whaddaya think about a Michelin Road 6 GT on the rear and a Pilot Road 4 GT on the front??? Cuz that's what I just bought.
Thx!
Thx!
Mixing Michelin Road 6 GT and 4 GT?
- Thread starter Gene Weygandt
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RossKean
Well-known member
I never had a Michelin front tire I liked. While initial handling and overall longevity have been decent, my experience has been that they wear in an oddly squared off trapezoidal shape and handling from mid-life onward suffers. I haven't tried the Road 5 or Road 6.
Some people love them - hope they work out for you.
Some people love them - hope they work out for you.
You'll void the warranty, suffer a 2 mpg hit, 5 wheel horsepower loss, and a puppy will die. Of course everybody knows the only true correct mixture is a 4 GT on the rear and 5 non GT on the front with 2 less psi than usual.
What oil are you using? Inquiring minds want to know.
What oil are you using? Inquiring minds want to know.
Dan Cooper
Well-known member
I try to think about Elvis.
I try not to think about another tire NEPRT added to the 300 other tire threads.
Why ask about others opinion on a tire combo you've already purchased??
Come back in about 5,000 miles and tell us what you think about that combo??
We'll be waiting.
dan
rbentnail
Economic Plankton
Don't mind these a-holes. Mixing tires is a norm. Go for it!
thx!
RossKean
Well-known member
I don't have any problem mixing tires. I always liked a Michelin PR2 rear tire with a Bridgestone BT023 front.
I've always mixed Michelin tires with whatever I have on hand. Tried other brands and came back to Michelin years ago. My favorite is the GT rear 180 or 190. I have not suffered the weird front tire wear experienced by others. I run 40 psi front and 42 psi rear. Can't really say I get a lot of life out of them( 7-8k miles) but I run them hard. Michelin runs well for me wet or dry.
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I mix tires as well. I always put on a front tire that is smaller than the rear.
There are a number of opinions re tyres on the internet, probably well over a billion (hence the jibes you received), so trying to find the correct answer is actually quite difficult.
Having ridden motorcycles for a living (and for over 40 years for fun) when your income depends on things like tyres, you tend to research the subject a little deeper. In times before the internet, (very dark, cold times) research was done in libraries and from information from other professional riders, magazines and tyre companies etc. I still do my own research into all things "motorcycle" and try to use reputable sources like manufacturers' data sheets, well regarded journalists (though they don't usually test worn tyres), my own experience, time-served (usually independant) mechanics, my motorcycling peers (who aren't d*ckheads) etc.
I'm going to assume Radial tyres as the advice for Crossply tyres is different (yes, I'm that old).
In the last 15 years or so, motorcycle tyres have improved out of all recognition to the tyres we had previously. Therefore, a lot of the old advice is no longer applicable to modern tyres.
TL;DR: In general, you can mix and match Radial motorcycle tyres up to a point...
In your particular case, the Michelin PR and Road series can be mixed and matched (I've done it more than once on my Honda) but, take it easier in the wet as the tread patterns (hence the water clearing abilities) aren't as optimised when mixed. Though, you'll have much better grip than I had when I was earning a living on matched Crossply tyres! You'll probably be fine with PR4 and Road 6 as long as you don't "Ride like Rossi".
You shouldn't mix and match tyres from different manufacturers or different model classes from the same manufacturer (for example, Michelin Road Series and Michelin Anakee Adventure). Note, "shouldn't" not "must not". If you do, the ride could be "rather interesting", surprising and not what you are used to.
If your only choice is to mix and match different manufacturers or "series", do so but, take it easy when riding (especially in the wet, on gravel and off-road etc.) and change them for a matched set as soon as possible.
Finally, I usually like the Michelin Road series on Touring, Sports Touring, some sports and naked motorcycles. But, on the FJR, I've found that the Michelins square off very quickly and the "feel", even when new, isn't as good, so I run Dunlop RoadSmart IV GT (use GT on the FJR due to its weight - that's a different debate as well
) on my FJR at the moment.
Having ridden motorcycles for a living (and for over 40 years for fun) when your income depends on things like tyres, you tend to research the subject a little deeper. In times before the internet, (very dark, cold times) research was done in libraries and from information from other professional riders, magazines and tyre companies etc. I still do my own research into all things "motorcycle" and try to use reputable sources like manufacturers' data sheets, well regarded journalists (though they don't usually test worn tyres), my own experience, time-served (usually independant) mechanics, my motorcycling peers (who aren't d*ckheads) etc.
I'm going to assume Radial tyres as the advice for Crossply tyres is different (yes, I'm that old).
In the last 15 years or so, motorcycle tyres have improved out of all recognition to the tyres we had previously. Therefore, a lot of the old advice is no longer applicable to modern tyres.
TL;DR: In general, you can mix and match Radial motorcycle tyres up to a point...
In your particular case, the Michelin PR and Road series can be mixed and matched (I've done it more than once on my Honda) but, take it easier in the wet as the tread patterns (hence the water clearing abilities) aren't as optimised when mixed. Though, you'll have much better grip than I had when I was earning a living on matched Crossply tyres! You'll probably be fine with PR4 and Road 6 as long as you don't "Ride like Rossi".
