# What do these markings on my new motorcycle tire mean?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-markings-on-my-new-motorcycle-tire-mean/74077>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 28, 2001, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-markings-on-my-new-motorcycle-tire-mean/74077 "2001-07-28T14:00:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2001, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-markings-on-my-new-motorcycle-tire-mean/74077/1 "2001-07-28T14:00:04Z")

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Normally I would not ask this here, but I’m a little desperate. I’m installing a new rear Metezler 55A Metronic motorcycle tire in a couple of hours and the place I bought it from is closed.

One side of the tire has a postage stamp-sized blue marking on the sidewall right near the bead; the other side has two side-by-side red dots, each about .25" in diameter.

These markings are obviously intentional and signify something. One of them, I know, tells me the least heavy point in the tire; that gets lined up with the valve stem. But which one? And what’s the other one for?

Thanks all.

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**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2001, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-markings-on-my-new-motorcycle-tire-mean/74077/2 "2001-07-28T14:38:27Z")

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My best guess is that the blue dot goes next to the valve stem. It’s opposite any overlapping plies inside the tire, right?

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2001, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-markings-on-my-new-motorcycle-tire-mean/74077/3 "2001-07-28T17:19:23Z")

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This might help: [Why are there all these strange dots on my tires?](http://www.trucktires.com/realanswers/97v1issue2/doctor.htm)  
Here are similar questions asked on mail lists (although they seem to spend most attention on Dunlop):

[http://www.audifans.com/archives/1997/04/msg00400.html](http://www.audifans.com/archives/1997/04/msg00400.html)  
[http://www.realbig.com/miata/miata/1997-01/1760.html](http://www.realbig.com/miata/miata/1997-01/1760.html)  
[http://www.realbig.com/miata/miata/1998-09/15.html](http://www.realbig.com/miata/miata/1998-09/15.html)

“Metezler Metronic” turned up almost nothing on Google. Based on the response from Dunlop in the mail list link, you might try to call Metezler directly or call a more local manufacturer to see if they know Metezler’s marking codes.

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**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2001, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-markings-on-my-new-motorcycle-tire-mean/74077/4 "2001-07-28T20:21:39Z")

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Try [Metzeler Motercycle Tyres](http://www.metzeler.de/). You may need a web translation page if you are as linguistically challenged as I am.

I never realized tires were so complex. Interesting links, **tomndebb**.