Mixing front radial and rear bias tire

[carnut108]

First let me say that I respect what you guys have to say about most everything. I posted a question in another thread on this subject but did not get the info. I was looking for so I am making a new post. I want to put a radial tire on the front of my Max. Some have said that all MC manufactures say not to do this.
I have just found that Triumph's America comes with 130/90 R 16's on the front and 170/80 B 15's rear, from the factory. I have also read a very interesting post about someone who put a radial car tire on the rear of his Honda Valkery, with only positive things to say about the change. My original question was who has actually put a radial on the front of their Max and how well did it work. I'm not interested in putting a car tire on the rear but some like it.
Patrick

 

[DMAN999]

Read this:
http://www.triumphrat.net/1868801-post14.html
I'm pretty sure that is just a typo on the Triumph site because it is illegal to mix Radial and Bias tires on a motorcycle in the UK from what I've read.
And I've Never seen a 130/90-16 Radial Tire, the Only tires I've seen in that size are Bias Ply.
I don't think any tire manufacturer makes a radial with a 90 Sidewall height, an 80 is the tallest sidewall I've ever seen on a Radial.

 

[thetank]

when i bought my 96 it had a radial n the front and a bias on the back. rode it for almost a year like that. It got kinda scary at times. I want both the front and rear of my bike to respond the same. With the mix it doesnt. The radial on the front grips the road and takes corners alot better then the bias rear. so if i get too far into a corner my front end grips and the rear end slides around. It is kinda hard to explain. kinda like trying to drive a big bock chevelle with a posi rear end and an oversized turbo. i will go into a corner heading in one direction and leave the direction i came....lol. it is like the confidence of the front end cannot be matche by the back end. you go in completely comfortble with thefeel and come out really bad.

 

[Fire-medic]

Hoo-boy, methinks you kicked a hornet's nest w/this one!

There are many easy-riding cruisers who think the advantages of a car tire, namely, cheap price and long-lasting tread life, are "the answer" they have been looking-for, as-far as replacement rubber goes. These mild-riding guys don't corner hard (hopefully!) and place their wallet above their bodily safety, in priorities.

It's like walking on your elbows to save shoe leather, to quote an old Cuban saying.

One of the new H-D's comes w/a mix of bias/radial rubber, I posted about this previously.

Even different brands of radial rubber installed on the same bike can make a bike handle unpredictably, due to the manufacturer's choices of carcass construction, the hardness of the rubber, and tire sizes. And even among the offerings of a single manufacturer, mixing a touring (hard rubber) rear tire w/a track-day front tire, even if both are radial construction, can result in a lack of control at the limit of adhesion to the road surface.

Friends don't let friends make those types of bad choices.

Just don't do it! Buy matched rubber, and you'll have one less thing to worry-about.

 

[carnut108]

I have checked two other Triumph info sights and they also state130/90 R 16 on the front so I don't think this is a typo. I have read most of your post on this subject Firemedic. I think Triumph must have done something to make these two work together.

 

[DMAN999]

^ If you read the forum post I linked to you'll see that the one guy actually went to his local Triumph dealer and the 2011 America that was stated to have a Front Radial actually came with a Bias front tire.
And there are NO Radial Tires made in a 130/90-16 that I know of.
If you are aware of one please post a link to it, because as far as I know they don't exist.

PS
Here's a picture of a Triumph America Front tire (Metzeler ME880 Marathon 130/90-16 M/C 67H BIAS) attached below.
From here:
http://www.ridenoweuro.com/New-Inventory-2013-Triumph-Cruiser-America-Chandler-Arizona-452661

 

[carnut108]

Dman, your link did not work for me. I will go to the Triumph dealer tomorrow and look personally.

 

[maxcruiser]

Hoo-boy, methinks you kicked a hornet's nest w/this one!

There are many easy-riding cruisers who think the advantages of a car tire, namely, cheap price and long-lasting tread life, are "the answer" they have been looking-for, as-far as replacement rubber goes. These mild-riding guys don't corner hard (hopefully!) and place their wallet above their bodily safety, in priorities.

It's like walking on your elbows to save shoe leather, to quote an old Cuban saying.

One of the new H-D's comes w/a mix of bias/radial rubber, I posted about this previously.

Even different brands of radial rubber installed on the same bike can make a bike handle unpredictably, due to the manufacturer's choices of carcass construction, the hardness of the rubber, and tire sizes. And even among the offerings of a single manufacturer, mixing a touring (hard rubber) rear tire w/a track-day front tire, even if both are radial construction, can result in a lack of control at the limit of adhesion to the road surface.

Friends don't let friends make those types of bad choices.

Just don't do it! Buy matched rubber, and you'll have one less thing to worry-about.

+1 - agree 100% - to me tires is not something to mess with.

 

[carnut108]

^ If you read the forum post I linked to you'll see that the one guy actually went to his local Triumph dealer and the 2011 America that was stated to have a Front Radial actually came with a Bias front tire.
And there are NO Radial Tires made in a 130/90-16 that I know of.
If you are aware of one please post a link to it, because as far as I know they don't exist.

PS
Here's a picture of a Triumph America Front tire (Metzeler ME880 Marathon 130/90-16 M/C 67H BIAS) attached below.
From here:
http://www.ridenoweuro.com/New-Inventory-2013-Triumph-Cruiser-America-Chandler-Arizona-452661

Dman--- You are absolutely right. I contacted tech support for Triumph and was told the front tire is a Bias. It is amazing to me that everywhere I look online gave the same wrong information. This is a MAJOR typo as you said.

 

[DMAN999]

^ I saw that same info all over the net too, but the tire size gave it away as a Bias tire.