Front Tire

[onesherpa]

Recently purchased an 06 Nomad. While checking the tire pressure I noticed the front tire is rotating in the wrong direction. Does the tire have to be remounted or can the wheel just be turned around? Not sure if the brake pads/rotors wear prohibit turning the wheel around. Have 3,400 miles on the bike.

I don't think the brakes will care much. The front wheel could just be on backwards, because the dealer put it on wrong when the pulled it out of the crate. Look at the spokes on the wheels. Do both wheels' spokes lean the same way? With 3400 miles you're still on the original tire, unless somebody damaged the original one.

[onesherpa]

Cast wheel, I think they just put it on backwards. Thanks for sharing.

[macmac]

If you have almost No Rain where ever you are you can leave it. If it rains like it does in NH usa, then turn it around. Since the dealer gummy boys did this the tire has to be on the wheel right..

Better yet junk that trash OEM tire now and get a real one. I know it cost money, but that junk is still junk until you get it off. It even looks almost like a tire I bet..

Originally Posted by onesherpa

Cast wheel, I think they just put it on backwards. Thanks for sharing.

Those things on a cast wheel are still called spokes, you know?

There are only 5 of them on my bike, but they're still spokes.

[gghost]

Still spokes, just don't have to tighten them...

[michiganmike]

When I had new tires put on the dealer put the front one on backwards. I never noticed it and I had about 8,000 mile on it before a friend pointed it out. I kept an eye on the front tire once I found out and I cannot tell that it has made a difference, except that now at 15,000 miles I get a bad vibe about the front tire. Enough of a bad vibe that I have bought new tires. So I got 15,000 miles on a front tire that was mounted backwards and I could not tell the difference when riding it. But that may just indicate that I am not a very knowledgeable rider. I would be safe and correct the direction of rotation.

[redjay]

Hi, How does a tire installer know which way the new tire is supposed to go on the rim ?

I presume they just copy the way the old tire was on when they removed it ? Is there anything on the rim (inside and out of sight) to indicate which way the tire is supposed to go on the rim.

[cactusjack]

If a tire is directional, there is usually an arrow molded into the sidewall (where the DOT info and other lettering is) indicating the direction of forward rotation.

[jmorrow]

The wheel also has a directional arrow.
The arrow is behind the left rotor in between
the cooling fins in the center of the wheel.

[macmac]

Mike the difference is for rain. The direction of the tread pushes water away better if it the tire is mounted correctly. Unless you really ride fast in heavy rain, you won't feel any difference.

The arrows and mounting have nothing to do with tread wear, or the feel of the ride.

This is often why a rear tire being mounted on a ft rim will be mounted 'backwards' on purpose.

At 15,000 niles the 'vibs' you are getting, are probably from a worn tire. if you feel over the tread with a open hand, you will feel high spots and low spots. If you look really close the whole left side of the tread will not have the same shape as the whole right side either.

I am posting this pic so maybe you can see it. I know the pic isn't very good, but if you just look at the ingeneral shape you can see the right side and left side of the worn tire are not the same.

This comes from American roads having a 'Crown'.

When I took the pic I wasn't trying to show this. But looking myself right now I can see the left side angle over the tread is steeper, that the right, and so this tires is being viewed from behind as it was mounted on the bike.

That means the whole left side of the tire is worn more than the right.