Which way does front wheel roll?

[dsc]

I was planning to take off my front wheel for a new tire. So I took a closer look at the wheel to find an easy way to tell which way it's supposed to go back on. I noticed the cross section for the spokes are U shaped, with the open end on the top spoke facing forward. See pic. The rear wheel has the spokes facing the opposite way (open end of the U on top spoke facing rearward).

Is my front wheel on backwards? Is it even physically possible to mount it backwards?

 

[geekmaster]

Here's what mine looks like ...

 

[Bert-Aus]

The openings should be on the trailing edge of the spoke,

 

[Scott_Thomas]

I was planning to take off my front wheel for a new tire. So I took a closer look at the wheel to find an easy way to tell which way it's supposed to go back on. I noticed the cross section for the spokes are U shaped, with the open end on the top spoke facing forward. See pic. The rear wheel has the spokes facing the opposite way (open end of the U on top spoke facing rearward).

Is my front wheel on backwards? Is it even physically possible to mount it backwards?

Haven't had to replace mine yet, but if the tire is directional there should be a marking with arrows. My z28 had directional tires and were marked with arrows.

Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2

 

[dsc]

Yep, wheel is on backwards.

Took another look and found a small arrow on one of the spokes. Wheel is on backwards, so the spoke is catching air as it rolls.

 

[leem00]

Took another look and found a small arrow on one of the spokes. Wheel is on backwards, so the spoke is catching air as it rolls.

Make sure the tire is mounted correctly...most motorcycle tires are directional too!

 

[BoneJj]

I take it you bought the bike this way?

That seems pretty crazy that it would be like that.

Makes me want to go check the rims on my bike... Will do this after I get some sleep for once tonight.

 

[dsc]

Bought it used last summer and that's how it came.

Will rectify the situation when I get new tires soon.

 

[dreasi0n]

Just be careful as wrong installed tires are specially bad with rain and wet road as the water escape works the opposite way and instead of driving water away from the wheel they add the water under the wheel.

 

[MNGreg]

Took another look and found a small arrow on one of the spokes. Wheel is on backwards, so the spoke is catching air as it rolls.

Yep, there is a tiny arrow on the sidewall. You want that arrow pointing forward.

 

[dsc]

Yep, there is a tiny arrow on the sidewall. You want that arrow pointing forward.

And it needs to point forward when the arrow is on the top of the wheel in rotation, not the bottom like it is on mine.

 

[dsc]

Was curious... Would it be bad to flip the wheel around to get the existing tire rolling in the right direction? My BT021 are due for replacement, so I'll replace the tire. But if someone in a similar situation with tires that still had good tread, would reversing the tire orientation cause the tire to fail?

 

[JSP]

I believe as well as the wet handling saftey... there is the issue of how the tire is built. They are directional and the belts are lapped a certain way I believe. They are designed to have the force in the one direction. It all depends on the tire though and how it was made.

 

[dreasi0n]

To be honest I believe there is no problem in turning the tire around to have it in the correct rolling direction. If there is, maybe someone can correct me.

But I can bet that safety/grip with rain/wet conditions is severely affected on a wrong direction rolling.

If it was me, if I needed to keep that tire, I would install it in the correct way. The only time I've kissed the tarmac was because of a wrong installed tire in the front and I'm traumatized by that...

 

[yellowfz]

OP is talking about the rim I think? Don't think it matters which way the spokes are facing there is no directional to the rim per se, other than the arrow you found.
Cutouts face rearward, is correct.