How to read the information molded into the motorcycle tire sidewall so you know exactly what you’re looking at starting with the Dunlop American Elite 2 or AE2 as it’s commonly referred. It’s a dual-compound tire, meaning the center tread uses a harder rubber compound than the sides. Now let’s break down what all the numbers and markings on the sidewall mean.

Directional Arrow and Balance Dot

Most modern motorcycle tires are directional. Look for the arrow on the sidewall—it tells you which direction the tire must rotate.

Dunlop also marks a yellow balance dot on the tire. That dot indicates the lightest part of the tire. When mounting the tire, align that dot with the valve stem, which is typically the heaviest point on the wheel. Matching the lightest part of the tire with the heaviest part of the wheel minimizes the amount of weight needed during balancing.

Occasionally, if everything lines up perfectly, the tire may not require additional weight and will spin true on the balancer. That’s ideal—but as a rule of thumb, always align the balance dot with the valve stem during installation.

Decoding Tire Size

This tire reads: 180/55B16 MC 80H

Here’s what that means:

• 180 – The tire width in millimeters (mm). This tire measures 180mm wide
• 55 – The aspect ratio. The tire’s height equals 55 percent of its width. In this case, 55 percent of 180mm
• 16 – The wheel (rim) diameter in inches

That format remains consistent regardless of size. If you see a 130/70-18, for example, the first number is always width in millimeters, the second is a percentage of that width, and the last number is wheel diameter.

Now let’s look at 80H, which indicates load and speed ratings.

• 80 – Load index. In this case, 80 equals 992 pounds. That’s the maximum load capacity for this tire
• H – Speed rating. H means the tire is rated for sustained speeds up to 130 mph

Load and speed ratings don’t follow a logical numerical progression, so don’t feel bad if you need to look them up. I do. When we receive tires in the shop, I’ll often Google the load index to confirm the rating. What matters is that the tire can safely sustain that speed with that load—according to the manufacturer’s testing.

Date Code: The Most Important Marking

The marking that inspired this TechTip is the date code. Every DOT-approved tire carries a four-digit date code stamped into the sidewall:

• The first two numerical digits represent the manufactured week (03)
• The last two numerical digits represent the manufactured year (25)

For example, a code reading 0325 means the tire was built in the third week of 2025.

The Department of Transportation considers roughly four years to be the practical shelf life for installing a “new” tire. Tires age even when stored properly. Rubber hardens over time.

We regularly see customers who purchased deeply discounted tires online, only to discover they’re seven or eight years old. Reputable dealerships monitor date codes and rotate inventory so they sell the oldest stock first, preventing aged tires from sitting unsold.

Always check the date code when buying tires—and especially when buying a used motorcycle. We recently serviced a 2010 bike that still wore its original tires. The tread looked great, and the bike had low miles—but the tires were 15 years old. That’s a safety issue.

If you ride often, you’ll likely wear out your tires before they age out. But if your bike spends long periods in storage, monitor those date codes closely.

In our shop, we check tire date codes every time a bike goes on the lift. It’s a simple habit that prevents bigger problems.

Now you can read your tire’s size, load rating, speed rating, and manufacturing date with confidence. Manufacturers include additional markings—plant codes, serial numbers, and internal identifiers—but the information covered here appears on every tire you buy.

Know what you’re running. It matters. HB

Sources:
Motorwitch Industries
motorwitchindustries.com

Dunlop Tires
dunlopmotorcycletires.com