The old chestnut : Mixing tyres

[Mr Moofo]

I am off to the Manx GP in August. I will be driving from West Sussex to Liverpool, then driving around the Island for 6 days - and then home.
The rear Diablo looks fairly unworn.
The front is looking like it has 1k or so left on it - so marginal.

At the moment there is bugger all chance of getting a 240 rear ( Only Michelin Pilot 3s or Diablo Rosso do the right size). I would like to change over the Michelins - but that would mean driving on a Power Pilot 3 on the front /Diablo on the back - until I can get a new rear.

Or am I signing my own death warrant - and just should replace the front with a Diablo 3 ( which it seems I can get)?

[mangocrazy]

Speaking personally, I'm happy mixing tyres from the same manufacturer, but probably wouldn't mix manufacturers between axles (i.e a Pirelli rear with a Michelin front). On the VFR I have a Sportsmart Front and Roadsmart Rear, but they are both Dunlops (as eny fule no).

This is purely personal preference and has no basis in law or anything else...

[KungFooBob]

If the profiles are different there's a chance it will feel horrible, but not dangerous, imho

If the rear is stickier than the front and you like to push on, there's a risk you'll lose the front before the rear. Which is more 'difficult' to save than a rear slide.

I wouldn't want to make my holiday less enjoyable than it could be for the sake of a few hundred quid, but then it might be fine.

[Rockburner]

I've done it in the past, but for a trip like that I'd prefer to know i can trust the bike completely.

[Mr Moofo]

Fair comment - and usually I would just change both to whatever the choice was - it's just being driven by availability.
The Diavel as a hooge rear - and that tends to "push" the front. It's an odd bike in that fronts tend to wear out much quicker that rears. So it suggests the front is the one being loaded.
I will try and sort out a Pirelli
Thanks

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I wouldn't worry about it mix and match isn't dangerous, might feel a little odd, but if you can ride a bike you'll cope with it.

I appreciate this post will cause a lot of gnashing, but get a grip.

[wheelnut]

It will be slightly less than ideal, but unless you’re riding on the ragged edge I doubt the world will end. Maybe be a bit more circumspect in the wet.

[The Spin Doctor]

Due to a puncture, I currently have a part worn Conti on the front of the XJ6, with an almost brand-new Pirelli. They're both sport-touring tyres so neither are radical profiles.

The bike feels fine.

But other mix-n-match efforts in the distance past when I was getting as many miles out of a tyre as I possibly could had some very odd effects on the steering.

[DefTrap]

I notice worn tyres but mismatched ones not at all.

[weeksy]

I wouldn't worry about it mix and match isn't dangerous, might feel a little odd, but if you can ride a bike you'll cope with it.

I appreciate this post will cause a lot of gnashing, but get a grip.

I'm with him... tyres are tyres. They'll work. Maybe they won't feel perfct, maybe they will, you won't know.

But it could be you don't like say a new rear and even if you put a pair of those on you still wouldn't like them.

[wull]

Tyres are so subjective it’s unreal, Hicky could take a set of S22’s set a lap record and some Miss Daisy chump would be like “I don’t like them”……..

Point is whatever you’re happy with go with it, if you’re happy to do it then do it, our opinions won’t make any odds. Tyres is all about confidence these days, if you have a moment or whatever that’s usually it, “I don’t like those tyres”…….they can play havoc with our minds.

[Mr Moofo]

Tyres are so subjective it’s unreal, Hicky could take a set of S22’s set a lap record and some Miss Daisy chump would be like “I don’t like them”……..

Point is whatever you’re happy with go with it, if you’re happy to do it then do it, our opinions won’t make any odds. Tyres is all about confidence these days, if you have a moment or whatever that’s usually it, “I don’t like those tyres”…….they can play havoc with our minds.

Wull - I would agree. Most modern tyres will out-perform most road riders and then we tend to get picky about what the man in the pub / internet/ biker cafe tells us. Rossi would be able to ride rings around us on Chinese motorbike tyres.
It was always drummed into me "don't mix brands". And generally I wouldn't.

But the need for super sticky race tri compound near slicks on the Diavel isn't that great.
Just going to do a check in the light of the state of the tyres. The front is a little flat in the middle - but basically full trend 1.5 cm either side !

[wull]

Yeah I agree, I don’t even think those tyres are needed for sports bikes on the roads. The likes of the S22 and Rosso 3 are ridiculously good even with a few track days thrown in.

[DefTrap]

Point is whatever you’re happy with go with it, if you’re happy to do it then do it, our opinions won’t make any odds. Tyres is all about confidence these days, if you have a moment or whatever that’s usually it, “I don’t like those tyres”…….they can play havoc with our minds.

