addendum to install of new Michelin Tires

Gentlemen,

As a followup to my post where I installed 2 new Michelin Power Pure SC tires, along with photos, I have a question about tires orientation.

photos for reference here: https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ags0n2CJN4h4sy1NezSbqgM0bh5o

These dual compound tires have markings on the tire sidewalls to ensure that they are correctly oriented as they have a directional tread pattern.
As you can see in the photo of the rear tire, which is correctly mounted, the center of the tire has tread cuts that gradually expand toward the outer edge of the tire. If my understanding is correct, as the tire rolls, the cuts (or oversized sipes) are designed so that the area where the cuts are the closest together, touch down 1st, and then as the tire rolls, the grooves widen, and then this happens once the next se of grooves comes along. The idea is that if the tire rolls on a wet surface, that the water is forced into these grooves, closest together first, and then as the tire rolls, and the grooves run toward the outer edge of the tire, that this water is evacuated out away from the tire, to try and minimize hydroplaning.

When you look at the front tire, it is mounted correctly, according to the directional markings on the tire sidewall, yet when looking at the tread pattern, the grooves seem to behave in exactly the opposite manner as those on the rear tire, in that the grooves that are farthest apart, contact the road first and then eventually the area of the tire where the grooves are narrowest.

This seems counterintuitive to my way of thinking.

Can anyone knowledgeable, explain to me why this is?

Thank you very much.

Reg

I haven't looked at your photos, but someone asked me about my front tyre pointing the "wrong way" not long ago. This is the answer I gave him and it seems to fit?

The rotation was correct, but what he failed to realise was that we only use the central one and a half inches of the tread when travelling upright.

When leaned over in a turn, the sipes can squeegee water towards the centre of the tyre as that will not be in contact with the road surface. If you then take into account the effect of braking and/or accelerating whilst turning, then the sipes on the sides can be angled to suit.