A light bulb moment about Michellin MPA tires mounting

[Comanche]

I had a lightbulb moment. We have all heard that you should put the Michellin MPA tire on the trike backwards. Maybe you should mount all trike front tires backwards.

While in the trike course in Branson the instructor was talking about hydroplaning and that a trike does it so much more than a motorcycle because motorcycle front tires are designed to throw water backwards to the sides Exactly where trike rear tires are. Motorcycles do not have two rear wheels

When she said that I fully comprehended (at least I think I do understand) why you mount the tire backwards: To not displace the water in the path of the rear trike wheels.

At least this is a very plausible theory and I am going to ask the Michellin people that.

If that is the case, why not mount all trike front wheels backwards?

 

[Big_Steve]

I doubt you'll get a response from Michelin (liability worries) but please share if they do. Folks buy all makes of rear tires and mount them reversed.

Avon tyres wrote an article that said you reverse the rotation so that braking forces work with the tread splice, not against it. When I reversed mine, I was worried about hydroplaning in the front. Didn't give the rear a 2nd thought. We got caught in some rain Saturday. I went as fast as I ever intend to go in the rain, and had no hydroplaining, front or rear.

I think Skuuter (??) is waiting on word from Michelin about the idea of reversing the rotation. I hope he's not holding his breath. :no:

 

[skuuter]

I doubt you'll get a response from Michelin (liability worries) but please share if they do. Folks buy all makes of rear tires and mount them reversed.

Avon tyres wrote an article that said you reverse the rotation so that braking forces work with the tread splice, not against it. When I reversed mine, I was worried about hydroplaning in the front. Didn't give the rear a 2nd thought. We got caught in some rain Saturday. I went as fast as I ever intend to go in the rain, and had no hydroplaining, front or rear.

I think Skuuter (??) is waiting on word from Michelin about the idea of reversing the rotation. I hope he's not holding his breath. :no:

5 E-mails later, yes, I've stopped holdin' my breath..........I too, mounted my Michelin straight up on the front because of Front Tire Hydroplaning Issues. I now have over 4000 miles on the Michelin, with no visible tread wear. I only got 5000 miles out of the original stock Gold Wing Dunlop (...and hydroplaned it 3 times)...wore slick before we got Home from the TRIKE TALK RALLY in Maggie Valley this year......so far, the "Mounted-Straight-Up-Michelin" is doin' Great......:wtg:

 

[BlueTrinity]

Yep...me too! That's the way the engineers designed them and that's why too.

 

[Tango]

"Tires Directional Arrows Explained By Avon Tyres
Published by Cyril Huze August 23rd, 2009 in Builders, Editorial and Wheels.

avontyresBefore we can talk about directional arrows you must first understand a bit about tread patterns. There are many different tread patterns but there is one main reason to have any tread and that is to disperse water. (dust, dirt)

A tread pattern can be designed to disperse more water by making it rotate in only one direction. Thus, the need for directional arrows. The arrow tells you which way to mount a tire for maximum water dispersal. Another, less apparent reason for directional arrows is the tread splice.

What is a tread splice? When a tire is manufactured the tread portion of the tire starts out as a long flat strip. This strip is wrapped around the tire and the two ends are cut on an angle so one end overlaps the other rather than having square cut ends.

This overlapping point or splice offers a bigger surface area to bond together, rather than the small surface area provided by square cut ends. (Imagine gluing your fingertips together, as opposed to gluing along the entire length of your fingers laid on top of each other. Like an angled splice, the overlapping fingers result in a much stronger bond).

To further ensure the strength of this bond along the tread splice the directional arrow will show you which way to mount the tire so that when the rider is “on the gas”; the acceleration force on the rear tire is pressing the splice together, rather than peeling it back.

As for braking, 80 % of the braking should take place in the front on most bikes. Therefore, the front tread splice is run in the opposite direction than that of the rear, so when the rider is on the brakes, he’s not peeling the tread splice back.
If you are using a tire that has a directional arrow for rear rotation only and for some reason you want to put it on the front, make sure it is rotating in the opposite direction so you don’t aggravate the tread splice. "

 

[Big_Steve]

5 E-mails later, yes, I've stopped holdin' my breath..........I too, mounted my Michelin straight up on the front because of Front Tire Hydroplaning Issues. I now have over 4000 miles on the Michelin, with no visible tread wear. I only got 5000 miles out of the original stock Gold Wing Dunlop (...and hydroplaned it 3 times)...wore slick before we got Home from the TRIKE TALK RALLY in Maggie Valley this year......so far, the "Mounted-Straight-Up-Michelin" is doin' Great......:wtg:

Skuut.......

What's the email addr? Maybe if we all bombard them with emails, they'll say something?

Probably not, but it may be fun to bombard them, anyway. :innocent:

 

[Boscoporp]

I have had Michelin Piolet Activ mounted both ways (frontwards & backwards) and I couldn't tell any difference at all. But, I did get over 20,000 miles on both of them!

Just my observation!