Dealer mounted new front tire wrong!

[BamaVenture06]

I purchased a new set of tires for my 06 Midnight Venture yesterday afternoon. We went riding today with a group of friends. Put about 240 miles on the new tires. I noticed that the bike was not handling well. It also had vibration in the handlebars and floorboards, which I have never had before. The longer we rode, the worse it got. When we stopped for a coffee break this afternoon, I got to looking and discovered that the front tire is mounted backwards! The arrow on the sidewall is pointed backwards, as is the tread design! WHAT THE CRAP?!!

 

Now I have to wait til Tuesday (dealer is closed on Mondays), call them, and they will have to order me a new tire. Won't be surprised if I have to argue with them because they will probably want to remount this same tire correctly, but I don't want that. I have been told that the tires are directional and if run backwards it degrades the tire's integrity and can be unsafe. Anyone have any knowledge about this?

Edited October 12, 2008 by BamaVenture06

[got2mnytoys]

Which dealer done that for ya so I don't use them

[treeman]

Get a new one, & how old is your new tires? Check them! look for DOT # on side wall it will tell you when it was made. i got a new one put on in MAY. it was over 2 years old. 2008 price. it will have 4 numbers like 3308 THAT READS 33 WEEK OF 2008 MINE WAS 3705 37 WEEK OF 2005 I GOT IT IN mAY OF 08.

[Marcarl]

No wonder you had a vibration, when bonding the tires they are layered to each other so that they must travel in one direction, going the opposite way will cause the bond to bundle and so give an uneven casing. Should you mount it properly you will still have that unbalanced feel and the tire will not be save to ride on.. Get a new one.

Avon will allow 5 years on their tires before sale,,, I don't think any will get that old, but that's what the salesman told me.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

And a front tire mounted wrong is subject to delamination during hard braking...get that tire replaced!

[Guest maddabber]

My Dealer mounted my front tire backwards as well and I had a shimmy in the front end. They took it off and changed to the right direction it has a worse shimmy. Still fighting for a new tire. Not only that last year when I had the back one replaced they did not greas the spins as to the order form and then wanted me to pay for them to get the rust out etc. I told them to stuff it. I guess he will soon loose all the MTA members for our chapter that deal there if there soon isn't better service.

[flb_78]

My front tire has been backwards for 10,000 miles now.

[Eck]

tire direction has to do with the manufacturing process. The tread rubber is initially a flat strip that's cut to length, at an angle, and then spliced together with the two ends overlapping, creating a hoop. Under acceleration, a tire mounted backwards will try to peel back this splice.

 

If memory serves me right, you posted a while back that you had developed a wobble.

I think it was you anyway..but maybe I am wrong.

After getting your tires mounted in the correct direction, and correct air pressure, if the wobble does not go away, then I would look at other reasons like maybe a loose goose neck bearing..

[Condor]

I got to looking and discovered that the front tire is mounted backwards! The arrow on the sidewall is pointed backwards, as is the tread design! WHAT THE CRAP?!!

 

With the tire correctly mounted the arrow should be pointing in the direction of rotation. Towards the front when it's at the top, and towards back when at the bottom. Sometimes it's confoosing. The viabration and wobble may be due to the tire not being seated to the rim properly, or the axle nut not being torqued properly. My 2¢

[BamaVenture06]

With the tire correctly mounted the arrow should be pointing in the direction of rotation. Towards the front when it's at the top, and towards back when at the bottom. Sometimes it's confoosing. The viabration and wobble may be due to the tire not being seated to the rim properly, or the axle nut not being torqued properly. My 2¢

 

The arrow is pointed towards the front when at the bottom - it's definitely backwards. :doh:Also, the sipes are wrong to pull the water away from the center.

[Condor]

The arrow is pointed towards the front when at the bottom - it's definitely backwards. :doh:Also, the sipes are wrong to pull the water away from the center.

 

Don't take offense, Just checking. You didn't mention where the arrow was when you looked at it. The tire pattern differs from one manufacture to another. My Avon Venoms have the grove channeling water toward to middle of the center groove as the top of the V hits first. With my Elete II's it's the reverse with the bottom point of the V hitting first chaneling water away from the center of the tire, but there is no center groove. So not all is as it seems in the world of tread design.

[Sling]

I was going to be smart and suggest that you just turn the whole wheel and tire assy. around. So I went out to the garage to look at the front tire and wheel on my '08, and on the spokes of the wheel it also has an arrow saying direction of rotation. Is it possible that the wheel could be mounted on the bike wrong? and not just the tire?

just a thought

[BamaVenture06]

Don't take offense, Just checking. You didn't mention where the arrow was when you looked at it. The tire pattern differs from one manufacture to another. My Avon Venoms have the grove channeling water toward to middle of the center groove as the top of the V hits first. With my Elete II's it's the reverse with the bottom point of the V hitting first chaneling water away from the center of the tire, but there is no center groove. So not all is as it seems in the world of tread design.

 

No offense taken. Just clarifying where the arrow was located and pointing.

[BamaVenture06]

Just an update on the "backwards" mounted tire. I called the tire manufacturer's home office today and told them what happened. They had their Chief Engineer/Tire Guru call me back. He said that there should not be any problem with remounting the tire correctly since there was less than 800 - 1000 miles put on it. According to him. it takes that long for the tire to "break in" and to develop a "wear pattern". I asked if the safety and integrity of the tire has been compromised. He stated that with less than 300 miles on it that it has not been compromised at all. He stated that he would not have any reservations about using the tire on his personal motorcycle.

We'll see.

I'm still gonna talk to the owner/manager and see what they offer, and advise them I prefer a new tire. If I can get a new tire, I will feel much better. If not, at least I know the "experts" at the tire manufacturer say I am OK with this tire.

[utadventure]

Bob- It's nice that the tire "guru" was willing to get with you and give his professional opinion. Should you end up remounting this tire correctly, I would recommend you ask him to send you an email regarding his opinion and then keep a copy of it until the tire is spent. If you should happen to have a premature tire failure, you can raise Cain with them about having to purchase a replacement earlier than you should have. You should at least be entitled to a prorated credit.

 

Dave

[Buzzard1]

He stated that he would not have any reservations about using the tire on his personal motorcycle. .

 

I would tell him if he had no reservations using this tire on his personal motorcycle --to come get it, use it on his motorcycle and send me a new one--Buzz