Different front and rear tires

[Zug]

My rear tire is done but the front still has about 50% on it. I know any shop will tell you not to put different tires on the front vs the rear but I would like to know if anyone here feels the same.

I don't want to stay with the K3's as I can get a set of D211GP's installed for less than a rear K3.

What I would like to do is put on a D211GP rear and leave the front K3 on. Any thoughts?

[Triple Threat]

The issues here isn't really the question (it's a fair question) but the potential for differing viewpoints and conflicting answers which can make it even harder to make a decision due to the confusion caused just by asking the question. So the real questions becomes, who's advice do you take.

What I mean by that is, you're asking a bunch of folks, with different backgrounds, different levels of understanding and different experiences, so the real question is, so again who do you listen too?

Some times topics are truly subjective, like what color do you like the best, others are pretty much open and shut and others lye in that grey area in the middle. In this situation I think it's foolish to mix and match brand X tire with brand Y tires (new or used). But that won't stop the next poster from telling you that nothing is wrong with mixing and matching tires, "so go ahead and do it" or "it's been done before and nothing happened" yada, yada, yada and they may even support a case where they did that and magically nothing happened. True story.

However, the only thing standing between you and the ground are your tires. Tires are a vitally important part of the safe operation of your motorcycle.

Do you like to take risk?
How much risk is acceptable?
How much actual risk is there?
What is your savings to risk ratio comfort level?

You decide.

It all depends on what your outcome is in the end. Could be nothing, could be more than what you bargained for. I tend to take the most sensible route, which is a whole other topic.

Hope this helps,

Triple

[skapan]

I agree with Triple. Eventually you'll get someone on here that will tell you it's
ok, but is that all you're going to use to make the decision? If you can get a set of whatevers cheaper than a rear K3, then why not?

[Zug]

Thanks for the reply.
Please don't take this the wrong way but that did not help at all, sorry.
Yes I know that everyone has their own opinion and many have done it with what they consider good results etc.

You talk about risk but do not explain what the risks might be, could you elaborate?

I guess I should have been a little clearer in my original post.

Does anyone have any factual reason why this is a bad idea?

I can see that it you had a touring tire in the front and put a sport tire in the rear, the balance of the bike is going to be thrown off. But having two very similar tires on with basically a different tread pattern just does not seem to be that big of a deal.

Putting a new K3 on the back with the 50% K3 on the front would be fine, right?

[Triple Threat]

Originally Posted by Zug

You talk about risk but do not explain what the risks might be, could you elaborate?

Does anyone have any factual reason why this is a bad idea?

Different tire Manufacturers use different compounds, belting technologies, tread designs, different profiles, different tire pressure recommendation etc, etc. The issue is, will the tires be doing the same thing during that oh $hit moment? Not likely, some tires stick better in the wet, some in the dry, some warm up faster, on and on and on. Another issue is, what is your level of experience? A racer may be able to save a sliding bike, when a newbie could likely crash.

Why cut your margins that close? It's seems wise to start with the best platform you can i.e. matched tires, meant to be used together.

I can't give you scientific proof that air even exist, it would be much harder (and time consuming) to provide with the factual information or documentation regarding tire mixing. Put it this way, we tend to know the truth when we hear it. You decide if what I'm saying sounds 1. possible and 2. reasonable. If it does not, they you can decide to be a test pilot of mix-match tires and in the future provide your results in a future similar thread.

Originally Posted by Zug

...Putting a new K3 on the back with the 50% K3 on the front would be fine, right?

^^^
Absolutely fine and considered normal course of business.

___________
In regards to the content in your original post, putting a a different brand/type of tire on to go with your existing 50% used tire usage, not on my bike, not in million years.

Hope this helps,

Triple

[1000RR]

This is one of those debates that will never cease. I do get your point OP... what exactly is the problem w/mix tires - good question at that. I can say I've always matched my tires on my street bike. Why? I have no friggen clue to be honest

On my race bikes, I will generally use the same manufacturer but will bounce around between compounds front and rear and not necessarily use the same compound. I've also used different rear slicks (models) than front (same manufacturer though). So in essence I'm using differing tires front and rear. My main goal (like Triple alluded to) is that both tires do what I want them to. The front tire really has no idea what kind of rear you have on and doesn't give two hoots what the rear is doing. And vice-a-versa. On the track, you pick tires (compounds, models, etc.) for the temps and conditions (and requirements too).

I'm sure I didn't help much more than the others... but in general, I stay with the same manufacturer front and back. That said, I wouldn't hesitate in having mixed either... my first and foremost objective would be to find a front tire that sticks like glue for the roads and conditions I ride in. The rear I'm a little less particular on and like to mix a little longevity in there. If the rear spins up a little, I don't mind. Don't like when the front lets loose and I've had it do it once on the S1 on the street, and a time or two on the race bikes. None were enjoyable, but all were saved. Luck never hurts a thing

[Zug]

Thanks Tripple and 1000RR some good points and it has certianly helped me make up my mind.

[Triple Threat]

Welcome,

All the best.

[markjenn]

I think the best general answer is that you can mix tires to some extent and while there is the potential for handling problems, most of the time, it works out fine. To put a finer point on it, you have to be more specific - there are N x N possible combos out there and certainly there are going to be some issues if you're using a tire pair at the corner of the envelope. But the odds are good it will work out acceptably - maybe not optimally, but acceptably.

But.... I also think leaving a worn front tire on at replacement time to try and eek out more mileage is a little silly on a bike like the S1000RR. I've never met a front tire yet whose handling didn't go into the toilet during the latter half of its life and you're doing two things that make the situation worse: 1) leaving the worn tire on the front where a loss of traction vs. the rear is typically going to result in a slide that is completely unsaveable, and 2) replacing the rear with a super-sticky track-focused tire that is even more likely to be traction mis-matched with the front. What you're doing is the equivalent of taking a Ferrari and putting slicks on the rear and all-seasons on the front.

On sportbikes, it just makes more sense to replace tires in pairs. Sure, you pay slightly more but it's worth every penny to avoid the poor handling with the worn front. And if you're really worried about tire costs, you'd be better off putting longer-life sport-touring tires on the bike to begin (in pairs) rather than using track-focused tires which evaporate quickly and aren't really designed for street conditions anyway.

- Mark

[AMRRA12]

Originally Posted by Triple Threat

The issues here isn't really the question (it's a fair question) but the potential for differing viewpoints and conflicting answers which can make it even harder to make a decision due to the confusion caused just by asking the question. So the real questions becomes, who's advice do you take.

What I mean by that, is you're asking a bunch of folks, with different backgrounds, different levels of understanding and different experiences, so the real question is, who do you listen too?

Some times topics are truly subjective, like what color do you like the best, others are pretty much open and shut and others lye in that grey area in the middle. In this situation I think it's foolish to mix and match brand x tire with brand Y tires (new or used). But that won't stop the next poster from telling you that nothing is wrong with mixing and matching tires, " so go ahead and do it" or it's been done before and nothing happened, yada, yada, yada and they may even support a case where they did that and magically nothing happened. True story.

However, the only thing standing between you and the ground are your tires. Tires are a vitally important part of the safe operation of your motorcycle.

Do you like to take risk?
How much risk is acceptable?
How much actual risk is there?
What is your savings to risk ratio comfort level?

You decide.

It all depends on what your outcome is in the end. Could be nothing, could be more than what you bargained for. I tend to take the most sensible route, which is a whole other topic.

Hope this helps,

Triple

GREAT POST!