Mixing up Tires? Different front and back

[snerkler]

Wise words maybe...

But you haven't specified whether the "black plastic thingy" needs to be mounted on the handle bars left or right hand side oh "esteemed and learned one"...

That all depends on whether you're on knobblies or road tyres. If you're on mix 'n match you might want it in the middle, or not at all

 

[bowser]

Mixing tyres will make your bike handle and feel awful. Tyre profiles are all different - this is why some tyres fall into turns so sweetly (steeper profiles tyres), and why some are harder work to turn but are very stable at speed.
Obviously a pair of tyres are designed to work together and will share the same profile so will handle well as a pair.
Whilst mixing different makes of tyres is not in its self dangerous, the two different profiles will clash - the front will be trying to turn while the back is doing something else or whatever. Handling wil be compromised. In my book, its a pretty daft idea.

What complete and utter rubbish, people have been mixing and matching tyres for years, it is true that some combinations wont be as good but equaly some will be better.

Follow basic rules, DONT ever mix crossply and radial, and it probably not a good idea to mix tyre types so a road tyre and a tkc would not work. But other than that no problem.

I run a metzler on the front of my harley and a conti on the rear and have done for years, its a combination that works really well.

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

I run a metzler on the front of my harley and a conti on the rear and have done for years, its a combination that works really well.

Yeah....................but......................that's on a Harley.................






















Andres

 

[Sgt Bilco]

so a road tyre and a tkc would not work. .

Ah but the strange thing is it does work Ok on teh roads North will be riding.

From my experience up there, you want as much grip on the front as possible and it don't really matter on the back

 

[stevec]

agree totally,
but we arnt talkin about racing really are we?
we are on about fat lardy bikes wi fat lardy men on, the sheer weight alone should pin em to the ground
a sets better, but i gotta say iv never had a prob with mix n match either, (yet)

Actually with racing, you push the limits because you know the circuit and you can

On the road you push the limit because you don't know the road and you made a mistake. You don't want that to be the time to find out the limits of your tyre combination and exceed them.

Motorcycling is all about increasing the odds in your favour. Uncontrolled tyre combinations certainly goes solidly against that philosophy

 

[Vern]

Right,we are talking mixing tyres on a GS. so that would be a 110/80-19 on the front and a 150/70-17 on the back,maybe even a 140 on the back.

Racing has got feck all to do with the subject(however,when I was racing,we used to use whatever we could get hold of cheap and make the most of it)

I haven't looked,but I don't think there is a wide range of profiles available in the GS sizes,so what are you going to put on to make it handle like a death trap.

Greg,quite right,I've seen rally cars win on slicks on sheet ice in the monte carlo.Crap on the ice,but feck me didn't they go once it got dry!

 

[Giles]

So then,a pair of tourances,back one worn,new front.That'll make the bike handle badly will it?

What about a new back and a worn front.Will that be a death trap?

The back can only steer when sliding,otherwise it will follow the headstock whatever you do.

Stop talking such bollox!

LOL ..... chill Vern, Chill .....

Nobody's talking about death traps, we're talking about how a bike handles, and to answer your first question, Yes, a squared off back tyre and a new front will alter the handling and the bike won't want to fall into a corner. Haven't you ever stuck a new rear tyre on yer bike and then instantly noticed a vast improvement in the way it turns in ?????

My work bike is issued to me and I use it every day. Last week I had to use somebody elses bike (same make..model..) - got on it and instantly noticed how harder it was to turn into a corner than mine. It just didn't fall in like mine does, you had to make a conscious effort to push the bike down into a turn. Why? 'cos his back tyre was badly squared off.

I stand by what I say, a pair of tyres with a matching profile will handle better than a mix match.

Sorry - we're just going to have to agree to differ on this one

 

[deaninkl]

I was in the middle of nowhere, literally, and got a 2 inch cut in my tourance rear tire. There was nothing to fit in the village I pushed my bike to (East Coast of Malaysia) but the local bike shop found a tire of the correct size about 100km away, it was a Michlin Macadam... so I put it on, handling was no diferent that before. Since the I have replaced the tourance on the front with a Battlax, Handlind still great.

At least on the GS it seems to make no difference.

 

[Womble]

And for good measure, the Macadam is a crossply. I know that you should never mix crossplys and radials on cars, particularly on the same axle, but is it actually a problem for bikes?

I'm skeptical about the bad effect of profiles because tyres wear and most touring bikers I know replace the front with every other rear tyre, so it can't be that bad.

Some tyres do need to be used as pairs - the Z6s I had on my last VFR apparently relied on the front wheel clearing some of the water out of the way for the rear, but North isn't looking at sporty tyres, he's looking for a good on-road and off-road compromise.

The only concern I would have is that the TKC would have a tendency to let go at the front in the wet before the rear, which wouldn't happen if a rear TKC was fitted as well. It's a lot easier to save a front end slide on a trail bike by sticking out your boot, than it would be on a GS.

 

[North]

I am scared now.

Like Guys having been saying. I am not out to race the Bike, but just to have some fun on what we call the Forest Service Roads.

I am also seeing if I can get one of those Heidenau K60s and run that on the back.

 

[Womble]

I think you'll be fine - it's not like you've never ridden a bike with knobblies before, so you know what you can get away with on the pavement. TKCs aren't that agressive anyway so there won't be a massive difference in road grip between them and Annakees.

 

[Giles]

I am scared now.

Like Guys having been saying. I am not out to race the Bike, but just to have some fun on what we call the Forest Service Roads.

I am also seeing if I can get one of those Heidenau K60s and run that on the back.

You should be scared - Those bears in them woods can smell you coming ....

North you'll be fine mate. Nothing wrong with a good old debate about something or other.

Have fun in the woods and try not to hit any trees ....