Tyres.

Tommy Gunn · Jul 23, 2021

I took my TC 1200 GSA into Rainbow yesterday for her annual service & one of the 'advisories' they gave me was that I have mismatched tyres. This came as a surprise to me as I'm a dinosaur & I thought this meant I had mixed cross-ply with radial on the same axle, quite a feat on a motorcycle.
I was told that it actually means I have different brands on the front & rear which is true, I have Michelin on the rear & Metzeler on the front.
Apparently this is an absolute no-no as although they are both the correct version for my bike their compounds could be vastly different so they won't be as effective in the dry; their tread patterns will be totally different meaning the way they clear water from the road will be far less effective so their grip in the wet will be reduced, potentially to a great extent. Indeed having road tyres of different brands on the front & rear is akin to having a knobbly on one wheel & a road tyre on the other & should never be done.
The good news is I'm down to 1.1mm on the rear so it will need changing within the next few years - forewarned is forearmed.
As I say it was a complete surprise to me so I thought I'd share it on here in case others were as ignorant as me.

tuftywhite · Jul 23, 2021

I always have matched pairs, however, I can't actually see much difference if you have two similar 'road' tyres or two similar 'off road' tyres.

If it is true, I would like to understand the science behind it as I'd have thought that both tyres would work independently.

buncobooth · Jul 23, 2021

The legal tread depth for a motorcycle tyre is 1mm and you have 1.1mm left and this will last you a few years. Do you endo everywhere ?

Tommy Gunn · Jul 23, 2021

tuftywhite said:
I always have matched pairs, however, I can't actually see much difference if you have two similar 'road' tyres or two similar 'off road' tyres.

If it is true, I would like to understand the science behind it as I'd have thought that both tyres would work independently.

That's what I thought but the young lady behind the counter insisted it was true.

er-minio · Jul 23, 2021

The good news is I'm down to 1.1mm on the rear so it will need changing within the next few years - forewarned is forearmed.

you have 1.1mm left and this will last you a few years. Do you endo everywhere ?

Given the overall description of tyre care on the bike I'd be more curious about the shape of the tyres than anything.

Tommy Gunn · Jul 23, 2021

2,000 - 3,000 miles a year at the moment but I'm very gentle on the throttle and brakes.

Tommy Gunn · Jul 23, 2021

er-minio said:
Given the overall description of tyre care on the bike I'd be more curious about the shape of the tyres than anything.

I did initially ask if that meant one was round and the other was square but she was quick to refute this suggestion.

buncobooth · Jul 23, 2021

My tyres square off with loads of tread left on them and I change them as they make handling horrible. Seriously if you have 1.1 mm of tread left you should probably change them now

Big Si · Jul 23, 2021

Tommy Gunn said:
I took my TC 1200 GSA into Rainbow yesterday for her annual service & one of the 'advisories' they gave me was that I have mismatched tyres. This came as a surprise to me as I'm a dinosaur & I thought this meant I had mixed cross-ply with radial on the same axle, quite a feat on a motorcycle.
I was told that it actually means I have different brands on the front & rear which is true, I have Michelin on the rear & Metzeler on the front.
Apparently this is an absolute no-no as although they are both the correct version for my bike their compounds could be vastly different so they won't be as effective in the dry; their tread patterns will be totally different meaning the way they clear water from the road will be far less effective so their grip in the wet will be reduced, potentially to a great extent. Indeed having road tyres of different brands on the front & rear is akin to having a knobbly on one wheel & a road tyre on the other & should never be done.
The good news is I'm down to 1.1mm on the rear so it will need changing within the next few years - forewarned is forearmed.
As I say it was a complete surprise to me so I thought I'd share it on here in case others were as ignorant as me.

Appealing to your sense of safety/legality perhaps?? Or an angle to flog you a set of tyres?? I have never heard of this before, and have quite often had bikes MOT'd with different makes of tyres front and rear, no one has ever mentioned it, let alone put it as an advisory. :nenau

I could understand it if you were "darksiding" on a big cruiser/musclebike.

er-minio · Jul 23, 2021

but she was quick to refute this suggestion

That's better.

