In most situations, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of motorcycles do not recommend mixing and matching different tire brands on a build.
However despite these general recommendations, you might be wondering to yourself — are there situations where it could be ok (or even advantageous) to mix different tire brands on a motorcycle?
We’ve spent a lot of time researching this topic and by the time you finish reading this article, you will understand the economic, safety, and performance concerns of mixing different tire brands on a motorcycle build.
The vast majority of original equipment manufacturers of motorcycle parts do not recommend mixing different tire brands on a motorcycle for a few very significant reasons:
- For optimal safety and performance, it is recommended to use front and rear tires of the same brand, tire size, tread pattern, load index, and speed rating.
- At a bare minimum, it is recommended to use front and rear tires of the same size, load index, and speed rating.
- Failure to follow these guidelines, runs the risk of creating unnecessary danger for yourself and other vehicles on the road.
- Finally, depending on where you would like to drive your motorcycle, failure to follow OEM guidelines could be illegal.
So as you can see, in the vast majority of situations, mixing and matching tires from different manufacturers is not recommended.
As you continue reading this post, we will provide more relevant details about why it’s not considered OK to mix different tires on a motorcycle.
Why Would You Consider Mixing Different Tire Brands on Your Motorcycle?
There are many different reasons why you might be considering mixing and matching different tire brands on a motorcycle build.
Perhaps the tires you originally planned to purchase are on backorder and you are scrambling to find a replacement in order to maintain production deadlines.
It could also be possible that you found a very similar tire to the one you planned to purchase at a discounted rate.
While there could be many different reasons to consider mixing and matching tires from different manufacturers on a motorcycle, we do not recommend that you do so.
For Optimal Safety Always Follow Your Motorcycle OEM’s Performance Guidelines
The main reason why it is not recommended to mix and match different tires from different OEMs in a motorcycle build is that this creates unpredictable performance which could create dangerous driving conditions for you and other vehicles on the road.
Clearly, this is something that you will want to avoid at all cost. As a responsible motorcyclist, it is your obligation to maintain safety at all times and be sure that your vehicle operates in a reliable way that will not threaten other vehicles on the road.
Meanwhile, depending on where you live, failing to follow your motorcycle OEM’s performance guidelines could actually be illegal.
It simply does not make sense to try to cut corners to save time or money when it comes to choosing tires for your motorcycle.
Be sure to select front and rear motorcycle tires produced by the same OEM and designed to function optimally working together.
What if it’s Not Possible to Use The Same Tire Brand for Both Your Front and Rear Wheels?
While it is always recommended to try to use a front and rear tire produced by the same OEM, there could be situations where this is simply impossible.
If for instance, a manufacturer stopped producing a product that you had planned to use, you may need to consider the best possible replacement.
Under conditions where it is simply impossible to choose a front and rear tire produced by the same OEM, you will want to be sure that you select tires with as similar a tread, size, load index, and speed rating as possible.
Take the time to be sure that the performance details of your tires are as similar as they can possibly be.
In Conclusion
In most situations, it is not recommended to mix and match different front and rear tires on your motorcycle produced by different OEMs.
Choosing to do this is not recommended and could create unsafe driving conditions. Furthermore, failing to follow the performance and safety guidelines of your motorcycle OEMs could even be illegal.
Hi, my name is Niklas, the head content creator & CEO of Whirling Wheelz. I am very interested in vehicles of all kinds, mainly cars. I have a car mechanics degree from high school and a big hobby of mine is to follow the WRC (World Rally Championship) both online and through travel.