Rick,

As a new rider, I don’t have any experience to talk about regarding tires.  When I was getting ready to replace my rear tire I sent an email to one of my friends in Atlanta.  He has been riding all of his life, is extremely meticulous, does tons of research, and is very aggressive (type A++ personality).  I trust his opinions on everything that I’ve talked to him about. 

I asked if he had any recommendations for tires and I also asked if there were any safety issues using a different brand between front and back.

Here is an excerpt from the email that he replied to me:

Mike,

I've tried virtually all the sport touring tires on the Concours, and I think the Avon Azzaro ST45 and ST46 are the best.  Best cornering, and by far the best wear. They should wear even better on a 750 than on the Concours, because of the lower weight. You would have to check to make sure Avon makes them in the right sizes for the ZR-7S, but they very likely do. 17-inch wheels are the most common.

I liked Dunlop 205's better than the Concour's stock Dunlops. The 205's later became 220s.  They have a reputation for long mileage, but not the two sets I had. The front was hard to lay over in a corner, and the rears wore out in only 4K miles.  The Michelins handled well, but didn't wear well either.  Bridgestones are pretty good tires, with a good grip. I haven't heard anything bad about them, and I haven't used them on the Concours, but the Battlax won't last as long as the Avon.  It's more of a sport bike tire - perhaps over-emphasizing traction at the expense of mileage - for the kind of everyday riding you are doing.  Metzler ME-6s are great as well, but they stopped making them for the Concours 16-inch rear wheel. They would be a good choice.  You really can't go too far wrong with any premium Sport Touring radial. The dealer or someone with a ZR-7S may have contrary experience with THIS particular bike; but, all in all, I would recommend the Avons.   They are particularly good in the wet.

The ideal situation is to use the same brand and model tires front and rear.

They are generally designed for this with complementary and supplementary tread patterns. Typically, the front outlasts the rear about 2 to 1, so the best time to change brands is every second tire change.  But be careful, because it isn't exact timing.

In reality, there isn't that much difference, and it certainly is not dangerous to mix brands.  Just don't mix radials and non-radials.  You could certainly put an Avon ST-46 on the rear now, and replace the front with an ST-45 later.  Or put on another Battlax for now, and when it wears out, put on two Avons.  Or bite the bullet, trash the front Battlax, and put on two Avons NOW!

It's generally not a good idea to change tire sizes - that's somewhat experimental.  You might find some combination that works better than the stock sizes, but probably not. Bigger tires can increase traction and reduce wear, but the tires on the 7S are already pretty wide. After a point, bigger width tires slow down steering and can cause interference problems with the swingarm or chain.  And they cost fuel mileage.  You can generally go UP only about one width with existing rims; after that you need wider rims.

Different profile (height) tires can raise or lower the front vs. the rear, which can have significant effect on cornering and stability. Some people do that on purpose - often a taller back tire, or shorter front tire speeds up steering - weighting the front wheel and decreasing trail.  The opposite makes a bike more "stable" and slower steering.  But it's probably best to stay with the 160/60ZR-17.  That's a 160mm width, sidewall height 60% of width (profile), 150+mph rating, and radial, for a 17' wheel.

If you haven't been through the motorcycle tire changing thing yet, you will find you have to consider the price of the tire PLUS the price of installation.  Many dealers will charge $25 or more, per wheel, to install!  Some will charge $50 if you don't buy the tire there!  So you have to find the best total price package, tire plus installation. My local Kaw dealer has good tire prices, but charges a fortune to install. If you buy 'em online cheap, the dealers will try to punish you on install. So, I use a little guy who does only tires - sells all brands for a decent price, but installs them for only $10, if you bring in the wheel.  Best overall price.

It's definitely worth investigating.  By the way, it's virtually impossible to change and mount a large rear radial yourself - without automated tools. Possible but VERY difficult!!  Plus you will screw up the rim.   You can readily change dirt bike tires with hand tools, but not street bike tires. Particularly the rear.

I have generally found ideal tire mileage and handling to occur at about 2 or 3 pounds ABOVE manufacturer's spec for air pressure - particularly for the front tire.  Too low and the front will cup.   Over the long term, you can tell by wear patterns - if the tires tend to wear out too soon in the middle of the tread, it is too hard.  If it tends to cup, it is probably too soft.  My bikes corner MUCH better with 2 or 3 extra pounds in the front tire.  Even quality tires can leak down 3 or 4 pounds a week, and need to be checked and inflated EXACTLY every time you ride - well, every DAY that you ride.

Live to Ride!
96 Honda VFR 750
NC Sport-Touring Group
Southern Cruisers
Greater Raleigh Chapter
Member ID #70024

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