Originally Posted by
bushrat
John, in your original post you state:
"I was always under the impression that for best handling and stability use the same tyre/tread pattern front to rear"
yet this is not true even for the OEM Kendas that come with a Spyder. The brand is the same, but the tread pattern between front and rear is certainly not. It's only the front tires that are equivalents, for reasons that Peter Aawen has explained in depth, along with others. The OEM Kenda rear tread pattern is nowhere near the front. So, should brand difference matter? I think not.
I'm one of those who really can't complain too much about the service life of my original Kendas. Once in a while, I had the odd handling concern, but not enough to prevent me continuing. I've now gone 31,000 km on them (about 20K miles). The rear is in need of replacement; the fronts have enough 'meat' on them to likely go another 10K km or so. I have heard of one rider who got 60K km out of his. Even so, I'm swapping over to Mike's recommended Vredesteins for my front, and a Kumho on the rear. I likely would have gone to Quatrac 5's all the way around, but couldn't find a rear of that brand to fit. As well, I like the looks of the Kumho Ecsta rear tread pattern. I've checked the reviews of others who have tried the same mix and match solution and been impressed by the handling improvements.
Good luck in your search. Availability of supply may be your biggest obstacle. Searching for a supplier who had 'in stock' availability actually took longer for me than delivery, which turned out to be very quick. With winter upon us here, I'm saving the mounting until spring, and looking forward through the winter to a 'new beginning' when the snows melt.
Cheers.