Darkside Tread Pattern

[pappy]

Hey Guys,
I received my new Dunlop SP Sport 5000 the other day and realized (after I received it of course) that the tread pattern was asymmetrical (different pattern on the left side of the tire vs. the right half). Most of the DS tires I've seen on here have had symmetrical tread. I'm going to install it but I was wondering if anyone else here has experience with asymmetrical tread. Likes, dislikes, handling, etc. Any comments would be appreciated.

[cactusjack]

I have 8,000 miles on my SP 5000 and like it just fine. No problems here. Since it's the only car tire I've ever had on a motorcycle, I have nothing else to compare it to.

[pappy]

Thanks for the reply. Is your tire tread asymmetrical like I described? Dunlop offers them both ways.

[Cajunrider]

Same as CJ said. Pappy, mine is symmetrical. If I'm not mistaken, an asymmetrical tire is directional, correct?? Let me correct myself, a directional tire can only rotate in one direction where symmetrical and asymmetrical are bi-directional.

[pappy]

The way I understand it is that if you look straight onto the tread of a symmetrical tire, there is a pattern or groove in the center with the left hand side of the tire being a mirror image on the right hand side. In other words for example the sipes (or grooves) will run from the outside of the tire downward toward the center on the left and on the right side. If the same type of tire were asymmetrical, the sipes would run from the outside of the tire downward toward the center on the left and will run UPWARD toward the center on the right side. This would make the tire footprint identical no matter which direction it was mounted. I may be wrong. If I'm wrong maybe someone on here can correct me. A symmetrical and an asymmetrical tire however can be mounted in in either direction but I wasn't sure how the asymmetrical pattern would effect a bike's handling as time goes on.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by pappy

Thanks for the reply. Is your tire tread asymmetrical like I described? Dunlop offers them both ways.

Sorry, mine is symmetrical.

[Yellow Jacket]

This is what my car tire looks like. I guess it would be considered asymetrical.

I have over 11,000 miles on it and I can't tell any difference when turning in either direction. It feels the same.

[blowndodge]

I thought we covered this?

symetrical tires can be mounted on the rim anyway and on any corner of the car and the tires looks the same.

asymetrical tires have vastly different blocks of tread across the tire surface that mounting them anyway you want will look vastly different at each wheel.

One thing that you'll notice is that using a car tire with 3 or for grooves running around the entire outer circumference will follow deep rain grooves more than a tire with this "Rib pattern" My ribbed truck tire on the back with 3 larged circumference grooves sometimes does this.

Even look at the stock Nomad rubber and you'll not find any rib pattern. Motorcycle tires of 20 years ago or later had that ribbed front/rear tire and wiggled on the freeways that had rain grooves carved into them.

You almost can't find a ribbed tire for a motorcycle unless you looking for OEM classic tires.

[pappy]

Thanks for helping out BD. I did a little more research and found a lot of tires out there that had slight tread design differences like the tire I bought and the tire Yellow Jacket is using but they are still non-directional but NOT asymmetrical by definition. There are a lot of asymmetrical tires out there but like BD said, the left vs. right tread pattern is totally different. Thanks guys.