Mixing tyres

[Mouse]

My 1200 came with Dunlop D607 tyres on it, and now after 4000 miles the rear is pretty much dead.

I was thinking of trying the much loved Tourances, but there's no point replacing the front tyre as it has loads of life left in it. So my question is - is there any reason I shouldn't mix a dunlop front with a tourance rear?

 

[Fanum]

The tyre manufacturers advise against it...so even if thereweren't any real reasons not to do it, you could have insurance problems if you had an 'off' and they realised.

From a practical p.o.v, I suppose you'd have tyres with different characteristics f to r.....a sticky front and a dual purpose rear could get you into trouble grip wise.

I have no idea about how true their claims that the tyres are 'sposed to be designed to work together, or if mis-matched tyres would give you any problems because of it (harmonic vibrations maybe? )

Personall I might risk mixing two similar tyres if I had to, (anakee and tourence for example), but not two different styles of tyres .

(In fact, I have an anakee front in my shed still from when I took a worn out rear off and went to a pair of tourences.)

 

[MasterDabber]

I think the perceived wisdom is that you shouldn't do it.
Certainly all the tyre manufacturers put in disclaimers against any responsibilty should you do it.

Is it really a problem? I would have thought that some mixes were probably not too much of a problem but others you would have totally different (and incompatible) characteristics front and back.

 

[CoolCarbon]

The choice, as Fanum said, is yours and you MAY have possible issues with them thar Insurance type persons.....

However as far as handling problems mixing and matching...

As you can maybe see on CC I, I had a Trailwing on the front and a 160/60ZR17 '020' on the rear (this was before anyone made a road tyre for the 19" front wheel on the GS).....

I had no problems what so ever.. though some may consider this foolhardy....! I did best part of 15,000 miles with this combo with all sorts of loading and in all sorts of conditions...

I tend to use all of my tyre and the Trailwing/020 mix/match worked for me until I swopped the wheels to Alloys .....

HTH.

CC



And yes I know the fence needs weeding...but I don't live there anymore so couldn't give a sh@t....

 

[Mouse]

Hmm, good points ... I shall probably get another rear 607 to see me through winter and then buy a full set in the spring.

I didn't realise that the dunlops and tourances were different types - I assumed they were both road biased dual sport sort of things.

Of course I am aware that you shouldn't mix tyres of different construction types - eg radial and cross ply.

Thanks for the advice, helpful as ever

 

[Fanum]

Of course I am aware that you shouldn't mix tyres of different construction types - eg radial and cross ply.

That's on the same axle.........

 

[Straypuss]

Rubber boogie

I'm running a Trail Wing front with an Exedra rear at the moment. Handles fine stable into 3 figures. Once upon a time everybody mixed and matched TT100/Roadrunner Mich/SM etc......well I did never gave it a though. A wee bit of me thinks that since riding bikes became a fashionable boy racer/chavbiker thing there has been an increase in the keeping market share and dealer profit thing. Why repair when more cash replacing. I ran my Bandit12 for two years on tyres from the local dealers ripoff pile even sold some for petrol money!

 

[ELIMINATOR]

I have a pair of Trailwings on the GS. But I have had other bikes with mismatched tyres, and when changed to a pair noticed sod all difference in handling or braking. As to the insurance comments, they are probably correct, but it is just the case of the insurers screwing us.

 

[Mzokk]

It ain't illegal to mix tyres from various manufacturers. The only legal requirement is. Crossply on front, crossply bias belted or radial on the rear. Bias Belted front, bias belted or radial on the rear. Radial front, radial on the rear. As long as the tyres have a legal amount of tread on them the insurers should not have an issue.

 

[MikeO]

The insurers might have a problem if you had a tyre with a lower speed rating then the OEM.

The 607 is a 'dual sport' tyre Bill, and I'd personally have no hardship mixing them with Tourances, Anakees etc. I might draw the line at a road tyre like a Battlax 020, though...

Mike

 

[cookie]

Re: Rubber boogie

I'm running a Trail Wing front with an Exedra rear at the moment. Handles fine stable into 3 figures. Once upon a time everybody mixed and matched TT100/Roadrunner Mich/SM etc......well I did never gave it a though. A wee bit of me thinks that since riding bikes became a fashionable boy racer/chavbiker thing there has been an increase in the keeping market share and dealer profit thing. Why repair when more cash replacing. I ran my Bandit12 for two years on tyres from the local dealers ripoff pile even sold some for petrol money!

dead right.

i have an anakee on the front of my PD & a shagged T66 on the back. works just as well as when it had 2 new anakees IMO.

well, nearly if i was being VERY picky i suppose.
of course the old airhead (and me these days) does not really lend itself to high speed testing, so results may differ over 110mph