Tires are ordered update 1/27 they are in By ger42 (Read 1,572 times)

[ger42]

FRONT:
Michelin Gold Standard Size: 130/70-13 $76.92 to my door
from www.motorcyclemaniacstore.com/

REAR:
255/50-12 Pavement Tire 4 Ply DOT Rated $177.55 to my door
from www.palmettospecialtytire.com/servlet/StoreFront

[mike6736]

Great and what a difference it will make, Be sure abd have them balance also

Mike

[leenark]

Hope they work well for you my friend. Make sure you check the fit on the rears real well. Mike had a small problem with his. I did as well but only with two up riding.

[mike6736]

Just put a spacer in if you rub the fenders, I placed a 3/4in on mune and it is fine. Like I said the ride is gonna be nice

[ger42]

All tires should be here Friday. Now I have to get the front wheel off. Always something new to learn.

[ger42]

My front tire came in and it's stamped REAR
I called the place I bought it from and he called the Michelin rep and it should be a front tire. I told him I was putting it on a trike and he said all his trike customers were using a rear tire mounted on the front with the arrow in the opposite direction. He said the factories were recommending this. The front marked tire would wear too fast because a trike doesn't lean and tires made for the front were thinner than the rears. He talked about the big trikes like the Boss Hog etc.
The tire I got had been discontinued so I'm not sure if I want it even if I mount it backwards.

[leenark]

GER: I'm skeptical! The tire still rotates in the same direction as a rear tire does so putting the arrow in the opposite direction doesn't make since to me. The direction of travel allows for easy removal of road fluid (water). So the direction of travel I believe should all be the same in relation to the tread. As far as front or back tire...that wouldn't bother me near as much. The weight distribution will be approx the same and there is little to no lean on a trike front or rear. That's my .02 worth. vr, Lee

[leenark]

GER: The more I think about this the better off I am about it. I still believe the arrow should ride in the direction the tire will naturally turn when you ride forward. Read the sidewall and give us the load weight authorized and the wear code.

[ger42]

Can you say 10 lbs of sugar in a 5 lb bag! The 255's were crushed. They are in the Florida sun heating up so I can open them up.

[ger42]

Michelin Pilot Activ (Rear tire)
After many recommendations on trike forums, I had this “Rear tire” (Size 130/70/18) mounted in reverse direction/rotation on the front of my 2006 Gold Wing Trike. Others have mentioned a tire life of 30K miles with this tire when mounted as above. A quick call to Michelin Customer Relations Cycle Group (1-800-346-4098) confirmed that this “Rear tire” is used best when mounted in reverse direction on a trike. Many use 41 psi as a tire pressure for this tire. However after 4k miles I have found that 32-33 psi works best for me on a solid rear suspension Champion trike. I find less front end vibration and no tire hop on sharp U-turns. My trike fuel economy didn't suffer, I still average 38 mpg and on occasion have seen 41 mpg on a tank of gas. This is a bias ply tire which from what I learned has stiffer side walls than the steel belted tires that are recommended by Honda GL1800 owners. These properties work great on a trike. The average front tire life of a steel belted front tire is only about 6K to 12K miles when mounted on a GL1800 trike. This rear Michelin Pilot Activ has a reported tire life of 25K to 35K miles when mounted on the front of a GL1800 trike.
www.motorcycle-superstore.com/3/31/401/6158/PRODUCT-REVIEW/Michelin-Pilot-Activ-Rear-Tire.aspx
I have read this in more than one place. The guy I bought the tire from said his Michelin rep said the same thing.

[ger42]

Jan 27, 2012 13:14:50 GMT -6 leenark said:

GER: The more I think about this the better off I am about it. I still believe the arrow should ride in the direction the tire will naturally turn when you ride forward. Read the sidewall and give us the load weight authorized and the wear code.

is 63P the wear code?


[a href=""][/a]

[Alleyoop]

No the 63 is the Load and the P is the speed rating which P=93mph
Alleyoop

[mike6736]

My main concen also would be the ability of the tire to clean and move the water if mounted reverse....

Mike

[leenark]

Yeah I agree Mike that just doesn't sound right to me either. But, in the grand scheme of things that only becomes a big factor if: 1) you ride in the rain 2) and you have atleast a 1/2 inch of standing water that you ride thru. If that were to transpire it seems to me instead of the water channeling thru the tread to the back and side of the tire it would be pushed towards the front of the tire causing a much worse hydro plane condition. Not saying I'm right just thinking out loud. Hey GER aren't you up ther where "two guy garage" is? Why not call that one in? vr, Lee

[leenark]

Oh yeah GEER I forgot our 255's came the same way (crushed). They pop out nicely though.