The R1200RT / Hannigan I purchased last fall has a reverse mounted rear tire on the front. My two previous rigs have both had car tires so I have not been faced with this question before. Wondering the logistics, positives, negatives. Just like "what is the best oil", I am sure that absolutely everyone has an opinion. I'm interested in yours!! Thanks!!
Rear tires on front give you better load rating and longer life. Mounting it backwards gives better braking traction than it would have if mounted forward.
pics?
Illegitemi non carborundum est!
Tom @tomjgerken, the general consensus is that a motorcycle REAR tire is built/manufactured to carry heavier loads vs a motorcycle front tire.
Given that the tug on a sidecar rig is no longer going to be leaning over, as it did as a 2 wheeled motorcycle, but is now going to be basically straight up and down, and "steered" to make turns, vs leaning onto its' sidecar tread....it is accepted that putting a heavier duty tire carcass up front, that is designed to carry a heavier load, would be a better choice.
Putting a motorcycle REAR tire on the front wheel, and installing it in the REVERSE direction that it was designed for on the rear wheel, is due to braking vs traction.
On the motorcycle rear wheel, that motorcycle rear tire is designed to provide traction, more than braking ability.
Given that many of us, not all, but many of us use a car tire on the rear wheel of our tugs, those car tires offer us the most traction, and a larger footprint.
Putting that motorcycle rear tire onto the front wheel, if you look at the tread design of that motorcycle rear tire, in the proper direction of the sidewall arrow that is meant for traction when on a motorcycle rear wheel....that same tire can provide better braking to the front of the tug when mounted onto the front wheel of the tug, but mounted in the opposite direction of the sidecar arrow.
It's all a matter of physics.
NOT leaning the bike anymore, there is no need for a motorcycle front tire that is designed for adherence stability when leaned over, and the braking ability built into the tread design.
Experience has shown that many (not all) of the sidecar rigs that can mount a Bridgestone BT-46 (used to be the BT-45) onto the front wheel, mounted backwards, gained almost 50 % more useful life front that tire, vs the original motorcycle front tire they had been using.
Most "trike" owners, and "trike" manufacturers will install this same Bridgestone BT-46 motorcycle rear tire onto the front wheel of the trikes they build, as it has been proven to have the same advantages as post above.
The bottom line is that for "longer tire life", and for "better braking ability"....on a motorcycle used as a tug in sidecar use, installing a motorcycle rear tire onto the front wheel of the tug, and mounting it backwards onto that front wheel, offer advantages vs the typical motorcycle front tire, installed in the proper direction of the sidecar arrow.
From a personal experience, I have received more than twice the mileage out of the tire on the front wheel of my tugs, when using a Bridgestone BT-46 motorcycle rear tire, mounted backwards onto the front wheel of my tugs.
My current sidecar rig uses a massive 180/65-16 Michelin Commander lll reinforced tire, a motorcycle REAR tire, mounted onto the custom 16" front wheel, and in the past 13,000 miles, this tire has used all of 1/32nd of its' original tread depth. The tire that is being used on my sidecar wheel, is the one that WAS mounted onto my motorcycle front wheel, before I rode the 2 wheeled bike to Hannigan's to have the sidecar attached to this bike, so it is a Bridgestone BT-46, mounted backwards onto the OEM front wheel of the bike, then Hannigan moved that front wheel and the tire on it to the sidecar, and it now has 15.500 miles on it, and has lost all of 1/32nd of its' original tread depth. And yes, it is still mounted backwards on that wheel, as a sidecar tire, because it provides much better BRAKING ability, vs if it had been installed as per the directional arrow on the sidewall.
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
Food for thought here
I have given this issue much thought over the years as I have been running double Dark side since long before I had a sidecar, I was led to believe all the same reasons as posted above, the rear tire is designed to handle the engine torque so to get the same performance on the front you have to turn it around. it's all about the way the belts are wrapped on the core itself and has nothing to do with the tread that is then molded onto the casing, the tread pattern is designed to shed water properly in heavy wet conditions, the sipes are cut in a manner that throws the water away from the center to the outside as it rolls. Now when you reverse the tire you have now technically altered it's ability to shed the water as it's designed to. I do mount mine in reverse, BUT I have mounted them normal a few times over the years and honestly, I can't tell the difference.
Ace, @aceinsav, if you look at a SET of tires that are designed to be used together, a front and rear tire for a motorcycle, and let's specifically use (for this discussion) the Bridgestone BT-46 front and rear tires.....
On the front tire, the tread mold is designed to shed water, forcing it outward as the tire rolls.
That exact same tread mold pattern is the opposite on the rear tire, again, specifically on the Bridgestone BT-46 tires, which mean, if you mount a REAR Bridgestone BT-46 tire onto a motorcycle FRONT wheel, and have it mounted backwards, you have now duplicated the tread mold pattern that was on the front Bridgestone BT-46 tire.
Yes, odd...however a rear Bridgestone BT-46 motorcycle tire mounted onto a front wheel of a motorcycle ...and mounted onto that front wheel BACKWARDS.....now sheds the water off the tire in the exact same way that the Bridgestone BT-46 front tire was doing, when mounted correctly on that same from wheel.
Again, yes, that is odd, but the tread molds are opposite on that brand/model of tire, so in essence by mounting that rear Bridgestone BT-46 onto a front wheel, and mounting it backwards, you end up with the same water shedding properties.
Like you, I too have been double darksiding 2 wheeled motorcycles for many years, well before going to sidecars.
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
@miles-ladue All makes sense and I'd been told that though with less explanation. Appreciate the perspective on the BT-46 as well, and that is what is on it. Just needed to get perspective from someone who's been around the block (or world) a time or too more than I 😀 A fair amount of tread remains, but a bit of cupping going on, bad wear pattern. I've had good luck in the past using Dyna Beads or similar, always having very even wear, or if a bad wear pattern appears it has not been due to balancing.
Tom @tomjgerken, I too favor ceramic balance beads, as they keep the tire balanced throughout the life of the tire
The cupping and bad tire wear is more than likely attributed to low tire pressure, as most motorcycle tires are low on air pressure, and yet they are using the air pressures recommended by the motorcycle manufacturers.
Tip: on the next Bridgestone BT-46 tire, put 40 psi in that tire....cold....and maintain 40 psi forever.
You can set the current tire at 40 psi, but that won't erase the bad cupping....once it's there.
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
Wowzer! 😍 <Insert Wolf Whistle here>
B-E-A-Utiful rig! Like how the two tone on the sidecar matches with the bike. Very classy without being over done. 😎
For all those who mount long wearing front tires, don't you miss all the finger bruising, and cursing that goes along with mounting a new front tire? 😉
Hold my keyboard and watch this! 🙃
Wowzer! 😍 <Insert Wolf Whistle here>
B-E-A-Utiful rig! Like how the two tone on the sidecar matches with the bike. Very classy without being over done. 😎
For all those who mount long wearing front tires, don't you miss all the finger bruising, and cursing that goes along with mounting a new front tire? 😉
no.
Illegitemi non carborundum est!
