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  • #1

    Front Tire on Rear?

    My Bagger project has a Dunlop D404F tire on the rear. The tire clearly says on the sidewall that it is for front use only.

    Is this unusual? Unacceptable? What makes a front tire different than the rear?

    Another problem....I can't understand the DOT date code. It is 5644? The 56th week of 1944? I can't find any other numbers that would be the right date code.
    -Mike
    _________
    '79 XS1100SF 20k miles
    '80 XS1100SG 44k miles
    '81 XS1100H Venturer 35k miles
    '79 XS750SF 17k miles
    '85 Honda V65 Magna ~7k miles
    '84 Honda V65 Magna 48k miles (parts bike)
    '86 Yamaha VMAX 9k miles

    Previous: '68 Motoguzzi 600cc + '79 XS750SF 22k miles +'84 Honda V65
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Mike That tire will not last very long on the rear. Keep looking for the manufacture date.
    Phil
    1981 XS1100 H Venturer ( Addie)
    1983 XJ 650 Maxim
    2004 Kawasaki Concours. ( Black Bear)

    Comment

    • #3
      Originally posted by Radioguylogs View Post
      My Bagger project has a Dunlop D404F tire on the rear. The tire clearly says on the sidewall that it is for front use only.

      Is this unusual? Unacceptable? What makes a front tire different than the rear?

      Another problem....I can't understand the DOT date code. It is 5644? The 56th week of 1944? I can't find any other numbers that would be the right date code.
      Take a closer look at the DOT number. I got a bike a while back with a brand new 130/90/16 front tire on the rear. Put it on ebay for $50 and some Harley rider snapped it up. That's what it fits on.
      Greg

      Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

      ― Albert Einstein

      80 SG Ol' Okie;79 engine & carbs w/pods, 45 pilots, 140 mains, Custom Mac 4 into 2 exhaust, ACCT,XS850 final drive,110/90/19 front tire,TKat fork brace, XS750 140 MPH speedometer, Vetter IV fairing, aftermarket hard bags and trunk, LG high back seat, XJ rear shocks.

      The list changes.

      Comment

      • #4
        Originally posted by Radioguylogs View Post
        ... I can't understand the DOT date code. It is 5644? The 56th week of 1944? I can't find any other numbers that would be the right date code.
        Mike,

        You're looking at the wrong code on the tire.

        On your Dunlop, first look for the DOT raised stamp.

        To its right, there will probably be a 4-digit alphanumeric code, followed again by another 8-digit alphanumeric code placed inside a long oval shape.

        This 8-digit code is the one you want, and its last four digits will tell you the manufacture date of the tire.

        The entire sequence will look something like this:

        DOT EUM5 (+NA7M2705+)

        In this example, the tire was manufactured in the 27th week of 2005.

        Of course, this info assumes the tire was manufactured in the year 2000 or later. If before the year 2000, the code gets a little funky.

        But then ... you'd be replacing it anyway ...

        Hope that helps!
        Marco

        Current bikes:
        1979 Yamaha XS Eleven Special (SF)
        1979 Honda CBX
        2002 Kawasaki ZRX1200R

        Rest in Peace, Don Glardon (DGXSER) 1966-2014
        WE MISS YOU, DON

        Comment

        • #5
          I accidentally ended up with a front tire on the back of my XS11. It was completely worn out in 1500 miles. It's just not going to work.
          Marty (in Mississippi)
          XS1100SG
          XS650SK
          XS650SH
          XS650G
          XS6502F
          XS650E

          Comment

          • #6
            Marty had the wrong tire put on his bike. It happens. Replace it.
            1979 XS1100F
            2H9 Mod, Truck-Lite LED Headlight, TECHNA-FIT S/S Brake Lines, Rear Air Shocks, TKAT Fork Brace, Dyna DC-I Coils, TC Fuse Block, Barnett HD Clutch Springs, Superbike Handlebars, V-Star 650 ACCT, NGK Irridium Plugs, OEM Exhaust. CNC-Cut 2nd Gear Dogs; Ported/Milled Head; Modded Airbox: 8x8 Wix Panel Filter; #137.5 Main Jet, Viper Yellow Paint, Michelin Pilot Activ F/R, Interstate AGM Battery, 14MM MC, Maier Fairing, Cree LED Fog Lights.

