same tire on front and rear

[aka1004]

is it THAT important or important enough to have same tires front and back?
i have falken 512's in front and now needs rear now and i wanted to try bfgoodrich G-force but wondering if it would be better to get the same tire in the rear? i already have traction problem in the rear and G-force is softer, i think than falken so i was hoping G-force would help with traction.
thank you in advance.

 

[RShrimp]

I can't comment on the G-force specifically but ......
Let me first state that I have always been a believer in buying 4 new matching tires at the same time for my cars and trucks.

Having said that, I think the Spyder is a different animal (duhhh!) but as far as tires go.
I just purchased 3 matching Yokohama's (have not installed them yet)

If you dont ride it agressively, then tire selection does not matter.
If you do ride agressively your gonna go through 2 back tires to one set of fronts.

Bottom Line: I would have no problem at all using a matched set on the front and a different tire on the rear.

They really perform very different tasks on a spyder.

The fronts are all about side to side grip, the rear is all about traction in a straight line. (any side slip in the rear and the nanny kicks in)

I was thinking the best combo might be a HP radial in the front and a drag radial in the rear.

I say go for it.
Tire choices are getting thinner by the minute in these 14 and 15 inch sizes. Get um while you can!

 

[Raptor]

I can't comment on the G-force specifically but ......
Let me first state that I have always been a believer in buying 4 new matching tires at the same time for my cars and trucks.

Having said that, I think the Spyder is a different animal (duhhh!) but as far as tires go.
I just purchased 3 matching Yokohama's (have not installed them yet)

If you dont ride it agressively, then tire selection does not matter.
If you do ride agressively your gonna go through 2 back tires to one set of fronts.

Bottom Line: I would have no problem at all using a matched set on the front and a different tire on the rear.

They really perform very different tasks on a spyder.

The fronts are all about side to side grip, the rear is all about traction in a straight line. (any side slip in the rear and the nanny kicks in)

I was thinking the best combo might be a HP radial in the front and a drag radial in the rear.

I say go for it.
Tire choices are getting thinner by the minute in these 14 and 15 inch sizes. Get um while you can!

Heard that dude. :agree: Yokohama makes a a race tire for the back that is bad @ss and I'm thinkin about buying 2 so I'm covered for a while.

As far as the fronts go, I was considering either Bridgestones or going with the 185s and going Falken on all three, but I'm not sure how to pull off 185s on the front without ditching the fenders. :dontknow: I too like to get tires that match. The Spyder is very different in how it uses tires so matching back to front is not going to be as vital I think...

 

[BajaRon]

Bottom Line: I would have no problem at all using a matched set on the front and a different tire on the rear.

:agree: Get a GOOD water shedding, high traction performance rear tire and don't worry about matching it with the fronts.

The front tires should also be quality but as long as they match each other you're in good shape.

The rear tire is the critical element in this debate. Even though it is the front tires that steer, it is the rear tire that is the source (or lack of) overall control.

 

[Raptor]

:agree: Get a GOOD water shedding, high traction performance rear tire and don't worry about matching it with the fronts.

The front tires should also be quality but as long as they match each other you're in good shape.

The rear tire is the critical element in this debate. Even though it is the front tires that steer, it is the rear tire that is the source (or lack of) overall control.

Dude - Check out these bad boys...

The G-Force Drag Radial. :clap: Grip, Grip, and more grip!! :yes:

 

[SSG Bean]

Dude - Check out these bad boys...

The G-Force Drag Radial. :clap: Grip, Grip, and more grip!! :yes:

I'm not sure that it would grip well in water. That wouldn't have bothered me much in the past. I have been a mostly fair-weather rider, until I go cought in a major storm yesterday. I was considering getting one of the racing spec rear tires until I realized how important it is to be ready "just in case." After riding through the storm, I'm sure I'll go with a good wet/dry traction tire. However, I don't tires would have done anything about the hail. It was small, but at 40 mph it didn't feel very good.

 

[BajaRon]

I'm not sure that it would grip well in water. That wouldn't have bothered me much in the past. I have been a mostly fair-weather rider, until I go cought in a major storm yesterday. I was considering getting one of the racing spec rear tires until I realized how important it is to be ready "just in case." After riding through the storm, I'm sure I'll go with a good wet/dry traction tire. However, I don't tires would have done anything about the hail. It was small, but at 40 mph it didn't feel very good.

I looked at several of these semi-slick racing tires before I purchased my current Toyo T1R. Every one I looked at said they were very bad in any wet conditions.

They are specifically designed to give you maximum traction in ideal conditions (which they do) but sacrifice performance in every other situation.

I would be VERY CAREFUL running a tire like this in the rain as the Spyder already has a bit of a hydroplane tendency.

A great rain tire, like the Toyo I have, gives up some dry condition performance compared to the racing slick, but they really shine in the rain and that's what I was looking for.