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mis match tires

fournations

Guest
Guest
hi guys, i have a pr4 on the front(2015 connie). i have prolly 2000 miles on it. i want to put a dunlop RS3 on the back. local bike shop says thats a no-no with such a heavy bike. he also wants to sell me a new TPMS sensor. says they go in 4 years (250$?) for the part :-\ says i should do it while tire is off save labor $160. sheesh, jim
 
Mix and match the tires at will, there are no negative issues concerning that. I am throwing a RS3 new front where the rear is a worn Avon Spirit ST. I have mixed tires all the time. No negatives, I think I typed that twice.
 
Jim said:
hi guys, i have a pr4 on the front(2015 connie). i have prolly 2000 miles on it. i want to put a dunlop RS3 on the back. local bike shop says thats a no-no with such a heavy bike. he also wants to sell me a new TPMS sensor. says they go in 4 years (250$?) for the part :-\ says i should do it while tire is off save labor $160. sheesh, jim

Jeepers... I hopr you aren't buying the actual tire from that guy, he seems a bit greedy....
as for tire selection, no big deal...
with regard to the TPMS sensor, tell him to "pound salt"... we never change them until they stop working, which in some cases goes up to 8 years.. you have the "newer" style sensors, and the battery capacity is far greater on those than the original ones that came out when the bike intro'd in '07....
Mine were replaced in late 2012, under Kaw's extended warranty... so depending on when you bought your bike, (if it was in 2016, even tho a 2015 model) it may be covered if they did "die"... and if they didn't, and you are still under the original OEM warranty, take a trip to the thread about extended GTPP/KPP warranty... the price you pay for that alone, will cover the replacement on them... worth the investment as long as your original warranty has not expired.
http://forum.cog-online.org/concours-14-zg1400-general-chat-and-tech/gtpp-36-month-extension-for-$339-updated-2232013/

make a call, and ask them what the status of your protection plan is, and if it's close to expiration, do it over the phone right then and there...
 
My first tire replacement was a mis-match.  The bike came with Bridgestone tires and the dealer installed a new Pirelli.  They didn't have any qualms about it, and in fact, it worked great.

I had a similar experience to what you encountered.  For several years, I went to an independent repair shop.  They had no problems mixing tires in those days.  Then a new manager came in and when I wanted to replace just one tire, they said they couldn't do it.  That it was unsafe.  Same mechanic. 

As the saying goes, "follow the money".

Chris
 
gpd323 said:
Mix and match the tires at will, there are no negative issues concerning that.
...
I have mixed tires all the time. No negatives, I think I typed that twice.

Agree
 
Daboo said:
My first tire replacement was a mis-match.  The bike came with Bridgestone tires and the dealer installed a new Pirelli.  They didn't have any qualms about it, and in fact, it worked great.

I had a similar experience to what you encountered.  For several years, I went to an independent repair shop.  They had no problems mixing tires in those days.  Then a new manager came in and when I wanted to replace just one tire, they said they couldn't do it.  That it was unsafe.  Same mechanic. 

As the saying goes, "follow the money".

Chris

I always did my own "mechanics", but had an occasion of a front wheel bearing go bad on one front side of my truck, about 12 years ago.. it happened on the way to work, and I knew what happened in route, as the bearing caused the disc to be sloppy, and ate the pads off that tires brakes down to metal to metal right before I got to work... luckily the place I had been buying tires from, was walking distance from my job... I dropped the truck off, told them to replace the rotor, and bearings, and pads on that tire, and call me when it was done...
I got a call from the "mechanic" (not the shop manager that I dropped the truck off to), about 4:00, and he told me it was ready, and the price....
:-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\
When I got there, and asked the manager about what happened, he said "I dunno, lets go talk to the guy doing the fix"...

The mechanic insisted on replacing both rotors, new bearings in both, and both sets of brake pads...  :mad: :mad:
I hit the roof, and looked at the manager, and he even asked the "mek-nik" were both sides bad? ... then the kid went on and on about how you can't just replace one side... they both have to be replaced.... I said show me the all the parts you took off.. we examined the "undamaged side" which was virtually pristine, even the rotor and pads, and the bearings... were almost perfect, even then, the rotor had enough stock it could have been surfaced at least 2 times, and still be in spec...
The manager/owner grabbed me and we walked in his office, and he removed the labor charges for the job, but I still needed to pay for the parts used...and said see me again next time you need tires, and I'll take care of this in a better manner.
I agreed, not holding him responsible, and 6 months later I got a free set of 80k tires mounted up on my other truck.... good business man... he told me he fired that mechanic the next day after the "arguing with a customer who is a mechanic also" incident.
:)) >:D :))

 
I like to stick to the same brand on both ends but frequently run a softer front than rear, so like a pr4 front and pr3 rear or Power 2 front and pr4 rear etc. I wouldn't run a harder front and softer rear if you push the bike hard, i'm far more comfortable stepping the rear out on corner exit than pushing the front tire on corner entrance. Either way, the mechanic is full of crap.
 
