Front tire cupping on 1500 Motor Trike

[Wayne Harmsen]

I installed a new Activ rear tire in reverse on the front of our Motor Trike before leaving on vacation to Glacier National park and other great rides in Montana, Wyoming, and North and South Dakota from Michigan. We put on fifty five hundred miles in just over two weeks. My problem is the front tire is starting to cup but only on the right half of the tire. Is this normal?
I always maintain 40 to 41 psi in the front. The E-3 that I took off when I installed the Avtiv had around six thousand miles on it. It was worn down but not cupping.

Can I some how stop the cupping or is there nothing that can be done after it starts cupping.
THANK'S Wayne

[ThirdWheel]

Wayne: It sounds like the wheel may be slightly out of balance.

[Shmick]

I have 7000 mi. on E-3 front, '93 1500. Started to notice some cupping on right side only. Dealer said it's normal, that's when it starts to show, and could expect 10,000 mi. max. on this, their best selling longest wearing tire. Does your bike have a little pull one way or the other? Sorry I can offer no solutions, only what my dealer told me. If you find out any info to contrary, please keep us informed.

[BlueTrinity]

If the dealer told me that the tire cupping was "normal" I would likely consider looking for another dealer.

He's right on the money about the 10,000 miles. That is a pretty normal wear cycle regardless of make or model, but tire cupping and the vibrations that will come from it are not.

It is almost certainly a balance problem. If it hasn't started becoming an annoyance, you can probably get a good bit more mileage out of it if you get it balanced before it gets worse.

Tire pressure is personal preference, but I would also consider lowering it. Softening the ride may give you less feeling from the cupping that already exists.

Good luck!

[dwiht]

I'm clueless, but on my Harley which was triked brand new, I have just over 20,000 miles on my front tire. I am sure it will make 21,000 at which I will replace it. I have been searching for a replacement tire that would give even more mileage. It has the factory Dunlop D402 tires and I run my air pressure at 29 pounds. The tire has no cupping and just the middle inch to inch and half are worn. I ride pretty hard so maybe I shouldn't be looking for a better tire and be happy with what I have? I wanted the Michelin Activ but it isn't made in a size that fits my trike. Good luck everyone.

[John Luciano]

I GOT 8,000 on mine now still looks very good. ( like a new OEM would look brand new )

[Randylic]

Hi;
I had 18,000 on my Motor Trike bike tire, when it started to cup. My trike shop dealer tells me, with the crown in the road the trikes are set up to push a little to the right. That would explain the wear only on the right side of the tire. As far as the distance you can get on the tire after the cupping begins, about 1 to 2 thousand miles. You will need to check it often, it will wear quickly. When you replace the tire it is important to make sure the balance is right on or it will cup even earlier.

[John Luciano]

22,000 is not bad on a front tire , compared to 7,000 on the OEM Elite.

[ncbiged]

My wife & I both run that tire at 32-34 PSI and have had no problems on our Lehman trikes. To much air and the ride gets stiff and the contact patch goes down. Feels like the front is skimming along the surface. And recheck front wheel balance.

[Jimsjinx]

Ya know, I just went through this this past Sunday. I noticed cupping on the right side of the front E-3 on the Motortrike.It has always vibrated and pulled to the right(alot), and that was with a brand new E-3. I have been struggling with alignment woes since the first day I got it. Well, I decided to check the steering head bearings, and the adjusting nut was less than finger tight. I cleaned and repacked the bearings, and torqued the steering head adjusting nut to 29 ft. pounds, and this trike has NEVER been as smooth at speed as it is now. I still have some issues going on with the terrible suspension installation someone did with this trike, but I have about 90% of the problems resolved. There are alot of hiem joints in those ladder bar suspensions, and with every one of mine, they were incorrect. It's a fantastic trike, but if the installer or DIY person is a mechanical idiot,and can't follow written instructions, you're in for hours of corrective work!:eek: jimsjinx

[Jimsjinx]

Update on the alignment problems. Well, I finally got the ladderbars adjusted where the trike now leans to the left to allow for the crown of the road. It sits straight when your going down the highway. At first, the diagonal bar was interfering with the rear U-joint.:eek: I turned the lower Hiems joints on the ladder bars out a couple of turns, and the diagonal bar was VERY close to hitting the U-joint, but clear. I opted to install a 1/4" spacer under the left end of the diagonal bar, and that gave me plenty of space for clearance. It seems to handle better, I don't have to run one tire softer than the other to get it to travel down the road level, it still pulls ever so slightly to the right, which is normal, I've been told. I ran it over terrible roads to see if it would bind or interfere with the U-joints, and it did great. Hope that has fixed this suspension nightmare. I have been diggin' at it for 2 years!!! We'll see. jimsjinx

[Gorilla]

good luck I hope you got it.

[JJTRIKER]

Wayne it is a balance problem more than likely try dyna beads they balance your tire each time you ride no more wieghts on the outside
Easily balance your tires yourself.
Glass smooth ride, every time, all the time.
Dramatically longer tire life.
No rebalancing.
No spoke or rim weights.
Eliminates tire cupping.
Contains: (1) 1 oz. bag, (1) 2 oz. bag and Applicator w/ spout.
http://www.jakewilson.com/productDet...FamilyId=23687

[Jimsjinx]

Man, Joe! That's one badass lookin' trike! jimsjinx

[jim peacock]

We have a 96se with a 06 lehman kit with a four and a half degree rake kit.My installer installed a brigestone front tire I run 38 lbs. of air in it.It now has ten thousand miles on it with no signs of cupping are wear.At the rate it is going looks like it could go well over twenty thousand miles.In the back tires I run 22 in the right and 20 in the rear.

[JJTRIKER]

thank you jim