            Comment

            • #7
              Ahhhhh... I see

              Thanks, guys for being so helpful.

              Marco: Once you described what I was looking for, it was easy to find/understand the DOT date code. I found NA7M1806 -> 18th week of 2006. Not as new as the PO had stated (~4years). I was interested in the age to determine if it had an resale value.

              Greg: Yup- exact same tire 130/90/16 Helpful to know it's marketable as an old Harley tire with almost no miles.

              Overall, sounds like the consensus of what is different for a front tire is longevity. So I compared the tread with my Spitfire rear tire and noted the surface area ratio of rubber to grooves is much lower on the front tire than the rear tire- makes sense- more rubber wears longer, less critical for water in the rear.
              -Mike
              _________
              '79 XS1100SF 20k miles
              '80 XS1100SG 44k miles
              '81 XS1100H Venturer 35k miles
              '79 XS750SF 17k miles
              '85 Honda V65 Magna ~7k miles
              '84 Honda V65 Magna 48k miles (parts bike)
              '86 Yamaha VMAX 9k miles

              Previous: '68 Motoguzzi 600cc + '79 XS750SF 22k miles +'84 Honda V65

              Comment

              • #8
                Wow.. A tire thread about incorrect placement of a tire and people haven't come out of the woodwork telling them they were going to "crash and DIE!!"

                Good job people. I'm proud of you.

                But just remember, if you do run that front tire on the back and put 40 psi in it, you'll CRASH AND DIE, DIE, DIE!!!

                Instigator out.
                Try your hardest to be the kind of person your dog thinks you are.

                You can live to be 100, as long as you give up everything that would make you want to live to be 100!

                Current bikes:
                '06 Suzuki DR650
                *'82 XJ1100 with the 1179 kit. "Mad Maxim"
                '82 XJ1100 Completely stock fixer-upper
                '82 XJ1100 Bagger fixer-upper
                '82 XJ1100 Motor/frame and lots of boxes of parts
                '82 XJ1100 Parts bike
                '81 XS1100 Special
                '81 YZ250
                '80 XS850 Special
                '80 XR100
                *Crashed/Totalled, still own

                Comment

                • #9
                  Originally posted by Radioguylogs View Post

                  Overall, sounds like the consensus of what is different for a front tire is longevity. So I compared the tread with my Spitfire rear tire and noted the surface area ratio of rubber to grooves is much lower on the front tire than the rear tire- makes sense- more rubber wears longer, less critical for water in the rear.

                  Well, it's usually a case of several things, but generally, the front tire has a much lighter load rating than the rear tires do, as well as different compounds. A tire working past it's load rating is going to wear a lot faster than , well.. the right tire for the job. That being said, I've never seen much more wear out of a D404 than 1500 miles anyway on the rear.
                  Try your hardest to be the kind of person your dog thinks you are.

                  You can live to be 100, as long as you give up everything that would make you want to live to be 100!

                  Current bikes:
                  '06 Suzuki DR650
                  *'82 XJ1100 with the 1179 kit. "Mad Maxim"
                  '82 XJ1100 Completely stock fixer-upper
                  '82 XJ1100 Bagger fixer-upper
                  '82 XJ1100 Motor/frame and lots of boxes of parts
                  '82 XJ1100 Parts bike
                  '81 XS1100 Special
                  '81 YZ250
                  '80 XS850 Special
                  '80 XR100
                  *Crashed/Totalled, still own

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    me 2

                    Strange I am in the same situation I just found a front Dunlop 491 on the rear of the 79 I just picked up. Ordered new tires I was not sure if this was OK to do now I know
                    Last edited by Eastcoaster; 02-08-2016, 08:47 PM.
                    82 XJ1100J
                    81 Venturer
                    Newly acquired Aches N Pains collection

                    Comment

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