TriGlide Front Tire

[tjmac49]

Read a suggestion on another forum about the front tire on the TriGlide. It was suggested that since the trikes are not leaned in turns, the need for a round profile tire is no more beneficial than using a car tire with it flat profile. Any thoughts on this?

[leo3wheel]

May be difficult to find a car tire that fits, and if you find one, car tire will put more rubber on the road, making steering harder. May also
impact riding comfort by making the front stiff. Found this to be true when we put a rear tire up front.

[tjmac49]

May be difficult to find a car tire that fits, and if you find one, car tire will put more rubber on the road, making steering harder.

Thanks, leo3wheel , I figured someone would dispel the myth. Makes sense. Thanks.

[IBTRIKED]

Read a suggestion on another forum about the front tire on the TriGlide. It was suggested that since the trikes are not leaned in turns, the need for a round profile tire is no more beneficial than using a car tire with it flat profile. Any thoughts on this?

Check out running as large as possible rear MC tire on the front, but it may need to be run backwards. Mich Tech posted paper supporting this with their MC tire "Pilot Active". Avon and Bridgestone also are good.

For tons of info read front tire threads. Good Luck, My front tire is half gone in 1000 miles. Lucky if you get
5000 on Fl pot hole roads,Ray

PS I will be Driving Tri Glide to New Orleans when it gets warm and spending a week at my wife's work playing while she works. On FB Trike talk page.

[Gorilla]

The real issue is finding one that would fit. Look at the Stallion. It runs a car tire on the front. I ride my wifes Stallion quite a bit and the steering is not any harder then my HD trike. No it does not have power steering. I have a rear tire mount on the front roatating backwards. Over 10k on it and it doesn't even look slightly worn yet. I'm waiting for someone to try maybe a side car tire on the front. For now a proven suggestion is the rear tire.

[leo3wheel]

Look at the Stallion. It runs a car tire on the front. I ride my wifes Stallion quite a bit and the steering is not any harder then my HD trike. No it does not have power steering.

........but the Stallion is a three wheel car with steering wheel.........

[Oldmsocko]

........but the Stallion is a three wheel car with steering wheel.........

Ditto what he said.

[Gorilla]

I would guess that you 2 have not looked under the hood of a Stallion or seen it without the bodywork. That steering wheel turns a pair of triple trees the same as our Harley but they are bigger. The steering principles are the same in the Stallion as any other trike. Just because its covered with body work and uses a steering wheel instead of a handlebar does not change that. The Stallion is as much a trike as a Boss Hog, Cheetah, VW or other custom. I will post some pictures of the Stallion without the bodywork on it and I think you will see that it is a trike with a steering wheel instead handle bars. You sit on the frame, right on top of the engine transmission. The front portion has triple tree front suspension attached to the frame. The rear portion is like anyother trike accept there is a radiator there. Check out my album in a couple of days for the pictures. Without the body it is a trike like anyother.

[Gorilla]

Pictures posted to Gorilla's album. Please note the Triple tree front suspension and the MotorTrike Ladder rear suspension. Take the bodywork off a GoldWing/MotorTrike and outside of the steering wheel and body work attachment points, they are very similiar.

[adaptolife]

A flat bottom tire on front? Why? More contact with the pavement equals more rolling resistance. Also, when you are turning, rake geometry of forks make the tire use the edges, not the center. Your trike uses more than just the tire center.

[tjmac49]

A flat bottom tire on front? Why? More contact with the pavement equals more rolling resistance. Also, when you are turning, rake geometry of forks make the tire use the edges, not the center. Your trike uses more than just the tire center.

Adaptolife, that is what leo3wheel was eluding to. I knew the engineers had reasons for designing the Tri-Glide as they did. Thanks!

[leo3wheel]

Pictures posted to Gorilla's album. Please note the Triple tree front suspension and the MotorTrike Ladder rear suspension. Take the bodywork off a GoldWing/MotorTrike and outside of the steering wheel and body work attachment points, they are very similiar.

Looked at the pictures. Like I said, 3 wheel car.

[Oldmsocko]

Looked at the pictures and saw the triple tree. Sill say it is a 3 wheeled car. Nothing wrong with that. I kind of like the way they look.

[patriot]

Check out running as large as possible rear MC tire on the front, but it may need to be run backwards. Mich Tech posted paper supporting this with their MC tire "Pilot Active". Avon and Bridgestone also are good.

For tons of info read front tire threads. Good Luck, My front tire is half gone in 1000 miles. Lucky if you get
5000 on Fl pot hole roads,Ray

PS I will be Driving Tri Glide to New Orleans when it gets warm and spending a week at my wife's work playing while she works. On FB Trike talk page.

