Front tire on backwards

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Jun 13, 2024 | 06:51 AM

Rounders

Thread Starter

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Mar 2021

Posts: 18,247

Likes: 3,679

From: backwoods

Front tire on backwards

Noticed my front tire was on backwards for over 20k miles.

I put it on bike based on valve stem side. Dealer put the tire on the wheel wrong .

At this point not sure if I'll flip it or just replace it. Doubled in price in 20 years.

Jun 13, 2024 | 07:26 AM

eighteight

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Oct 2019

Posts: 10,795

Likes: 7,420

From: OH

No fault to the dealer on this one.

Jun 13, 2024 | 07:45 AM

bustert

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Aug 2008

Posts: 5,064

Likes: 1,003

the directional tire is for the sipes to work correctly running though water and since you got 20k on it (wish i could get above 5k) you apparently are a fair weather warrior so no worries!

Jun 13, 2024 | 07:48 AM

jp0469

Tourer

Joined: Apr 2018

Posts: 297

Likes: 180

From: SE Mass

I would just flip it as long as there's no obvious strange wear or cupping going on. The primary issue with incorrect rotation is that the tire won't clear water properly on wet roads. However, at 20K miles, how much life does the tire even have left?

Jun 13, 2024 | 10:33 AM

08xl1200r

Road Master

Joined: Feb 2018

Posts: 909

Likes: 646

From: west coast

Rotation direction also often has to do with the overlapping splice in the tires body, so for example universal tires often are marked for opposite rotation directions for front and rear as the forces are different.

https://wilkinsharley.com/news-artic...lop-tire-codes

Jun 13, 2024 | 11:05 AM

Rounders

Thread Starter

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Mar 2021

Posts: 18,247

Likes: 3,679

From: backwoods

Quote:

Originally Posted by eighteight

No fault to the dealer on this one.

I put it on bike wrong,but they mounted tire wrong.

Jun 13, 2024 | 11:24 AM

CoolBreeze3646

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Aug 2006

Posts: 24,492

Likes: 30,781

From: Pennsylvania

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rounders

Noticed my front tire was on backwards for over 20k miles.
I put it on bike based on valve stem side. Dealer put the tire on the wheel wrong .
At this point not sure if I'll flip it or just replace it. Doubled in price in 20 years.

Right or wrong, what your telling us is that you have been going backwards for 20K miles.

Who would have thought?

Aa skilled mechanic like you would not have noticed a backwards tire installed incorrectly on the motorcycle. Does the bike have dual disks? Single disk with the caliper on the other side would have been a clue.