Another tire question

[TriumPhil]

This thread, summed up in pictures:

 

[albertaduke]

Thanks!
What about the tread pattern and water dissipation issues caused by reversing the tire?

I run an AZARO in the front in reverse as it is a rear tire for sportbike it is a 140 aspect ratio vs 150 for the cobra and both are from AVON I rode nearly 600 klms in frigging rain a week ago and I did not feel any problem shedding water and I at some time did some high speed runs in the 130 kmph in moderate rain the braking seemed equivalent to the cobra in stopping power , however where I found a difference ...for the better that is the azaro make it very easy to pick and hold your line into turns wet or dry , there is hardly any countersteering input required to maintain the line . if you brake with the front ALONE (not recommended in general !! but gently to try and see the reaction ) the bike does not straighten back as hard as the avon cobra nor metzeler front. it was a pleasant surprise to find these positive aspects what I do not know is wear time but being a rear compound rubber I imagine it will last as well as a cobra or better I tried this combo based on Barbagris positive comments a while ago and it works fine for me

 

[idk]

The strange thing about the tread pattern is that it is the same, and in the same direction as the front Shinko tyre I used a couple of tyres back. Everybody looked at it and said that the sipes were going the wrong way. However, I assumed that Shinko knew what they were doing, and the tyre worked well.

I use the Avon Azaro, at Barbagris' suggestion - as we had both been thinking about doing it for a few years. Personally, I think it is the best handling - wet or dry - tyre that I have ever used on the front. I have just over 7,500 miles on it and it still looks like new. It is a 140, not a 150, so that may well help with the handling.

 

[albertaduke]

The strange thing about the tread pattern is that it is the same, and in the same direction as the front Shinko tyre I used a couple of tyres back. Everybody looked at it and said that the sipes were going the wrong way. However, I assumed that Shinko knew what they were doing, and the tyre worked well.

I use the Avon Azaro, at Barbagris' suggestion - as we had both been thinking about doing it for a few years. Personally, I think it is the best handling - wet or dry - tyre that I have ever used on the front. I have just over 7,500 miles on it and it still looks like new. It is a 140, not a 150, so that may well help with the handling.

that makes it three of us so far

 

[1olbull]

I run an AZARO in the front in reverse as it is a rear tire for sportbike it is a 140 aspect ratio vs 150 for the cobra and both are from AVON I rode nearly 600 klms in frigging rain a week ago and I did not feel any problem shedding water and I at some time did some high speed runs in the 130 kmph in moderate rain the braking seemed equivalent to the cobra in stopping power , however where I found a difference ...for the better that is the azaro make it very easy to pick and hold your line into turns wet or dry , there is hardly any countersteering input required to maintain the line . if you brake with the front ALONE (not recommended in general !! but gently to try and see the reaction ) the bike does not straighten back as hard as the avon cobra nor metzeler front. it was a pleasant surprise to find these positive aspects what I do not know is wear time but being a rear compound rubber I imagine it will last as well as a cobra or better I tried this combo based on Barbagris positive comments a while ago and it works fine for me

Duke,
Sounds very interesting indeed. I believe the handling improvement you speak of was most likely from the change in size and not the tire itself.
I need more dope. At Avon tires I get nothing from a Azaro search.

 

[HansO]

that makes it three of us so far

Think I might have to try one next, mind you this Dunlop Elite 3 (which in my opinion is a better tyre than the Avon Cobra) will take ages to wear out and then I will have to finish wearing out the one I took off, I was amazed to see upon close inspection that at 8,735 km the previous one is only 2/3 worn when compared to the new one

 

[Jag]

I run an AZARO in the front in reverse as it is a rear tire for sportbike it is a 140 aspect ratio vs 150 for the cobra and both are from AVON I rode nearly 600 klms in frigging rain a week ago and I did not feel any problem shedding water and I at some time did some high speed runs in the 130 kmph in moderate rain the braking seemed equivalent to the cobra in stopping power , however where I found a difference ...for the better that is the azaro make it very easy to pick and hold your line into turns wet or dry , there is hardly any countersteering input required to maintain the line . if you brake with the front ALONE (not recommended in general !! but gently to try and see the reaction ) the bike does not straighten back as hard as the avon cobra nor metzeler front. it was a pleasant surprise to find these positive aspects what I do not know is wear time but being a rear compound rubber I imagine it will last as well as a cobra or better I tried this combo based on Barbagris positive comments a while ago and it works fine for me

I thought u sold ur rain gear? So much for not riding in the rain anymore. LOL

 

[albertaduke]

I thought u sold ur rain gear? So much for not riding in the rain anymore. LOL

precisely I rode without any rain gear weather did not stay the way it was supposed to

 

[barbagris]

At Avon tires I get nothing from a Azaro search.

They have been discontinued. And it's a bugger! - So far can't find another Z rated but there are a few other V rated. Mostly for GS-BMW type rears.

Had to use Metzlers a couple of weeks ago - yuk.

 

[TURBO200R4]

After 7500 miles my rear tire is toast, I have also noticed a small amount of cupping on the front.

I ordered up the Bridgestone Exedra Max for the rear and the Avon Cobra for the front.

The Service manager at The Triumph shop told me that since the tires have different tread patterns the bike would feel weird, he likened it to wearing two different shoes

Is there any truth to this?
Have those of you you who are running this tire combination noticed any unusual handling?

As always thanks!

that has been my experience that when i wear two different shoes it really fells weird.