Suzuki GSX-R Motorcycle Forums Gixxer.com banner

my tire was mounted backwards

49K views 44 replies 24 participants last post by  TheGeek 
#1 ·
yep... the dealership did it. i've ridden a thousand miles on a backwards tire :facepalm i noticed the other day when i was giving my bike a good cleaning.

what kind of damage can it do? should i get them to replace it since its their fault? or can i just get them to pull the tire off and put it back on the right way? i don't want anything extra out of this but if the carcass could be damaged i'm gonna make them replace it.
 
#4 ·
Only time I've ever seen running a tire backwards being a problem was on a Michilen pilot race. Mind you this was a few years ago but my buddy flipped his rear to get one more race out of it and ended up peeling back layers of rubber. So after that we only flipped the dunlops at the track.
 
#5 ·
As long as you don't ride in the wet, forget about it. If you do, call the manufacturer and ask if it can be flipped. If they say no, go back to the dealership with that information and demand a new tire.
 
#8 ·
no, the arrows are backwards, its a pilot power btw does anyone know so i don't have to call michelin? if its fine then i'll leave it as i don't ride in the rain (call me crazy but it ain't worth it)
 
#9 ·
Most tires are built to go one way. The way the layers are built, they can come apart if ran backwards. But normal street riding, i doubt it will be a problem. But in hard track use, it could come apart like someone mentioned a little earlier. I would go back to the dealer and tell them to fix it
 
#17 ·
Sorry, but that's an internet crock. They don't come apart even on the track. The directional arrow is to indicate which way the tire should be facing so that the sipping (grooves) work best in the rain.

By the way, I ran a flipped Pilot Power rear on the race track last weekend. Of course, there were no problems.

But, if you want to make them put on a new tire, I don't have any problem with that. The dealer will not condone running it backward, and the manufacture of the tire will state that it should not be run backward. Though you aren't in any danger, you could still leverage that information to get a new tire on there if you want to.
 
#10 ·
Rotation and balance marks

One of the more critical marks on a motorcycle tire is the rotation arrow, or arrows. Today's specialized tires generally have a tread pattern that must go in only one direction. Some manufacturers even state that their tread patterns are designed to disperse water, and by mounting the tire backwards, they won't work.

The other big reason for noting wheel direction has to do with the manufacturing process. The tread rubber is initially a flat strip that's cut to length, at an angle, and then spliced together with the two ends overlapping, creating a hoop. Under acceleration, a tire mounted backwards will try to peel back this splice. The opposite is true for the front wheel, where directional forces are reversed under hard braking.

Another mark to look for when mounting a tire is a painted balance dot, or dots. Most tires are pre-balanced by the manufacturer. They will then put a mark on the tire indicating where the valve stem should line up.

http://www.amadirectlink.com/roadride/Riderresc/tires.asp
 
#11 ·
Yep i have tried my michellin backwards and it game me no prob.. but on wet surfaces its not recommended... I know some one that low sided his and then realized its cus the dealer mounted it backwards.. too.. Good thing is that we had a camera on board so the dealer replaced the entire bike :) Koodles to cameras!!! GL
 
#22 · (Edited)
I think this person makes the best point on here. You paid them to perform a service and they were incompetent in doing so. By not taking it back you are just promoting inferior service practices which are already WAY too common in this industry.

I would take it back. Ask for the store manager. The service manager, sales manager or parts manager can not make the decisions you need made.

Start by pointing out the mistake and insist they make right. If they do not then cancel payment on your check or credit card/debit card. And tell them you will do so. (Good reason not to pay cash for service and parts is to protect yourself and give you leverage!)

When they agree to remount insist on a new tire saying this tire has been compromised, that the manufacturer advises against running in reverse direction sighting tire damage, and that you have been inconvenienced by having to bring back the bike or rim to have the work performed a second time.

Tell them that you value them as a service provider and would prefer to not take your business elswhere in the future but you will if you are forced to purchase a new tire for your own peace of mind.