Front and rear tyre can work together pattern-wise (in a straight line) when there is water on the tarmac I guess.
I think I mixed tyres once or twice in my biking life, many years ago with Pirellis, but it was done intentionally and within the same tyre family. It was Corsa tyres and I used to fit the slightly sportier variant at the front as it had a "quicker" profile.

1.1mm left as well, just change them and call it a day and have a safer/nicer ride.

let alone put it as an advisory

I don't think OP meant an MOT advisory. It was just advice after they serviced the bike.

buncobooth · Jul 23, 2021

This is very common, also with car tyres. Tyres are generally designed to work as a set better than mixed patterns or makes. I thought that was pretty common.

gazza12adv · Jul 25, 2021

Girl I worked with (she was polish) used to put snow tyres on the front driving wheels of her car only. When I mentioned that in actual snow ther would be very little grip from the rear of the car when cornering and braking she said they all did it in Poland and it's fine. I did say I wonder what your insurance company would say if you crashed into someone, she then went all quiet. Seemed a little odd to me to do that.

er-minio · Jul 25, 2021

I think that's a "formed" (wrong) habit as you put snowchains on traction wheels and some people did the same association with winter tyres.

bikenav · Jul 27, 2021

pretty much always have mismatched tyre brands/patterns ride around all the time like that and have done for years, I am an average speed rider, mostly.for the vast majority out there I suggest you will never notice, never had it mentioned in the M.O.T. I have some competion experience both cars and bikes and its not uncommon practice there. Lots of stuff spoken about tyres is bollocks. Ryan F9 did a youtube episode on the topic a while back if it interests you.

jags · Jul 27, 2021

gazza12adv said:
Girl I worked with (she was polish) used to put snow tyres on the front driving wheels of her car only. When I mentioned that in actual snow ther would be very little grip from the rear of the car when cornering and braking she said they all did it in Poland and it's fine. I did say I wonder what your insurance company would say if you crashed into someone, she then went all quiet. Seemed a little odd to me to do that.

that is what i do, no problems.

Barnoe · Jul 27, 2021

Both the OP and Gazza are referring to comments made by Women.

Don't ever try and think like a man, but use woman logic.... its dangerous!

Shave eybrows off...so they can draw them back on???
spend £500 on shoes that are uncomfy and walk round barefoot.

i rest my case

Littledumptruck · Aug 8, 2021

Took my 850 to Rainbow some years back. The list of work they believed it needed included all new discs. I hadn’t even asked them to look at them. They seemed to believe I’d asked them to inspect the whole bike. Needless to say I declined their kind offer to fleece my wallet. Considering the supposed reputation they have on here my experience puts them in line with most stealers, as the OP seems to have found. Oddly my discs are still working just fine years and twice the miles later.
CWs are/were the only BMW dealer I’ve ever felt gave me service equal to the invoice.

Nunkie · Aug 9, 2021

Bullshit. I have been running Michelin Anakee 2 on the front and Anakee 3 on the back for years and have never been questioned about this. I just prefer the steering of the 2 and the straight-line stability of the 3 on the back. I have tried these in pairs but I don't like the 3 on the front as it has no sideways grip on loose stuff and I don't like the 2 on the back as it tracks all over the place on white lines and joints in the road surface when it wears down to about half its life.

When I bought the bike it had a Metzeler on the front and a Bridgestone on the back and a new MoT certificate. And it has gained a new one every year since.

Tyres.

Tommy Gunn

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tuftywhite

getting away with it so far!

buncobooth

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Tommy Gunn

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er-minio

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Tommy Gunn

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Tommy Gunn

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buncobooth

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Big Si

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er-minio

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buncobooth

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gazza12adv

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er-minio

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bikenav

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jags

feckin amatuer

Barnoe

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Littledumptruck

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Nunkie

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