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Quick Q: different tires on the same bike

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Old 06-06-2009, 01:14 AM
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Default Quick Q: different tires on the same bike

Just need a quick answer on a newbie question here. Can anyone tell me how much the handling characteristics will be affected if my front and rear tires are from different brands? Is it negligible if its only street riding?

My rear Michelin Pilot Powers is wearing down (my front has a lot of tread left). I'm looking at a pretty good deal on a rear Pirelli Diablo street tires.
Old 06-06-2009, 07:09 AM
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Default Re: Quick Q: different tires on the same bike

I'd keep them matched personally but on the street it really won't matter too much specially for a beginner rider. What I'd do is get both new tires and sell your front to someone cheap.
Old 06-06-2009, 09:25 AM
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Default Re: Quick Q: different tires on the same bike

For relaxed street riding it won't make a difference, get a little aggressive and you might be able to tell b/c the fronts/rears will hold heat differently. If one end is drastically colder you can expect big hurts.
Old 06-07-2009, 08:35 PM
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Default Re: Quick Q: different tires on the same bike

for the most part it's no big deal. street compounds have mostly the same heat characteristics (quick warm up, greasy when hot, which is a moot point for the street), but the difference in profiles may make the bike handle a little differently.
Old 06-07-2009, 08:52 PM
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Default Re: Quick Q: different tires on the same bike

i have the pirelli diablos on my 07 gixxer 1k and man best tires i ever got!!! it came it bridgestone which are ****...(personally) wont be affected much... just on the compound you get which some will wear down faster than others.... the diablos wont last long but they are excellent tires on grip i think..
Old 06-08-2009, 08:09 AM
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Default Re: Quick Q: different tires on the same bike

I used to be worried about matching tires but I didn't notice a difference on the street when I did mix.
Old 06-08-2009, 08:26 AM
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Default Re: Quick Q: different tires on the same bike

I've always run matched tires, but am thinking about running 2 different tires on my VFR to save the rear a little bit more. I've got pilot powers on it and the rear gets squared off pretty quickly thanks to the lack of curves in my area. After doing some reading, it would appear that a good combo is the pilot power up front and pilot road out back.
Old 06-08-2009, 08:37 AM
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Default Re: Quick Q: different tires on the same bike

profiles are more important that compound... usually a matched set are matched for that reason. No biggie in running two different tire if you NEED to or if you found a nice combination that seems to work exceedingly well as an unmatched set
Old 06-08-2009, 12:25 PM
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Default Re: Quick Q: different tires on the same bike

Originally Posted by h22 kid
i have the pirelli diablos on my 07 gixxer 1k and man best tires i ever got!!! it came it bridgestone which are ****...(personally) wont be affected much... just on the compound you get which some will wear down faster than others.... the diablos wont last long but they are excellent tires on grip i think..
bstones used to be ****. now there great tires btw...

i always run matching tires but my back tire is starting to square off and my front looks great so ill be mix matching myself soon. i really wanna try something different.

im considering metzelers or avons, ive been using bstones and dunlops, and continentals lately.

i keep hearing great things about the michelin road smart and pirelli rossos
Old 06-09-2009, 01:13 AM
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Default Re: Quick Q: different tires on the same bike

pirelli rossos are the **** trust me...
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