Put a rear tire on the front???
- Thread starter skizman
- Start date
Some models of motorcycle tyre are designed to be either front or rear with opposite rotation but that does not mean it is safe to put a rear tyre on the front with opposite rotation it would fail inspection in this country unless marked for front wheel rotation
Brian
Brian
CHZWIZ
Active Member
That makes complete sense. The OP never gave an explanation of why he wants to do this. He is most likely talking about the Avon Venom and if so there is a load rating difference with a higher rating on the rear tire which might not work well up front. He will have to make the decision to try it or not.
skizman
Active Member
Thanks for your replies gents. My friend gave me the tire and it's brand new. I messaged Avon Tires tech support and they said>>>>
"We don't recommend a rear tire put on the front, but a lot of people have done that without problems, and the rear tire must be mounted on the front with the arrow reversed...pointing to the back.
Thanks!
"We don't recommend a rear tire put on the front, but a lot of people have done that without problems, and the rear tire must be mounted on the front with the arrow reversed...pointing to the back.
Thanks!
My 2 cents: I wouldn't take the chance, I'd hate for someone to hydro plane or have some other funky handling problem just to save a few bucks, tires are the single most important part on a bike and it's one place I won't skimp or take chances. Why not just save the rear for your rear when the current one wears out (assuming it will fit)
Apparently it is a matter of the belts in the tire being in the right direction The rear tire stresses are from moving the bike while the front stresses are from braking. Being opposite, each end needs its own style.
So by reversing the rear tire to the front you also reverse the belts so they are aligned for braking. Makes sense from what I've read, but personally would not do this unless absolutely necessary to get home
My 2¢
So by reversing the rear tire to the front you also reverse the belts so they are aligned for braking. Makes sense from what I've read, but personally would not do this unless absolutely necessary to get home
My 2¢
CHZWIZ
Active Member
The OP didn't chime in on what Avon he was using but since there is only one recommend type being the Cobra there probably won't be any issues (mistakenly listed it as a Venom in an earlier post, my bad). The tread design on F/R are the same, but the load ratings differ. The rear tire is rated higher and probably has a stiffer sidewall which possible could effect handling in the front. The reality is he will mount the tire, take it for a spin and a couple miles down the road he will know if it handles correctly. Just like any new tire he will have to take it easy for a few miles till the release agent wears off. Hopefully skizman posts the results.
I would not do it on my bikes. I have "new" Avon Venoms on my '91 Dyna. I say "new" because I have only racked up a few miles on the tires before the bike was garaged. They have been sitting there for so long, I will not run them once I get the bike back on the road. Terrible shame, but better safe than sorry.
So I suggest looking at the manufacture date code on the Avon tire you were given. My personal policy is I will NOT mount a "new" tire on my bikes if the manufacture date is older than a year. Your call though.
Cheers,
TQ
CHZWIZ
Active Member
It is not uncommon to find new vehicles with tire date codes already past a year before they roll off the sales floor. One bike I purchased had two year old tires on it before it went out the door. Case in point, when I finally did change those Avon's out they were eight years old and the rear tire rubber was getting so hard that when downshifting and braking for a turn or stop the tire would skid a bit. That was my queue for a new set of Dunlop's. I do not advocate keeping your tires on that long but it does depend on the bike size, speeds you ride it and amount of miles you ride it yearly. Large companies buy thousands of tires warehousing them for production line use. As long as is stored properly without being exposed to sunlight it will be OK. Motorcycle tire compounds start to change once they are exposed to the elements and use and the rubber compounds start to get harder (which a bad thing for two-wheelers). IMHO one year is way to soon to part with a set. If you have the resources to buy new sets every year because it makes you feel safer then do it, but in reality riders shouldn't start to worry unless the tire is at least 5-6 years old or has high mileage or some kind of noticeable defect (cracks, splits, bulges, bolts, etc). If your bike is your main trnspo then yes you probably are getting a new set yearly. Also never buy used motorcycle tires unless you are dead broke and there is no other options to get from A to B. For those that don't know where to look for your date code on your tires just look for an oval on the sidewall with four numbers in it, first two are the week and the second two are the year. TQ, I do respect your personal position on tire replacement and believe that as riders we have to adhere to our own set of rules that make us feel safer and in control every time we lift our leg over our saddle.