Having the same manufacturer tires on the front and back is nice BUT. What do you do when out in back woods Montana and you have to replace a rear tire like I did. I had a set of fairly fresh Michelin PR 3's. Nice tires. But I took a thin piece of copper wire in the back tire. I still can't figure just how it poked a hole but it did. TPS alarmed and let me know tire pressure was below 36psi and the I watched it dropping. Saw a Harley sign with a shop 2 miles away. Whew! I stooped in and was treated OK but they would not get me a new tire. I did get air. They did direct me to a metric shop where I picked up the only tire in stock the Connie size. Plugging was out of the question because a plug would have been impossible to get in. It was a Conti something. Got me home and I rode that tire till it was worn out with a PR3 on the front. Now I have a set of RS3's front and rear and these are nice tires.


 
That's why plug kits come with a jab file to hog out the hole. You spent new tire money instead of 35$ on a quality plug kit. I have used mushroom plugs on sport bike tires under severe use with good results, don't be afraid to plug your tire!
 
There was no way one was going to get  the round file in that little hole....it was the size of a pin your mother had for sewing. I have plugged a hole from a nail and a screw but not a pin.
 
Wouldn't you need to mark, then pull the pin in order to get an area to ream out? Hard to find the actual hole I would think after pulling the offending object. Escaping air through soapy water would indicate the area, still need the actual hole.... A fine touch?
 
What caused the hole was a single strand piece of copper wire about the diameter of a pin. The wire was pulled out. There was no way to get a plug file in that tiny hole. I would have patched on the inside had I known were to find a tire shop. Best option at the time was replace the tire. I was in the middle of Montana with few options. I found no adverse issues with a Continental on the back with a PR3 on the front. I ran it this way till both tires were worn out.  The RS3's now that is a set of tires. Tim
 
Z900RS came with Dunlop GPR 300 tires as new OEM. I picked up a nail in the rear and even with a tire repair it was leaking 4-5 psi every 200 miles on my trip. So a new Pirelli Super Sport rear and the stock OEM GPR on the front for now. Handles great!
 
HeavyRotation said:
I like to stick to the same brand on both ends but frequently run a softer front than rear, so like a pr4 front and pr3 rear or Power 2 front and pr4 rear etc. I wouldn't run a harder front and softer rear if you push the bike hard, i'm far more comfortable stepping the rear out on corner exit than pushing the front tire on corner entrance. Either way, the mechanic is full of crap.

What are your feelings about a Road 5GT rear and Power 2 front?
 
My feeling is; Michelin has overpriced the PR5 {GT}to the point of no return...
I liked the PR-3 / PR-4, and would have gone to the PR-5, but even if it's better, it's not "that" much better!
I went to another brand.

Ride safe, Ted
 
we won't have a database on the PR5, with the Conni rating, for at least another month.. I'm still running PR3's, and have no issues, flawless performance as bought..  and I'm not dumping money willi-nilli, for asomething yet, till I need it.

I've been on the Mich bandwagon since '07, when I replaced my o-2-1's with Pr's, and never looked back.. and never bought any other, like Avon, Pirelli, etc., because before I ran out of tire, each companies tires I saw being used here, never had that life, and confidence level, to the PR. a said, if I get 6k, without a gllitch.. I'm happy.. then I swap if I am going long distance.

Buying tires on a trip, when you press them thinking "oh, heck, I can stretch this 3k more", then having to change them before returning home, after 1k miles, and looking at a monsoon for 14 hours, with wife on back, and maybe hauling a trailer.. welll.. it gets expensive when you shop at the "Harley shop"...  for a "cheap tire".

I change my own, so cost for a ire is fine.. road trip replacement sucks.... when the PR'5's get christened, and can show me the stats on miles, and feedback.. maybe I'll do them, but based on the Mich Rep, at this years ralley, I will wait till the "correct pr5" is made, and tested.
 
On some of the older bikes you will see tires that have two directional arrows on them going in opposite directions, one direction is for front wheel fitment, the other direction for the rear.
 
Sirk said:
HeavyRotation said:
I like to stick to the same brand on both ends but frequently run a softer front than rear, so like a pr4 front and pr3 rear or Power 2 front and pr4 rear etc. I wouldn't run a harder front and softer rear if you push the bike hard, i'm far more comfortable stepping the rear out on corner exit than pushing the front tire on corner entrance. Either way, the mechanic is full of crap.

What are your feelings about a Road 5GT rear and Power 2 front?
Should be a good combo. I tend to wear out a sport front and touring rear at the same time, plus i feel like a sport front with sharper profile aids the somewhat slow stock steering and offers greater feel at lean and obviously more grip under all circumstances. Im running an old school Pirelli Angel rear (100$ tire) with a Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa front and its a huge performance improvement over the set of PR4s i wore out previous. I ran 3 sets of PR4s on a C14 and a Street Triple R and just never liked the round front tire profile or its outright grip. They get greasy when pushed a bit. I don't know why i ever went away from Pirelli, they suit my riding style much better. YMMV
 
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