Make no compromises. Do not let them condescend to you by telling you that the tire is fine. If they do, remind them that THEY were mistaken enough to mount the tire incorrectly and thus their level of expertise in tires would seem to be sufficiently low as to call into question any opinion they may have concerning tire structure and safety.

Once they agree make sure to insist that they do the right thing and destroy the old tire so that it is not reused by a shop employee on their own ride.

Above all, do not lose your cool, yell, swear, get aggravated or stammer out of the building. Remain calm knowing you are in the right.

Start by simply asking for a remount and then work up to a new tire and destruction of the old tire. Do not ask for everything at once. Get them to agree one step at a time. Once you have them agreeing to remount then spring the new tire on them. Once they agree to that then insist of getting rid of the old tire.

Good luck.
 
#19 ·
Lets say a certain track has a majority of left turns. So after a trackday your left side is extremely worn and the right still has lots of life left. So for us poor people an alternative to buying a new tire is flip the tire the other way and now you have a lot of life left to continue making those lefts on that track.
 
#25 ·
its been 1,000 miles so dont expect anything free especially from a dealership, just have them flip it. common mistake from the guys tryin to work too fast, im sure they noticed it when they were done and hoped you wouldnt. and rebalnce is required also
 
#26 ·
Just flip the damn thing around :facepalm


I have flipped thousands of tires. None have had issues.

I have mounted thousands of tires, and every now and then one gets mounted backwards. It happens. The mechanic is human. I would not PAY to have it flipped, but make him flip it back.

The tire will be fine.



As for the front wheel flipping...... SOME bikes the front wheel can be flipped. Some it can not (off the top of my head, at least one of the R6 models I can think of) due to caliper alignment as stated (the bearings are actually the problem, the wheel itself is symetrical). Beyond that, the rotors are directional on some bikes as well........ and the spokes are designed a given direction on still others. Also the wear on the rotors over time is in one direction, flipping the rotors can cause the rotor carriers to come apart due to the wear and changing stressing directions on them
 
#27 ·
:cheers
All Gsxr front wheels can flipped. The arrows are there so the tire and rim can be mounted the same way. The pads wear to the rotors and you might have some reduced braking when you flip it. I do it all the time on the track to save money. Only downside I see is running in the rain.
 
#28 ·
It is still a bad idea to flip the wheel, because the rotor buttons wear a certain way, and reversing that stress CAN cause failure. Not that it always will, but it can cause rotor failure.

It is best to de-mount the tire, and have it flipped on the rim if you want to flip it



Side note, I never flip front tires. I only flip rears (personally, but I have done both for customers).
 
#29 ·
Make them mount it properly or replace it, you paid them top dollar for their work and you should get what you pay for. Who cares if it is ok to run it backwards, they fucked up and should make it right. You should have noticed right away but still not your fault. Always check over your bike after someone else works on it.

I have had two differant dealerships sevice department fuck up two of my bikes this season because of new tire installs. With the CBR 600 the dealership did not tighten down the chain tension lock nuts and after 9 miles the end cap came loose and got caught up in the sprocket and tore the side of the swing arm apart wich caused the rear tire to lock up and almost threw me off the bike. I made them replace the swingarm and all hardware that was damaged, they had no problem with that.

08 GSXR 1000- Another dealership forgot to remove the weight from my wheel and spun it around on the tire machine and scratched my wheel so bad that it pulled up the powdercoating half way around the wheel. They touched it up and then showed it to me and tried to give me free labor. I made them replace it right away with a new wheel from the same year bike on their showroom floor.

I do all my own work except mounting tires. After these last two dealings with the dealership I am going to buy a front stand (I already have the rear) and take just my wheels to the local guy at the track who does suspension and tires.
 
#31 ·
There ARE tires that the belt construction shold not be flipped.

The tire you are using is not one of them.


In general, when in doubt, avoid it. But for Michelin sport tires, they are fine.


Notice in that article they are speaking of all tires..... cruiser etc. Some are Bias ply, some are radial, some are zero degree radial etc......... there are tons of different types of tires, and there are some that are advised NOT to flip. We have flipped thousands of michelin sport tires without any issues though.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top