Tire Mounting Red Dots

[Bob_Roller]

I have a question about the red dot the manufacturer puts on the sidewall of the tires.

Is the dot supposed to be adjacent to the valve stem, or 180 degrees from it ?

It was a nice day here in Phoenix, and I washed the oilhead, and one of the cages (Z-3).

On the oilhead, the dots are adjacent to the valve stem, and the Z-3 has them 180 degrees from the valve stem ( original factory installed tires).

I remember getting into a discussion at an airheads tech day here in Phoenix with the Arizona 'airmarshall' and I was repeatedly told that I was wrong in thinking the dot should be at the valve stem.

Anybody have an idea what it's supposed to be

[Ed Miller]

Snowbum says the red dot goes by the valve stem.  Note 12, here:

http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/catch.htm

[Bob_Roller]

Thanks Ed,

This particular airmarshall was quite an arrogant S O B ( in my opinion !), and after this technical discussion ( which degraded rapidly !) , I was told in no uncertain terms, that I was to leave immediately, and that I was not welcome at any Arizona airhead gatherings as long as he was the Arizona airmarshall.


I feel somewhat vindicated by reading it from a  reliable source.

[Justin B.]

Bob, I'm impressed!  I haven't been banned from anywhere in years so I gladly pass my "Curmudgeon Poobah" hat to you!  

I do remember reading somewhere that some manufacturers mark the "light" spot so it would then go 180 degrees from the stem hole.  I have never been able to get this verified and was always "taught" that the spot is at the heavy point and installs by the valve-stem.

[airhead]

Just had four new tyres put on one of the cages, all have the red dot adjacent to the valve. At the shop I help out at, red dot by the valve. Always believed the red dot goes by the valve.

Bill......................;-)

[Semper Gumby]

...and click your heels three times and say "there's no place like home, there's no place...."

[MrRiden]

Yippie! different kind of tire [tyre] thread! Ok heres what I know 'bout the secret world of rubber doughnuts. The dot is most often located to indicate the supposed light spot on the tire. Conventional wisdom suggests that the valve stem is the heavy part of the tube. Line these two up [stem & dot] for balancing. Some manufactures may have a number of dots ie a red and a yellow dot on the same tire. Yer on yer own there. I've even seen blue dots as well. Tubes also have a colored band running 'round the circumference oddly enough. Go check that spare tube you have youll see it. I have suspicions about this being some sort of runout mark but really can't say. A nice tidy tech blurb 'bout these marks alone is whats needed. You all really need to have Justin B's balancer it's a gem! Heres what Dunlop has to say and the Pirelli & Metzler sites echo the dot placement.
rich
http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.com/infocenter_tiretips.asp?id=16
http://www.us.pirelli.com/en_US/browser/attachments/pdf/PIRELLI_FULL_07.pdf
http://www.us.metzelermoto.com/product_info/pcare/safety/index.htm#17

[MrRiden]

Also fond out that when there is a yellow & a red dot, the yellow dot is the light point on the tire and the red dot indicates the high spot on the tire. The red dot takes priority and gets mounted at the low spot on the rim as indicated by a [sometimes white] mark inside the rim or as measured. something like this

rich