[ST] Re: Tire Longevity

[wjkendall@xxxxxxxxx (Wes Kendall)]

  I believe that it would be helpful if listers would include riding
style when you talk about tire mileage.  I've only had by RS for 3
months (and 4500 miles woohoo!), so it is too early for me to comment on
this bike.  My previous experience with an SV650 fitted with MEZ4's was
as follows:  I ride about 25% aggressive canyon riding, 25% touring, and
50% commuting.  While I forget exactly what mileage I got, I do remember
that I got about 50% more mileage out of the front tire than I did from
the rear.  I also remember that the front would wear out the sides, and
have a lot of tread left in the center, and the rear would wear out the
center, with a lot of tread left on the outside.  I attribute this to my
canyon riding style, which is fast corner speed, but no heavy
acceleration or braking from one corner to the next.  After reading the
recent posts, I wonder if it would be safe to fit a harder tire to the
rear than on the front.  Not only would this suit my riding style well,
but it would suit the flatlander also.  While it might be tempting to
put hard rubber on both ends, I would never consider it.  Even if you
normally ride in a straight line most of the time, someday you will be
faced with an accident avoidance situation, and you will need as much
grip from the front as you can get.  Whether you choose to brake heavy,
or swerve around the situation, it still places a very high load on the
front tire, but is not nearly as demanding on the rear.  I don't think
that I have to tell you that a front tire loosing traction equals an
instant gravity storm.  Any input on the idea of mixing tire compounds
on the same bike would be appreciated.

Wes Kendall
2001 Sprint RS


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