On the M25 once I was -convinced- I had a flat. Handling was weird, sqwuiry and vague, really put me off, eventually got to some services, tyres were fine, not overly worn, pressures also ok. No other chassis issues evident. It had been a long day (up at 4a:m, c500 miles covered) so it must have been all in the head - once I'd confirmed that all was ok, the problem went away iyswim.

[Skub]

Probably the biggest problem will be what's in your head. Speaking personally,tyres are a confidence thing,but once I feel them out,I forget about them.

I've mixed tyres in the past when road rubber was pretty crap compared to today. I even did the old cross-ply/radial mix and survived unscathed. These days,you may get a feel you don't like,but it won't end in disaster.

[Count Steer]

Point is whatever you’re happy with go with it, if you’re happy to do it then do it, our opinions won’t make any odds. Tyres is all about confidence these days, if you have a moment or whatever that’s usually it, “I don’t like those tyres”…….they can play havoc with our minds.

On the M25 once I was -convinced- I had a flat. Handling was weird, sqwuiry and vague, really put me off, eventually got to some services, tyres were fine, not overly worn, pressures also ok. No other chassis issues evident. It had been a long day (up at 4a:m, c500 miles covered) so it must have been all in the head - once I'd confirmed that all was ok, the problem went away iyswim.

I actually stopped at the side of the M25 thinking I had a flat. Turned out just to be how the - fully faired - bike felt in a particular gusty cross-wind. Once I got my head around that it never bothered me again.

[Mr Moofo]

Point is whatever you’re happy with go with it, if you’re happy to do it then do it, our opinions won’t make any odds. Tyres is all about confidence these days, if you have a moment or whatever that’s usually it, “I don’t like those tyres”…….they can play havoc with our minds.

On the M25 once I was -convinced- I had a flat. Handling was weird, sqwuiry and vague, really put me off, eventually got to some services, tyres were fine, not overly worn, pressures also ok. No other chassis issues evident. It had been a long day (up at 4a:m, c500 miles covered) so it must have been all in the head - once I'd confirmed that all was ok, the problem went away iyswim.

I actually stopped at the side of the M25 thinking I had a flat. Turned out just to be how the - fully faired - bike felt in a particular gusty cross-wind. Once I got my head around that it never bothered me again.

Last year I drove to Southampton to meet the old Buell lot. I took the Scrambler - and as it was just post 2nd lockdown the handling seemed to be all over the place - it was overly affected by tramlines in the road surface and white lines and over banding. I decided it was in my head. And carried on - problem solved.
When I got home I check the tyre pressure - 18 psi.

[Count Steer]

On the M25 once I was -convinced- I had a flat. Handling was weird, sqwuiry and vague, really put me off, eventually got to some services, tyres were fine, not overly worn, pressures also ok. No other chassis issues evident. It had been a long day (up at 4a:m, c500 miles covered) so it must have been all in the head - once I'd confirmed that all was ok, the problem went away iyswim.

I actually stopped at the side of the M25 thinking I had a flat. Turned out just to be how the - fully faired - bike felt in a particular gusty cross-wind. Once I got my head around that it never bothered me again.

Last year I drove to Southampton to meet the old Buell lot. I took the Scrambler - and as it was just post 2nd lockdown the handling seemed to be all over the place - it was overly affected by tramlines in the road surface and white lines and over banding. I decided it was in my head. And carried on - problem solved.
When I got home I check the tyre pressure - 18 psi.

Some bikes seem a lot less sensitive than others. I had a plugged tyre (Tourance) on the back of the 1150GS that I was getting the last few miles out of (still plenty of tread left at the edges ) and I must have worn through the plug enough for it to leak. Only noticed when it was down to 26psi. Even then it only felt like the suspension was a bit 'soggy'.

(The K12GT was a bit slab-sided and in gusty crosswinds it felt like the wheels were sliding sideways under me rather than pushing the bike over. The cure seemed to be to go faster ).

[Taipan]

On Supermotos a lot of us were cool enough to run with a race wet on the front and a bt96 on the back!

Over the years I've mixed tyres a lot, normally second hand ones too. But never Dunlops. No Sirree, never Dunlops. Or Avons...

[mangocrazy]

Over the years I've mixed tyres a lot, normally second hand ones too. But never Dunlops. No Sirree, never Dunlops. Or Avons...

I've never used Avons since I had not one but two tyres delaminate on me in the mid-90s. Had Avon been in the slightest bit apologetic or even helpful I would probably have used them again. Instead they tried to make out that it was all my fault and resisted any offer of replacement tyres until I'd threatened them with solicitors. letters to MCN etc.

I also used to avoid Dunlops until the Roadsmart/Sportsmart landed and when I tried them was very impressed in spite of my misgivings. I honestly don't think any of the majors make bad, or even indifferent, tyres any more.

Except Avon, of course...