One tire or two?

[racebrooks]

I need some sage-like advice from the experienced riders out there.

I have a OEM front tire (Bridgestone) with 11,000 miles that needs to be replaced asap. The rear tire is also a Bridgestone with about 5,000 miles that still has life.

I expect to replace them with Pilot Road 2ct's

I will let the shop do all the work.....ie removal and replacement...etc

1. Should I replace both now or let the rear live its life out and replace it when nessesary?

2. Will the bike handle better with 2 new tires?


3. Any recomendations in So Cal?

Cheap Tires are at LB Motorsports and already quoted me $22 plus the cost of the tire for the front. Cycle Gear has great pricing right now......in fact the best the I found cruzin the net yesterday.

What do you guys think?

 

[Red Wazp]

Replace them both but keep the rear as a back up if you have a unrepairable tire problem you can always throw the used tire back on for the rest of the front tire life.
Some folks do not like to mix tires, I have been doing it for years on different bikes with no problems.
You will love the 2cts.

 

[champion221elite]

Not quite a Sage here, but I'll take a swing at your question.

I would imagine your dilemma depends greatly on exactly how much life your rear tire has remaining. If it's a couple thousand miles worth of rubber, I'd personally replace both tires at the same time.

However, if your rear tire has another 5,000 miles left, I'd replace the front tire only and keep wearing down the rear.

I'm in a similar situation with my FZ6 which currently has 5,500 miles on the stock Dunlop Sportmax D252 tires. The front still looks OK, while the rear is squaring off and nearly down to the wear indicators. Despite the additional miles left in my front tire, I'm going to replace it with a matching set of Bridgestone Battlax BT-021's. I prefer the safety, and piece of mind of having a matching set of tires.

I'm sure some other board members will be along to help your decision making as well. Good luck!

 

[Motogiro]

If the tires have some age on them the compounds can degrade and not perform as designed. I would change both just on the idea of safety and not knowing what kind of riding you do. If you feel it's worth it, keep your rear as a spare.

 

[racebrooks]

Replace them both but keep the rear as a back up if you have a unrepairable tire problem you can always throw the used tire back on for the rest of the front tire life.
Some folks do not like to mix tires, I have been doing it for years on different bikes with no problems.
You will love the 2cts.

This is why this place exsists. I never thought about keeping the rear as a backup.

 

[DefyInertia]

If riding for pleasure and money is not too tight, replace both. Nothing like a fresh new set of tires. Anything else is a compromise.

+1 on Keeping the take off as a spare

 

[Wavex]

1. Should I replace both now or let the rear live its life out and replace it when nessesary?

2. Will the bike handle better with 2 new tires?

3. Any recomendations in So Cal?

1) replace both keep rear as backup
2) Yes
3) Apex Moto 714-533-3041 Great guys - cheapest around.

 

[MarinaFazer]

SoCal: I go to LA Yamaha up in Marina del Rey, but down near you is Del Amo Motorsports. I'm working to get a discount from them for my local riding group.

As for tires: Remove the wheels yourself and take them in to the shop (it's 1/2 the price compared to bringing in the bike).

I would replace both tires since you're changing brand/tread type.

 

[MG-242]

The most important component on a motorcycle are the tires. They are the only thing between you and the asphalt. They are designed to work together in pairs so you should replace both. If you have questions on mixing from the same manufacturer, contact them and I'm sure they will provide sound advice. Some folks will mix them and some folks will flip them without problems, but see the first sentence above.

The 2CT's are an excellent choice for both, street and track days.

The only advice I can give on who is to have someone do it that you can absolutely trust and even then, double check their work (see the first sentence above).

 

[racebrooks]

The front and rear Pilot Road 2CT's being installed right now. I called around including APEX (they couldn't get the tires for a couple of weeks and they had the best price) but ended up using Cycle Gears prices to get them installed an a local dealer.

I will pick it up this after noon.

Thanks for everyones help

 

[Wavex]

Yeah since EVERYONE is buying the BT016's right now (best performance for the price right now) that's what they have available right away...

Glad they are still the best for price though

 

[BranNwebster]

The front and rear Pilot Road 2CT's being installed right now. I called around including APEX (they couldn't get the tires for a couple of weeks and they had the best price) but ended up using Cycle Gears prices to get them installed an a local dealer.

I will pick it up this after noon.

Thanks for everyones help

Let us know what you think.

I'll be getting the same set soon.