Got a sudden rear tire flat at 60 mph on the first ride of my new KLR 650, had a wild time keeping it upright. As I was pushing the bike down the road to get to a place where I would be safe waiting for help, a guy in a pickup truck stopped and offered to give me and the bike a ride to the nearest gas station. He was a dirt biker and had a portable ramp. He was dang good at getting the heavy KLR up in the truck (with a completely flat tire no less) on that skinny ramp. He got the bike up to running speed and jumped in the truck as the bike went up the ramp. When we got to the gas station/store I offered to buy him a six pack of beer for his efforts but he declined it.
A bad day turned good by a good Samaritan, and a very competent one too.
If my dealer told me that he wouldn't put a tyre on one axle that wasn't the same brand as the one on the other axle then I would be seriously looking for another dealer. Legally, you can have a bias ply on the front and a radial ply on the back as they are on different axles. I would love to know his reasons for that attitude.
Oh thats simple ,he bought the tyre elsewhere and they were not getting a cut.
Make a note never to get flat tyres at Yulara(Ayres Rock) where he is the only tyre fitter for 400klms