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rear tire on front?

JamiePZ

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Anyone run into any issues using a rear tire on the front? Ive heard things like the cords are different or too heavy or wrong type tread keeps them from being used safely.
I would sure like to try it. Anyone have any problems doing this?
Thanks
Jamie
 
I'm not sure if this is a joke or not but I would never use a rear tyre on front under any circumstances. Why ?

Front and rear tyres have very different purposes on a modern motorcycle.

This from the Maxxis site......

"A front tire has a more triangulated profile for steering control, while a rear tire has a flatter profile for bike stability. Using a tire in a position for which it was not designed will result in reduced handling capability, putting the rider in danger. "
 
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The people that do this generally have larger touring type motorcycles where they run a rear tire on the front and a car tire on the rear. I see no tangible benefit to running a rear tire on the front of the NC. The front already lasts 2x as long as a rear.

Edit: I suppose people would do it if they are going for a certain "look" for the bike. I can't imagine it would handle all that well.
 
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I would like to know more about exactly what rear tire and size you are wanting to run on the front, because I can't think of a single circumstance where this would be beneficial whatsoever.

Also, it is common for the compounds to be different in front and rear tires. Front tires are generally a little softer. This may not apply across the board, but on most street tires, that is the case.

For example, the oem front tire size on my Vulcan Nomad 1600 cruiser is a 150/80/16. Well....that's also the rear tire size on several small cruisers like a Harley sportster. When I buy Avon Cobra tires for my cruiser, I have to make sure and buy the 150/80/16 FRONT tire, instead of the rear made for the Sportster.

A lot of Harley guys are going to the fat front tire kit where they actually have to widen the forks and buy an aftermarket front wheel, and run a 180 rear tire as the front tire. But they are on big custom baggers most of the time, with air suspension, custom body work, etc....listerally just running the streets, not riding aggressively or anything, so it's not a big deal.

As for how the belts are constructed or whatever, I'd have to see evidence of this mattering, because I run rear tires backwards all the time on the rear of my track bike. You go to a track that is mostly right hand turns, you wear out the right hand side of the rear tire more than the left, so if you visit a right hand turn track the next time you go back, you must flip the rear tire around backwards so you have more rubber to ride on. So if there was a problem of runing a rear tire in reverse direction, I'd think literally everybody that goes to the track would know about it because it is a must for any track rider to do that. I have read stories online about the tread separating and whatnot from flipping rear tire, but never saw it in person. So there could be some truth to the matter, but it's not something that's common.


Short answer, just run front tires on the front and rear tires on the rear.....and you won't have anything to worry about.
 
Some tires can be run front or back but the manufacturer states that fact. If I remember correctly the Shinko 705 is one. Sometimes they tell you to reverse the tire rotation direction depending on front or back. As for aggressive dual sport tire, there is only 1 choice that I know of that fits the NC front which is the TKC80. It is a decent and widely used DS tire. I've ran it for years. On the back TKC80s wear fast. On the front you can get 10K+. The front usually starts cupping so I replace it before the blocks are worn all the way down.
 
No Joke Griff. Not many choices for an aggressive dual sport tire in 120/70/17. What do people run?
Jamie
I'm not sure how aggressive a tire you want, but Pirelli MT60 comes in stock sizes, I believe.
 
Thanks for the info. The TKC80 is about the only aggressive 120/70/17 that I have found only its out of stock places I have looked. The MT60 is a little more mild than what I am looking for. I really like the Anakee Wild tires but the 130/80/17 rear is all that will fit. May have to come up with a plan B.
 
Different tread and compound in the front - as others said, the fronts usually need to be softer.

The cords/belts/sidewalls are designed to take different acceleration and braking forces front to rear. I think you'd notice it when you brake in a corner.

The narrower front tire makes for a long and narrow contact patch; that's then incorporated into your fork and frame design.

Riders don't see risk, so you might make the change and everything seems fine for a few years, but it's playing with fire IMO. Not really a risk worth taking.
 
Rear tires have about 40 to 50% deeper tread sipes, the design naturally allows longer wear for the tires putting power to the ground. Mounted on the front a rear tire’s deeper tread design has less stability (more squirm) made worse by side loads imposed by the yaw and slip angles a front wheel needs to balance and steer a mono track vehicle.

In forums devoted to touring bikes the practice of mounting car tires on the rear and rear tires backwards on the front, so-called dark side & double dark side respectively, is widely accepted and no argument on possible effects on safety or handling is entertained or accepted. According to devotees once you “get used to” the handling changes the benefit of saving money trumps all.
 
Both front and rear tires are directional tires that are made in overlapping layers. If you look at a rear tire that is subjected to heavy brake use you will actually see the seam pulling apart, it will be a fine line going across the tread bead to bead . I did this to many a rear tire in the 80s. I have seen many directional tires mounted improperly over the years with no problem, mostly Harleys. If you change the aspect ratio of either tire the bike will roll over different than it did. I changed the back to a 160/70 and for me it works well. Changing the front from the 120/70 to a larger one (width or aspect) will slow that nice neutral steering and you will need to remount the front fender for clearance you will need for all those rocks picked up if using knobbies.
 
When I bought my 2012 NC700X the seller included a set of new tires still in the Revzilla packaging. The front is a Shinko E705 Trail Master, 120/70R17, and the rear is a Michelin Anakee Addventure 150/70R17. Although I usually mount my tires, I had to have these professionally mounted and bead balanced because they were so stiff I could not even come close to getting them on the rims. After about 800 miles, I can tell you these are the loudest, noisiest screaming set of tires I have ever run. At highway speeds, they get very loud, and when leaned over in a curve they are even louder, They sound like the over-size off-road tires on the pick-up truck of your average teenage redneck. Keep in mind that thanks to service with Uncle Sam, I need hearing aids to communicate with the outside world, but with these tires I need ear plugs, Besides that, they provide a harsh ride and below average handling. I hope they wear out soon! The videos for Revzilla touted this combination as an ideal 80/20 set-up for road/off-road. I have not really challenged them on anything besides moderate gravel and dirt, but they are average at best under those conditions. Of the two tires, the rear is the noisier. For these reasons alone, I would not consider running a rear tire on the front, but my choice is admittedly influenced by the worst tires I have ever owned.
 
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