Tire Mounting

[Kannon]

Hello all, I am a long time rider but just bought my first Moto Guzzi (a 2002 LeMans) I have always lusted after one and now I finally own one.

I am about to mount new tires and I noticed somthing very strange (to me) in my owners manual. I quote exactly from page 94 of the 2002 owners book - - --

"Some tires have an arrow moulded on the sidewall, in these cases the tires should be mounted as follows: rear wheel: arrow pointing in the direction of rotation. front wheel: arrow pointing against the direction of rotation."

 

Is this correct? I have mounted a lot of motorcycle tires in my time and always mounted both tires with the directional arrow pointing in the direction of forward rotation.

Can someone clear this up for me?

 

Thanks, and I look forward to being and active part of this excellent forum!

 

Bruce B.

[Martin Barrett]

I think a long time ago I did come across tyres that were as you describe when front and rears were the same size (?)

 

I don't think that is the case anymore. I think tyres are so specalised now that your front tyre isn't used as a rear fitment on smaller models as it might have been in the past.

 

I could allways be wrong

[pete roper]

It's nice to see that *someone* reads the owners' manual

 

Unfortunately, as Martin sez, that's just plain wrong. Modern tyres are designed for front or rear use, the carcasses are constructed so that the rears have greater strength for accelerative loadings and the fronts for dealing with the braking forces. Both will be marked with directional indicators and should be mounted on their respective wheels using those as the guide, not the ramblings of some antedeluvian half-wit in the Mandello Print-works and Pizza shop where Guzzi get the books made!!!!

 

Pete