The Pilot Active is a Michelin tire design as a back tire for go-fast bike. I don't remember the size. I ran it on my Goldwing, backwards. The dynamics during braking made it an excellent tire for the front. You may find many Goldwing Trikers running that tire.

[FLTR2008TRIKE]

A flat bottom tire on front? Why? More contact with the pavement equals more rolling resistance. Also, when you are turning, rake geometry of forks make the tire use the edges, not the center. Your trike uses more than just the tire center.

The engineer @ Harley only changed the rake and extended the front forks for easier steering. The same M/C tire on front of the Triglide is still the same tire profile for a 2 wheel M/C for handling. Two wheel motorcycles turn very little while riding through a turn, they lean.

Thinner tires will make for easier steering on a bike or trike, but a smaller contact patch with a narrow tire will give up traction and slide sooner then a tire with a larger contact patch when pushed into a turn. The trade off is to have a steering tire that isnt too wide with a flatter profile that has a little give in the sidewall to keep the tire contact patch on the surface.

As for my stock front tire using more then the center of the tire, I didnt see any side wear on 2 front M/C tires I wore out in 15k before going to a rear M/C tire mounted in reverse.

Currently I have 15k miles on my reverse mounted Dunlop MU85 on my trike and its showing less then half worn out. If I had a stock front tire I would be looking for a new front tire by now.

Also the new front tire only has 8/32" of tread compared to a rear that 11/32" of tread. Im convinced that running a rear tire in reverse rotation gives the best of both, a longer wearing tire and a bigger contact patch for traction.

[Lakeman]

All good information. I have been told to run 40 psi in the front tire as oppose to the 36 psi for the motorcycle. With the trike sitting and looking at the tire I don't see any difference in the looks of the tire contact patch. It does ride just on the middle of the tire, I think it will wear out quickly. Then you have traction to conceder and with 36 or 40 psi I don't see much of a contact patch and it would seam that in a hard high speed hard turn you could loose traction. I wish HD would have a tire made for the Tri. I think the rear MC tire may be our best bet. Why do you run it backwards and how do determine the largest size you can run? I have an 2005 Ultra Classic/Leaman conversion.

[FLTR2008TRIKE]

All good information. I have been told to run 40 psi in the front tire as oppose to the 36 psi for the motorcycle. With the trike sitting and looking at the tire I don't see any difference in the looks of the tire contact patch. It does ride just on the middle of the tire, I think it will wear out quickly. Then you have traction to conceder and with 36 or 40 psi I don't see much of a contact patch and it would seam that in a hard high speed hard turn you could loose traction. I wish HD would have a tire made for the Tri. I think the rear MC tire may be our best bet. Why do you run it backwards and how do determine the largest size you can run? I have an 2005 Ultra Classic/Leaman conversion.

As per this article explains why you would reverse the rotation of a rear tire mounted on the front >>> Tires Directional Arrows Explained By Avon Tyres at Cyril Huze Post

As far as size for a Triglide, I would suggest using a MT90B16 rear tire size. Reason being is Triglides have the front chrome bumper which I think is slightly narrower then the steel fender. The MU85 rear I think would be too wide and rub the inside of the bumper

Im using a MU85 rear tire on my Roadglide trike front. The Roadglide I have didnt have the chrome front bumper.

[patriot]

As per this article explains why you would reverse the rotation of a rear tire mounted on the front >>> Tires Directional Arrows Explained By Avon Tyres at Cyril Huze Post

As far as size for a Triglide, I would suggest using a MT90B16 rear tire size. Reason being is Triglides have the front chrome bumper which I think is slightly narrower then the steel fender. The MU85 rear I think would be too wide and rub the inside of the bumper

Im using a MU85 rear tire on my Roadglide trike front. The Roadglide I have didnt have the chrome front bumper.

Excellent explanation. Thanks for sharing that article.

[leo3wheel]

Recently changed the front tire on our RSV trike. OEM tire was a Bridgestone with load rating of 71. Replaced it with a Avon Venom rear tire with a load rating of 77. Dealer reverse mounted tire for me, and he talked about putting 42 psi in it. Haven't checked tire pressure yet, but bike front end is stiff. Believe 40 psi is right. May also have to soften my front shocks before I get whiplash.

[weldon216]

Read a suggestion on another forum about the front tire on the TriGlide. It was suggested that since the trikes are not leaned in turns, the need for a round profile tire is no more beneficial than using a car tire with it flat profile. Any thoughts on this?

H-D pretty well know what works. My 2010 tri-glide has 11,000 miles and the
front tire still looks great.