Dunlop Sportmax Q2's tread pattern freaked me out

As I understand it, for all street tires made for bikes, the rear tire's tread is configured to control water during acceleration and normal riding, and the front tire tread is made to control water during braking...and that is it. You shouldn't be riding in so much water that it overwhelms the treads in a turn...go slower so that you are using the center contact patch if there is that much water on the road. We wouldn't even need treads except for water (unless you are doing off road riding)...hence slicks for race use.

Here is a picture I stole from that same thread. Thank you "gweedo"


http://www.apriliaforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2536161&postcount=1

That really looks like it would take the water around the center contact point and channel it right into the center of the tire. I'm sure the tire engineer's know what they are doing, but sure looks backwards to me. And when you see the rear side by side it is the exact same pattern only reversed.

like I said, front tire tread is designed for braking...opposite of rear tire tread.

Don't think about the rotation but the resistance to rotation that is imparted by the wheel. If it is the rear wheel, power is generated and the tire is resisting rotation and that interaction takes place in the treads contact with the ground. The front wheel brake is applied and the resistance to rotation acts in exactly the opposite direction for the front wheels tread contact.

If you were doing a burn-out, how would the tread throw water with the rear tire? Locking up the front tire would cause the tread to throw water in a roughly similar fashion (although it is the ground moving and the tire holding still as opposed to the tire moving and the ground staying). You don't ever want to lock up your front tire, but when you apply your brakes, the resistance to rotation is trying to do that, only stopped by the friction with the ground, but the pressure on the tire treads by the ground is going to be exactly the opposite of the pressure by the rear tire on the treads during acceleration.

Not all tire manufacturers have decided that a reversed tread is better, but a lot of them have definitely different treads on the front and rear, for exactly this purpose...to increase braking ability in wet weather. They have done crap loads of tests on each of these treads, I'm sure, and I can guarantee that when they are testing the wet traction of a tire, the tests will include no load rolling over water and braking over water since I don't know of any front wheel drive motorcycles... The rear tire may be tested for acceleration, no load, and braking, but I'm sure that the acceleration and no load handling are much more important, considering how much braking affect comes from rear brake.

The Michelin Road Pilot 2 also seems backward - but I'm sure they know what they're doing. I saw two Harleys with the same tires. Strange part was that the front tire tread on one was upside down compared to the other - on tires that had the exact same brand and marking and, according to the directional arrrows, were correctly mounted. The Harley tech said Harley produced the tire both ways and their customers found that the one that appears to channel water to the centreline worked best. Nice R&D program .....

I put BT-016's on my last bike and they were the same reverse pattern from front to back. I think Maximmagnum is correct.