with that and got a new tire.
J&P has been silent on the issue. Not a peep from the "upper management" that were going to be getting my information. I assume their stance on the whole thing is going to remain that "it wasn't us that mounted the tire"....and as I said, while that may in fact be true, the setup they had there in Sturgis sure did imply that it was all one big J&P area. Little deceiving if you ask me.
So..bottom line...I'm going to be happy in a couple of days...and according the the manufacturer, there are problems created by mounting a tire opposite of the arrows, however it takes "a couple thousand miles" to manifest itself, so the 900 or so I put on would have been ok....although i wasn't comfortable with that and got a new tire.
reverse tread
Glad to hear. Personally i would just have the tire remounted and run it out and if it starts giving you trouble change it out and if it rides out you have a new tire in the wings for the next change. just my opinion and we all know about that one, they all stink. 
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,417
Likes: 12
From: North Texas
Not sure if motorcycle tires are the same as car radials but the belts on a car radial get "set" in one direction after just a few miles. Turning them around will start pushing the belts the other direction and cause them to break which causes the tire to come apart. Just my .02
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 4,264
Likes: 690
From: WESTERN CHICAGO AREA
I haven't read all 5 pages so I don't know if this was mentioned or not. On the TrikeTalk forum all everyone talks about is putting a rear tire on the front in the reverse direction. Don't know if a trike front wheel is that much different from an Ultra Classic front wheel - other then leaning a bit. So if all these folks are not having a problem why would there be a problem in this case? Just wondering.
I always thought you had to mount the tires in the direction of the arrow until I got on that trike forum. I'm confused.
I always thought you had to mount the tires in the direction of the arrow until I got on that trike forum. I'm confused.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 12,653
Likes: 18
From: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Yup, my 2009 FLHRC was delivered with the Dunlop 407 on the front. This model had a bad cupping/scalloping issue. The MoCo released a service bulletin (google: M-1258A) that acknowledged the issue. They replaced the 407 with the 408. Same tire, except the tread goes in the opposite direction.
There must be some science involved in this issue. My Commander IIs, which are a relatively new tire, also comes with the tread reversed on the front, from what you'd normally expect. By appearances alone, one would think the tread pattern would force the water to the center of the tread. Just like the newer Dunlops.