So that's what new rubber steers like!!

[JimmyG]

I headed over to Crazyhorse's place and we mounted my new front tire last night.  We did the MC rear tire turned backward thing on it.  When I left to come home, I could not believe the traction. I have had the bike several weeks now and the front tire was worn. After putting on a few hundred miles, I could just see the air in the front tire when I rode over to Mac's.  The bike almost steered itself home! I am impressed. And here I thought that Valkyries steered kinda hard.      A big thanks to Mac who tells me how to do it and lets me do the work while he keeps a close eye on making sure it's right.

[..]

WTF

You have a rear tire mounted backwards on the front wheel???

Did I just slip into another dimension in time and space aka an episode of the "Twilight Zone"

Why not just put a frickin front motorcycle tire on the front wheel ???

OK, rear wheel car tire guys just take a seat, I kinda understand where youse guys are coming from. 

[alph]

WTF

You have a rear tire mounted backwards on the front wheel???

Did I just slip into another dimension in time and space aka an episode of the "Twilight Zone"

Why not just put a frickin front motorcycle tire on the front wheel ???

OK, rear wheel car tire guys just take a seat, I kinda understand where youse guys are coming from. 

i've heard of guys doing this too.  never heard any reviews for 'em though.  thanks for the update.  something to contemplate.  let us know how she wears.

BTW, why does it have to be turned backwards?? 

[sandy]

Alph: They turn them backwards because the stress on a rear tire is in a forward motion. A front tire has it's greatest stress when the brakes are applied. (backwards to the rear tire)

[art]

Also the rear tire has a deeper thread and last longer.I have a rear tire 150-70-17 and My tire life has go up by 3000 miles from 8 to 11000 miles.I know some people get more but I attribute that to a different riding style.

[WarrenK]

Alph: They turn them backwards because the stress on a rear tire is in a forward motion. A front tire has it's greatest stress when the brakes are applied. (backwards to the rear tire)

Turning a rear tire backwards seems to be advice from many, many years ago.  A number disagree with the 'running backwards' theory for a variety of reasons.  Some say modern tires are better engineered and do not have the weaknesses that older tires once did.  Whether that is true or not, even a rear tire STILL has to deal with the forces of braking!  I think the "running backwards" theory is a debatable point.   ???
     A more important reason to NOT run the tire backwards- you change the dynamic of how the tire deals with water.  Instead of shedding water, as designed, you could now be collecting water, channeling it under the tire instead of away.  Of course, this is a theory as well. 

     I do run a rear tire on the front, have done so for the last two tires, and they have been mounted running foreward.  No 'flaming death', no tire failures, no problems braking, no complaints.  I like the deeper tread, they handle great, and they last longer.  No problems riding in the rain or on wet roads, either.      

Just my 2 cents,    you may or may not agree.      

[Warlock]

Alph: They turn them backwards because the stress on a rear tire is in a forward motion. A front tire has it's greatest stress when the brakes are applied. (backwards to the rear tire)

Turning a rear tire backwards seems to be advice from many, many years ago.  A number disagree with the 'running backwards' theory for a variety of reasons.  Some say modern tires are better engineered and do not have the weaknesses that older tires once did.  Whether that is true or not, even a rear tire STILL has to deal with the forces of braking!  I think the "running backwards" theory is a debatable point.   ???
     A more important reason to NOT run the tire backwards- you change the dynamic of how the tire deals with water.  Instead of shedding water, as designed, you could now be collecting water, channeling it under the tire instead of away.  Of course, this is a theory as well. 

     I do run a rear tire on the front, have done so for the last two tires, and they have been mounted running foreward.  No 'flaming death', no tire failures, no problems braking, no complaints.  I like the deeper tread, they handle great, and they last longer.  No problems riding in the rain or on wet roads, either.      

Just my 2 cents,    you may or may not agree.      

Disagree. Here's a picture of my rear tire mounted backwards. If you look at a Avon Cobra the thread pattern goes the same way.

[fon1961]

Like that paint color.  Sorry to digress from the tire debate.

[Rams]

Also the rear tire has a deeper thread and last longer.I have a rear tire 150-70-17 and My tire life has go up by 3000 miles from 8 to 11000 miles.I know some people get more but I attribute that to a different riding style.

If you don't mind saying, what brand is that tire?

Ron

[larswlvs]

Not sure if this would make that much difference  but it seems to me that the center of the V would do better in water if it was pointed down instead of up |V|
                                                                      |V|
                                                                      |V|
                                                                      |V|
It is something I have thought about doing,just not sure about reversing the tread pattern.

[Gryphon Rider]

Regarding tire construction, tread patterns, and directionality:

The main reason why the direction of a motorcycle tire is specified is because of the way the tire is constructed.  Where the belts overlap there is a potential weakness.  The accelerating or braking forces will either be trying to separate the lap joint, or push it together.  Because the dominant force on a rear tire is acceleration rather than braking, the tire is oriented so the lap joints are pushed together.  The same tire on the front wheel should be mounted backwards because the force on the tire is all braking and no acceleration, and by changing the direction we continue to push the joint together.  How much of a concern this really is is open for us to debate or for a motorcycle tire engineer to settle.

With directional tread patterns and rain, if the tire's contact patch is not moving faster or slower than the road surface (i.e. the tire is not sliding due to acceleration or braking forces), the direction of the "V" has no bearing on how well it evacuates water.  Water is simply squished out from under the tread blocks and into the nearest groove with capacity to take it.  When the back tire is slipping due to acceleration, the "V" should point towards the back of the bike at the road surface.  It acts the same as a tractor tire slipping in mud, directing the fluid towards either side of the tire, rather than scooping it towards the centre of the tire.  When the front tire is slipping due to braking forces, the "V" should point towards the front of the bike at the road surface.  It acts like a "V"-shaped snow plow, pushing the fluid towards the sides, rather than scooping it towards the middle.

For these reasons, if I were to try mounting a designated rear motorcycle tire on the front of my bike, I would reverse its intended mounting direction.