mixing radial and bias ply tires?

darby_crash · 06-13-2007, 11:45 PM

i just found out this is a big no-no. i ordered a radial tire for the rear before i found this our because it was the only (sport touring) tire i could find that was the right size. did i totally f*ck it up? is this more dangerous than not having matched tires on there anyway? any advice?

has anyone ever made the same mistake i did? how did that work out for you? if i use these tires, will i be riding a death trap?

please advise...

-bean

velocity bmg · 06-14-2007, 06:34 PM

Cancel the order...or failing that option...do not mix radial and bias ply tires.

You'll be able to ride, but the bike will handle poorly, and if you ride hard and push the bike...you might be asking for trouble...

Doesn't matter...but what kind of bike are you going to put these on?

The FZR 600 in your profile?

Dump the bias play and get two radials...

There are ones out there for your bike.

R.Brosnan · 06-14-2007, 06:38 PM

BMW's F650 GS comes from the factory with a bias ply front and radial rear, so plainly there's nothing inherently wrong with mixing the two. I'd be more concerned about how the tires' profiles and levels of grip will mix.

velocity bmg · 06-14-2007, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R.Brosnan

BMW's F650 GS comes from the factory with a bias ply front and radial rear, so plainly there's nothing inherently wrong with mixing the two. I'd be more concerned about how the tires' profiles and levels of grip will mix.

I hear ya....and sure almost anything is "rideable"...but...I wouldn't buy a bias ply simply because it's a ST tire and then mix it with a radial. For any reason.

darby_crash · 06-14-2007, 07:11 PM

i know i'm probably about to sound cheap and unsafe, and maybe get flamed for it... but i think i might just go with the accidentally dumb move i made. as far as i've gathered, the reasoning for not mixing the two is that they have different handling characteristics. and well, there are a lot of things people do to their bikes that affect their handling characteristics.

1- not using matched front & rear tires.
2- adjusting fork placement (in the triples) and/or using longer or shorter dogbones to affect ride height.

also, both tires are Sport Touring tires. BT045 bias ply on the front, IRC SP10 on the back. neither is a high performance tire, nor am i a high performance rider. also, i've heard that if you are mixing, it's OK to put a bias on the front and a radial on the rear. i'm getting the impression that matched tires are the best for performance, but that "never mix the two!" is a mantra thrown out there so that tire manufacturers keep their asses covered.

velocity bmg · 06-15-2007, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darby_crash

also, both tires are Sport Touring tires. BT045 bias ply on the front, IRC SP10 on the back. neither is a high performance tire, nor am i a high performance rider. also, i've heard that if you are mixing, it's OK to put a bias on the front and a radial on the rear. i'm getting the impression that matched tires are the best for performance, but that "never mix the two!" is a mantra thrown out there so that tire manufacturers keep their asses covered.

There are huge differences between different brands and types of radials, tire pressure, tire condition, etc.

So, no in this case...the manufacturers are actually putting out products that do what they say they are gonna do...

I advise against mixing...but...I'm not your Dad...

Just try and not live up to the last part of your username...