Front tire wear

[John Luciano]

that is exactly what it is a theory

[Jenkinsrawhide]

All i know is when I had my trike conversion put on, the dealer phoned me telling me I needed a new tire on the front (after the OEM Dunlop only had 7800 miles on it but looked good to me) I gave the go ahead and they installed a Michelin Pro Activ on the front with the tread reversed. Now I did not suggest this, but left it up to the dealer and that is what they done. After reading countless blogs reversing the front tire is supposed to diverse water away from the rider. Beats me, but I have no complaints but I have since removed all my wheel weights and installed Dyna beads.

[John Luciano]

Was that a pilot activ or a pro activ? i am not familiar with the pro.

[grumpy]

Hi All
New to this forum. Fairly new to trikes. The discussion I have read (from Dunlop Tire engineer?) on the reverse mounting of the REAR tire on the FRONT has to do with the design structure of each. A rear tire has its "tread belt" joined such that the rotational force (accelleration) pushes the joint together. The front tire has it's joint such that braking pushes it together. "I make no warranties, express or implied as to the accuracy/truth of the foregoing." (smiley face goes here) I am currently running a Battlax 021 radial reverse mounted on my trike. 11,000 miles and counting. I will go to a bias rear reverse mounted when I replace it.

[Nana]

Hey grumpy.......Welcome to TrikeTalk! We'll just see who's grumpier, you or Thirdwheel!!!

[ThirdWheel]

Welcome Grumpy! I'm not really grumpy, Nana is just saying that because I've been bummed out as of late..I had a very successful eye surgery recently which restored me from near total blindness to perfect 20/20 vision..but then I find that I had married a really ugly woman...

[Gorilla]

Hi All
New to this forum. Fairly new to trikes. The discussion I have read (from Dunlop Tire engineer?) on the reverse mounting of the REAR tire on the FRONT has to do with the design structure of each. A rear tire has its "tread belt" joined such that the rotational force (accelleration) pushes the joint together. The front tire has it's joint such that braking pushes it together. "I make no warranties, express or implied as to the accuracy/truth of the foregoing." (smiley face goes here) I am currently running a Battlax 021 radial reverse mounted on my trike. 11,000 miles and counting. I will go to a bias rear reverse mounted when I replace it.

welcome aboard grumpy. glad you found us.

[Blondie Gal]

All i know is when I had my trike conversion put on, the dealer phoned me telling me I needed a new tire on the front (after the OEM Dunlop only had 7800 miles on it but looked good to me) I gave the go ahead and they installed a Michelin Pro Activ on the front with the tread reversed. Now I did not suggest this, but left it up to the dealer and that is what they done. After reading countless blogs reversing the front tire is supposed to diverse water away from the rider. Beats me, but I have no complaints but I have since removed all my wheel weights and installed Dyna beads.

ScalpHunter put a Pilot Active (reverse mounted) on the trike just before we went to TTIII, and with that trip, the mileage in between, and our most recent trip, we have about 8500 miles on it and it still looks new!

[TRIKERIDER]

I notice that the front tire on my GW MT has almost no grooves in the center of the tire (in the contact patch area). Since I am pretty new to trikes, I don't know if this is common, or if my front tire is in need of replacement. Can any of you seasoned vets lend me a bit of insight?

Front tires on a Trike:

The BT -45 is a good one mounted in proper rotation or backwards.
The MP-Activ is a good one mounted in proper rotation or backwards.
The OEM Goldwing is a good one and will last just as well as the two above.

Running those first two tires in reverse is NOT a good idea and does nothing to prolong their tread life...........

The key to tire life and wear is simple. First no matter which Trike you have get the head bearings properly torqued. The front forks also have to be in good shape because just like on a car or truck if the shocks are bad they ruin tires quick. The Trike itself has to be installed and aligned properly. The most important factor is balancing. You need it balanced by someone who knows what they're doing. Dyna-Beads and those other add on balancer things are a waste of time and money. Then keep your pressure set at 41 lbs. After that ride and enjoy and when the darn thing wears out buy a new one.........simple as that.

