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Do tires have to match?

5K views 20 replies 13 participants last post by  Crazy250 
#1 ·
I just ordered a rear tire for my bike to replace the one with a nail in it. I'm not replacing the front tho, since it only has 950 miles on it. Is it okay to have a front tire that is a stock dunlop and a rear that is a pirelli? it wont mess up the bikes dynamics or anything right? sry for the n00b question...
 
#3 ·
the way I understand it, as long as you're not riding insanely hard in corners, or racing, you're just fine with two different brands of tire. in fact, I've got a bridgestone on my front, and some cheng shin himaxx or something like that on the back. for regular street riding, like I said, you're fine provided both tires have good tread on them, and are inflated right.
 
#4 ·
For everyday riding it should be OK. Keep in mind each manufacturer has different profiles on each tire. For example, the Metzelr M1's have more of a rounded profile, when the Pilot Powers have more of a pointy profile. They could feel weird if you mismatch them. Personally, i will never mis match my tires.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the advice/info. i'm not an aggressive rider and this is basically just around town riding. It seems like a waste to throw away a perfectly good front tire because it doesnt match. I'm pretty sure that the new rear tire is the same size/shape as the old stock one, just not the same brand/model. I'll ask the guy at the shop when I go to get it installed.

The new rear tire is DEFINITELY better than the old.
 
#14 ·
ive always been of the mind, to keep the tires in the same brand and series..

youll get the same reaction from both ends of the bike..(thinking of the different rubber compounds and as mentioned earlier, the shape/contact surface..)

if money is the issue, then buy the new one and ebay the old.. there are buyers..
 
#15 ·
i'm confused about this bias/ radial thing... for example:

Dunlop K630 Sport Bias-Ply Motorcycle Tire
The Dunlop K630 sport bias-ply motorcycle tire offers a radial tread pattern for improved handling and traction while using tubeless bias-ply construction. The K630 is the original equipment tire found on the Kawasaki Ninja EX250.

this says its a bias ply tire with a radial tread pattern?

also heres a pic of the new tire's (Pirelli MT75) tread pattern:
 
#19 ·
UPDATE

tire arrived, and as per my dad's insistence that i don't remove the wheel myself we took it to the dealer to have the tire changed. cost 80 bux. so in total i spent 145. well I'm hoping i'm not gonna have to do this too often, at least not for another 2000 miles? Side note, the tire with the nail in it would hold air decently well... over a week it would deplete but i could put it at 30 psi and ride around and it would still be okay. anyways that tires gone now.

I'm going to pick it up in 1 hour and 23 minutes. then i'm gonna ride it home (yeah, right).

YAY!!!!!
 
#20 ·
i would never mix or match different tyres :yikes:

if you had the same brand maybe, like im running a standard pilot power on the front and a pilot power 2ct on the rear.

but i would never have a bridgestone on front and michelin on rear. :yikes:

my opinion anyway :dthumb:
 
#21 ·
well i rode it back and as far as i can tell theres no problems. considering all the riding i do is what you call around town riding I'm not too worried about it. But I will definitely make the front tire match whenever that gets replaced.
 
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