Tire Rotation question

[iwannaride]

I have a set of Dunlop 208's on my bike and ever since I had them put on they have felt wierd. they have seem to slip on cerain corners and In the rain they really suck. They don't have many miles on them either. I know in the rain they are going to be perfect but at low speeds just going around corners they seem to slid. I noticed today that the rotation is backwards. The tire has been mounted backwards anf i have just noticed it. Does anyone know if this is my main issue. also no the tire is really scalloped and it is worn really bad.
thanks

[akira700]

My 208ZRss were mounted correctly and I found they slid around alot in wet slick conditions. Came close to some high slide situations while not even going fast or even giving too much throttle.
Almost went down in turn 2 at Louden in the rain with a wicked fish tail slide.

Never felt totally confident with them. After mounting this year a pair of new Pilot Powers, I'm never going back to 208s,
they are garbage.

-ak

[ZX-12R]

208's came stock on my bike and I did not like them. They took forever to heat up and were extremely slick in the rain. Even after mild riding for half an hour, I could still break the rear loose nearly any time I wanted to.

I am currently running Diablo Corsas and would recommend them to anyone. They heat up fast, have excellent grip in the rain (normal Diablos are better in the rain though), and are rock solid even under throttle at full lean. I even managed to get around 3500 miles out of a rear which I am having changed tomorrow by Jim Pidgeon. The slightly less stickly but longer lasting normal Diablo is also a very good tire.

Since I have heard so much about them but haven't had the chance to try them yet, I'll try out the Pilot Powers the next time I put on a full set of tires which will likely be near the beginning of next season.

[iwannaride]

Thanks for the input. I lost it last week going about 5-10 mph in dry conditions. I have had them before and have had no problem now I am pissed that they were mounted incorrectly and from what Dunlop is telling me they should be tossed and replaced. Well i guess its time to look into new rubber for next year.
thanks again for your input.

[Awesome]

they're directional tires, if the arrows didn't matter they wouldn't have them. Running them the wrong way probably has negative effects on the tire that can't be fixed by switching it back.

[Paul_E_D]

Well, I'm not so sure about this. I know racers who flip their dunlops around after the left side is worn and continue to race with them on backwards.

I personally would never do this, but the fact that some do seems to negate the theory that running them backwards makes them less grippy.

If they are heavily scalloped my bet is that your wheels are not aligned. This can cause unpredictable handling like you describe.

The best way to check them is to measure from the center of the swingarm pivot to the center of the rear axle on each side of the bike.

Oh yeah, there's a good chance the tires aren't round as well. Dunlop is know for inconsistent quality...

[gmdboston]

When Dunlop first produced the 208 the marketing dept wanted the tread one way and the enginneers wanted it the other. The marketing dept won the battle so we used to put the front tire on "backwards" to reduce chatter. The tire lasted longer and gripped the way the engineers designed it to. The next season the tires came with the arrow pointing the other way...go figure... Mounting it backwards will not affect your grip at all, both wet and dry. Remember they are the DOT version of the Supersport racing tire and they all suck in the wet. There are very few rain sipes and almost non on the edges so even a small amount of water will cause hydroplaning. If your tires are sliding in the dry, on the street then either they are not getting up to temp, you pressure is way off, ( we run 31 front, 27 rear on the 208-209's in a 120/190 combination) or you're riding on oil and anti freeze left by leaking cars and certain Amercan made farm equipment...I mean motorcycles.

[ChR1s]

I thought people ran the 207s backwards, so Dunlop "flipped" the 208? Maybe I have that backwards.

BTW, I found the D208ZRs (vs. D208GP) to work okay in the wet. I woudn't run them on the track though.

[Karaya One]

Remember this - race tires have a very finite life span. You can get away with "flipping" the tire due to the tires short life.

BUT - tires were built with a certain direction in mind. The way the casing is constructed, to put it as simple as possible, would resemble a roll of paper towels.

Rolled one way, the roll tightens up, and rolled another it comes apart.

The tension inherent in a casing is what gives it its strength. Go against it, and EVENTUALLY you can have a problem.

Slicks can be confusing because a mold for one tire can be used to construct another, and the arrow may go the opposite way of prefferred fitment.

[iwannaride]

Thanks for all the advice. The tires are worn down on one side and they are scalloped and the just feel very slippery. I am bullshit that they were installed the wrong way and i guess i need to get new onw now
thanks
again

[SVRACER01]

i ran 208s in the rain at Loudon and won so i guess i dont see the problem.
i have noticed on the street when the tarmac is cold tht Dunny seem to slide a little but they are awesome on the track.
are you sure the WHEEL isnt on backwards? you didnt say which tire was on backwards so im am guessing the front. i know its possible to mount the wheel backwards (Dan ) and still have everything work and "fit" but the alignment could be off

[iwannaride]

well the wheel looks like its on the right way but the tire is on backwards. the tire had a few miles on it when i got it and the rep from dunlop says if you put them on new and ride on them and then change it will mess up the traction and the way it handles

[SVRACER01]

there should be a directional arrow on the wheel as well, prolly on a spoke