[Tango]

"Tires Directional Arrows Explained By Avon Tyres
Published by Cyril Huze August 23rd, 2009 in Builders, Editorial and Wheels.

avontyresBefore we can talk about directional arrows you must first understand a bit about tread patterns. There are many different tread patterns but there is one main reason to have any tread and that is to disperse water. (dust, dirt)

A tread pattern can be designed to disperse more water by making it rotate in only one direction. Thus, the need for directional arrows. The arrow tells you which way to mount a tire for maximum water dispersal. Another, less apparent reason for directional arrows is the tread splice.

What is a tread splice? When a tire is manufactured the tread portion of the tire starts out as a long flat strip. This strip is wrapped around the tire and the two ends are cut on an angle so one end overlaps the other rather than having square cut ends.

This overlapping point or splice offers a bigger surface area to bond together, rather than the small surface area provided by square cut ends. (Imagine gluing your fingertips together, as opposed to gluing along the entire length of your fingers laid on top of each other. Like an angled splice, the overlapping fingers result in a much stronger bond).

To further ensure the strength of this bond along the tread splice the directional arrow will show you which way to mount the tire so that when the rider is “on the gas”; the acceleration force on the rear tire is pressing the splice together, rather than peeling it back.

As for braking, 80 % of the braking should take place in the front on most bikes. Therefore, the front tread splice is run in the opposite direction than that of the rear, so when the rider is on the brakes, he’s not peeling the tread splice back.
If you are using a tire that has a directional arrow for rear rotation only and for some reason you want to put it on the front, make sure it is rotating in the opposite direction so you don’t aggravate the tread splice. "

[hitime]

A quick update: I did get a Michelin Pilot Activ tire (found it online for under a hundred bucks) and had it mounted in reverse rotation. I makes a world of difference from the &quot;slick as dog snot&quot; stock tire that was on it. It now attacks the turns instead of protesting every movement. It handles like a dream now, and ran through the dragon like a hot knife through butter. <br />
<br />
Thanks for all the suggestions and rationales. I think I have found a winner, and as long as it wears well, I will stick with it as long as I can get my hands on these tires.

[John Luciano]

Another Happy Camper Errr TRIKER... we are convincing them one by one . Lets keep tabs on tire wear .. I am at 18,000 ( looks now like a brand new OEM Brigstone I am guessing another 7 or 8,000

[Rowdy]

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<img src="images/misc/quote_icon.png" alt="Quote" /> Originally Posted by <strong>TRIKERIDER</strong>
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<div class="message">Front tires on a Trike:<br />
<br />
The BT -45 is a good one mounted in proper rotation or backwards.<br />
The MP-Activ is a good one mounted in proper rotation or backwards.<br />
The OEM Goldwing is a good one and will last just as well as the two above.<br />
<br />
Running those first two tires in reverse is NOT a good idea and does nothing to prolong their tread life...........<br />
<br />
The key to tire life and wear is simple. First no matter which Trike you have get the head bearings properly torqued. The front forks also have to be in good shape because just like on a car or truck if the shocks are bad they ruin tires quick. The Trike itself has to be installed and aligned properly. The most important factor is balancing. You need it balanced by someone who knows what they're doing. Dyna-Beads and those other add on balancer things are a waste of time and money. Then keep your pressure set at 41 lbs. After that ride and enjoy and when the darn thing wears out buy a new one.........simple as that.</div>

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</div><b><i><font color="Blue">The statement about the goldwing tire being as good as the other two is definitely not true.</font></i></b>

[trikes4ever]

Ever consider a car tire? Lots of guys running them on the back of 2 wheelers. Some running on front too - I would think it would be OK on a trike. Do a search for darkside front tire if you're interested. Guys are getting 20k plus miles on a car tire on the rear vs 5000 with a motorcycle tire.