Going double dark
Single darkside is a car tire on the rear. Double darkside adds a rear motorcycle tire on the front wheel. Some riders mount it backward against its rotation arrow, and some, like me, mount it the way the arrow points. It's the setup I run.
Why a rear tire up front
It's the same reason that gets people onto a car tire in the first place. Rear tires are built for more weight and more wear, so they usually last longer than a front.
Arrow forward or arrow backward?
This is the argument that never ends on the forums, and there are good riders on both sides.
Reverse it
A rear tire is built to take force in one direction, the engine pushing it forward. On the front, the big force is braking, which pulls the other way. Flip the tire around and the braking load hits it the way it was built for. That's the reasoning this camp gives.
Follow the arrow
The tread is designed to move water out from under the tire in one direction. Run it backward and you're working against that design. This camp also figures the arrow on the sidewall is the one instruction the tire maker gave you, so why ignore it.
I'm in camp two. My BT46 runs the way the arrow points, and I've been pleased with it. No wobble, no weird wear, no trouble so far. Neither camp has the tire makers on its side, since none of them approve a rear tire on the front at all. Pick your camp, then watch your tire.
What riders report
Kenda 671, reversed
One rider reports it cupped badly and turned into the noisiest tire they'd ever ridden, by about 6,000 km. Worth hearing before you pick a cheap rear for the front.
GoldwingDocsRear-pattern tire near stock size
Riders report a rear tire close to the stock 150/80-17, mounted with the arrow reversed. One rider reports a 130/70-17 rear.
Valkyrie RidersBrad's Gold Wing, double dark
- Bike
- Honda Gold Wing GL1800
- Rear
- Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season, 195/55R16. Shop on Amazon
- Front
- Bridgestone Battlax BT46 rear tire, 130/70-18, mounted with the rotation arrow as marked. No difficulties so far. View on Amazon
I bought the Pirelli from SimpleTire and the BT46 on Amazon, then mounted both myself in the garage. I run the BT46 the way its arrow points, and I've been very happy with how the bike rides on this setup.
Bias front, radial rear: does it matter on a bike?
A lot of rear motorcycle tires are bias-ply, and every car tire is radial. So most double dark bikes end up mixing the two. Here's what I found when I looked into whether that matters.
Read the postA front tire problem is worse than a rear one. If you try this, check the load and speed ratings against your bike's front axle rating, watch the tread closely for cupping, and don't run a front past the point you'd replace a stock tire.