New tire weirdness

Q

quawk

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Jan 1, 2024
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Have just purchased a new Dunlop (rear) tire. Purchased from a large online seller who also (like so many others) now sells on Ebay. Purchased as a 4.10 H 19 K81 tire. Although nowhere on the tire does it say K81 in the stamped/raised letters, it does say roadmaster TT100. Although it is not marked K81, it does have the identical tread pattern of the K81 that I removed from the wheel. The tire is marked as being made in Indonesia. Is this tire now considered the replacement for, or the same as the K81? Don't really care one way or another as I am going to go ahead and use it. I know some of these old tread pattern replica tires are considered universal, meaning they can be used front or rear. But the weird thing, as I mentioned in the thread title is, the rotation arrows indicates one direction rotation if installed on the rear, but the arrow on the other side indicates it should be installed in the opposite rotation direction if installed on the front. Can anyone weigh in here and shed some light on, what to me, are unusual directional indicators?
 
The original Dunlop K81 also went on one way for the front and the other way for the rear fitment.
Did the vendor sell this as a Dunlop tire or Dunlop “type” tire?
 
Was sold as a Dunlop tire and does have the Dunlop brand marking in molded raised lettering on the sidewall.
 
Tires. of course, are not solid, they are soft and compliant with the road and the vehicle's forces.

The direction arrows are there to ensure that the wheel's pulling loads on the tire's internal cords ("threads"} are pulled in tension, and not pushed in compression. That way a tire on the rear wheel pulls on the cords during acceleration while a front tire's wheel during heavy braking also pulls on the tire's internal cords.
 
The K81 is the TT100 tyre they also make one in a softer compound for track work.
 
quawk said:
The tire is marked as being made in Indonesia.
Click to expand...

Yes, TT100s haven't been made in England for more than thirty years. Production moved to France then Japan and now Indonesia although apparently a few are still made in France.
 
quawk said:
Have just purchased a new Dunlop (rear) tire. Purchased from a large online seller who also (like so many others) now sells on Ebay. Purchased as a 4.10 H 19 K81 tire. Although nowhere on the tire does it say K81 in the stamped/raised letters, it does say roadmaster TT100. Although it is not marked K81, it does have the identical tread pattern of the K81 that I removed from the wheel. The tire is marked as being made in Indonesia. Is this tire now considered the replacement for, or the same as the K81? Don't really care one way or another as I am going to go ahead and use it. I know some of these old tread pattern replica tires are considered universal, meaning they can be used front or rear. But the weird thing, as I mentioned in the thread title is, the rotation arrows indicates one direction rotation if installed on the rear, but the arrow on the other side indicates it should be installed in the opposite rotation direction if installed on the front. Can anyone weigh in here and shed some light on, what to me, are unusual directional indicators?
Click to expand...
All universal tyres are marked this way as far I'm aware
 
The forces are opposite on the front and rear due to the rear pushing the bike along, and the front being pushed along. The tyres are built (layered) in a certain direction in order to handling this.
 
Fast Eddie said:
The forces are opposite on the front and rear due to the rear pushing the bike along, and the front being pushed along. The tyres are built (layered) in a certain direction in order to handling this.
Click to expand...
Yep that's the theory
This is why I never use the back brake or use engine braking
🤔😉😉😉😉
 
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