Well, sort of. My F3 has a DUnlop Sportmax StreetSmart on the front that has plenty of meat left. The rear is spent so I'm ready to put on a new Dunlop Sportmax Q2.

Question is, the front is a so-called 'sport tourer' while the soon to be rear Q2 is a track/street combo. I know the rule of thumb is to match tires but is this splitting hairs, given they both will be in from the same family in the Dunlop line? Any expected handling issues? (note - the previous owner had the StreetSmart on the front and a Bridgestone Battelax on the rear..). Overthinking this?

 

If money not an issue, I'll do both as a combo & get a discount installing them. Sportmax is a harder compound and it's outdated...though looks like lots of meat left, but in reality its shelf life has expired. Tires are the only thing that actually touch the road so if the only different is around $100 give or take...do them both that'll give you a piece of mind.

But for daily commute, normal riding...mix match is ok..but this fact will linger in you head??? Giving you a doubt, should you or should you not ride as hard as you could have... I've only mix 1 generation apart, with the front being the qualifier (Q1) and the rear is Q2....sportmax and Q2 is 2 generations apart...that may or may not matters to you?

If you only want to mix match 1 tire to make the best use out of the front tire, then in the future replace both with a set of Q2.....why not look at alternative, cheaper tire like Shinko 009....I've heard nothing but great about it & best bang for your buck...

If getting a Q2 now for the rear, and keeping the sport max front, seems like you won't get the most out of it...kinda like going half way...IMO

 

>>sportmax and Q2 is 2 generations apart...that may or may not matters to you?<<<

Actually, the Sportmax Q2 that's on the UPS truck and the Sportmax StreetSmart are both current generation tires. The Streetsmart is classified as a sport tourer, while the Q2 is track/street.

Still, I completely agree with peace of mind and the seriousness of tires. Plus, this bike has been sitting for a bit and I have little history on its storage past. I'll order up a front.

 

Thought it was the Sportmax 205.

 

If it were me, I'd buy two new tires. I ride the Q2s and do track days with them. I would not want to be approaching max lean and have to worry about having a sport/tourer tire on the front.

On the other hand, the new sport/tourer tires are said to be very grippy. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that, if you can easilly afford it, you might as well have the peace of mind and have a complete set of new tires. If money is the object, as it usually is, then making a compromise might be the right choice. I'm no expert; but I would assume that any adverse handling issues would probably only manifest themselves when approaching the limits of adhesion.

 

Depends on how you ride the bike.
I had mix n match tyres on my SV650 with no issues at all, but I was riding at a steady pace because it was winter.
If you can afford it, buy a pair, but, if you ride steadily, it shouldn't matter too much having different tyres on