You shouldn't mix and match tyres from different manufacturers or different model classes from the same manufacturer (for example, Michelin Road Series and Michelin Anakee Adventure). Note, "shouldn't" not "must not". If you do, the ride could be "rather interesting", surprising and not what you are used to.
If your only choice is to mix and match different manufacturers or "series", do so but, take it easy when riding (especially in the wet, on gravel and off-road etc.) and change them for a matched set as soon as possible.
Finally, I usually like the Michelin Road series on Touring, Sports Touring, some sports and naked motorcycles. But, on the FJR, I've found that the Michelins square off very quickly and the "feel", even when new, isn't as good, so I run Dunlop RoadSmart IV GT (use GT on the FJR due to its weight - that's a different debate as well
) on my FJR at the moment.
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+1 on JQL's response. In my experience bias ply mixing is a firm no ( I'm that old too). Radials in my experience depend more on similar tire profiles than brands. While I only mix and match for unplanned replacements, I've had good experience with an Avon front and Bridgestone rear combo, and a horrible experience with a Metzler rear and a Dunlop front. The Dunlop front was a flatter curve than the Metzler on the rear.
roger dodger
Well-known member
I love Michelins ... PR2, PR3, PR4 and Road 6 (never tried R5).
I found they like to be aired up about 40 psi as they seem to ride soft (even the GT).
I find them great initially, good in the middle miles, and still round @ the wear bars (6-9k mile avg). Wet or dry they are better than I am!!!
I have been using Road 6 first set now has 9,000 miles and 3/32 remaining tread. I expect to get 12,000 before retiring them. I inflate front 39psi rear 42psi. I weigh 145lbs and ride moderate aggressive. Considering my weight I have never used GT's.
After the 'factory default' Metzeler, then a set of Bridgestones and a few sets of Pilot Road 2 and 3 back in the days - I switched to using Road 2/3 (both standard and GT) on the rear and Pilot Power 2 and 3 on the front on my old FJR. And I continued in this combination (touring Road 2/3 or 4 on the rear and Pilot Power 2/3 on the front) until I sold it at around 75.000miles. My reasons were related to the fear I started to develop while climbing on twisties under relatively low external temperatures: I had some slight front sliding a couple of time - luckily slight enough for recovery. The fact is that if the rear slips you still have a chance to recover it by reducing gas, lean angle etc etc but when the front slides there is not so much the rider can do. Hence, after checking the specs of the sport tyre with some tyre shops versus supported max weight etc - I started to use sport Michelin tyres on the front (Pilot Power 2/3) with clear improvement on the handling and grip (especially under cold conditions but also at higher temps). And, based on by riding style, the sport front tyre lasted the same as the touring rear (6.5-7.500 miles) - while the touring Road 2/3 front was lasting 2-3.000 miles more than the touring rear.
In 2017 I switched to a BMW 1600GT and, after the initial set of touring tyres which came with the bike, I used the same approach in all the 102.000 miles the bike has so far. For rear I use the GT version of Road 4/5/6 (depending on which I find when I need - available in stock with a good DOT and convenient price) and for front I used initially Michelin Pilot Power 3, then Power RS and now Power 5. Very satisfied with this combo; like for the FJR - now the front is almost perfectly 'matched' in lifetime with the rear so I change both front/read in the same time. The lifetime was reduced versus the FJR by ~1000 miles (probably due to the extra weight/torque/slightly more agressive riding). One downside of this approach could be related to the lower wet grade for the front sport tyre versus the touring one but anyway I adapt the riding style once the rain starts and ride slower/less agressive etc etc, so not such a big disadvantage. For me what matters most is the confidence and the improved grip/handling I get while sporty riding on twisties (and these are most of my miles) - so I recommend trying this combination for some extra fun
In 2017 I switched to a BMW 1600GT and, after the initial set of touring tyres which came with the bike, I used the same approach in all the 102.000 miles the bike has so far. For rear I use the GT version of Road 4/5/6 (depending on which I find when I need - available in stock with a good DOT and convenient price) and for front I used initially Michelin Pilot Power 3, then Power RS and now Power 5. Very satisfied with this combo; like for the FJR - now the front is almost perfectly 'matched' in lifetime with the rear so I change both front/read in the same time. The lifetime was reduced versus the FJR by ~1000 miles (probably due to the extra weight/torque/slightly more agressive riding). One downside of this approach could be related to the lower wet grade for the front sport tyre versus the touring one but anyway I adapt the riding style once the rain starts and ride slower/less agressive etc etc, so not such a big disadvantage. For me what matters most is the confidence and the improved grip/handling I get while sporty riding on twisties (and these are most of my miles) - so I recommend trying this combination for some extra fun
roger dodger
Well-known member
now the front is almost perfectly 'matched' in lifetime with the rear so I change both front/read in the same time.
Cosmin, Maybe you keep the front in the air so much the wear equals out... Wheelies can be fun (?)
Cosmin, Maybe you keep the front in the air so much the wear equals out... Wheelies can be fun (?)
