Mixing Rosso 3 and Rosso IV tires SV650-Track/Twisty use

[Crash Bandicoot]

Hi, my rear tire probably won’t have enough tread left to pass tech for tech inspection for the first track day in the fall after plans to ride two up a lot this summer but my front should have plenty of meat on the bone.

I’m running Rosso 3s in 120/60/r17 and 160/60/r17 on an 06 SV650s with a YSS rear shock (stiff spring set up not sure of the numbers) and Racetech .90 springs and 15wt oil up front. Like the tire profile but want to move to the 4s since the 3s tend to push in bends below 50° until you really get them warmed up (highway riding doesn’t seem to do it fully only cornering) and that seems to be the major improvement with the 4s.

Anyone have experience with both tires and can comment if the profiles are similar enough to just swap the rear? I’ll have some street time on the set up before my first track day with it but would prefer not having to bin a perfectly good tire up front or buy the older 3s if they’re practically the same profile. I’m in Arizona so won’t have to worry about ambient temps dropping below 50 before the front wears out anyways.

 

[BigCahuna]

Have you given any thought about picking up a spare set of rims, with tires you'll use only for track use?. Then you can put a set of street tires on, for just knocking around.,,,

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

I think I’m way over thinking this. Just going to spoon on a Rosso IV in the back and if it feels weird order a front and toss it. Sorry for the unnecessary thread.

 

[Ride_Red]

I think I’m way over thinking this. Just going to spoon on a Rosso IV in the back and if it feels weird order a front and toss it. Sorry for the unnecessary thread.

I've mixed tire models and brands front/rear before. Most of the time it is not a problem.

 

[bonjo]

+1

Although not pirelli, I did a similar thing: replacing michelin pilot power with pilot power 3. In my case the 2 models were very diffrent.
Soft casing, single compouns and pointed profile to harder casing, dual compount and rounded profile. The difference was notieable but not worrying, I just adapted to it.

In your case the difference should not be as pronounded as in mine, just give youself few rides to get used to it

 

[CCI]

Hi, my rear tire probably won’t have enough tread left to pass tech for tech inspection for the first track day in the fall after plans to ride two up a lot this summer but my front should have plenty of meat on the bone.

I’m running Rosso 3s in 120/60/r17 and 160/60/r17 on an 06 SV650s with a YSS rear shock (stiff spring set up not sure of the numbers) and Racetech .90 springs and 15wt oil up front. Like the tire profile but want to move to the 4s since the 3s tend to push in bends below 50° until you really get them warmed up (highway riding doesn’t seem to do it fully only cornering) and that seems to be the major improvement with the 4s.

Anyone have experience with both tires and can comment if the profiles are similar enough to just swap the rear? I’ll have some street time on the set up before my first track day with it but would prefer not having to bin a perfectly good tire up front or buy the older 3s if they’re practically the same profile. I’m in Arizona so won’t have to worry about ambient temps dropping below 50 before the front wears out anyways.

What made you decide on the YSS shock?

I just bought my second set of YSS shocks, this set inadvertently a little over-sprung (too stiff, ordinarily) and I don't think I could be any happier with them. The bike is comfortably taking curves at 20 mph over the posted speed limit and the suspension is rock steady. Seems like being sprung a little heavy makes the bike more predictable in the curves, but I am guessing.

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

What made you decide on the YSS shock?

I just bought my second set of YSS shocks, this set inadvertently a little over-sprung (too stiff, ordinarily) and I don't think I could be any happier with them. The bike is comfortably taking curves at 20 mph over the posted speed limit and the suspension is rock steady. Seems like being sprung a little heavy makes the bike more predictable in the curves, but I am guessing.

Honestly I was looking for a stiffer spring and got a little sticker shock looking at the common SV options (Ohlins, Penske, k-tech) discovered YSS from the 44t YouTube channel from their Bavarian budget bike battle and I think I paid ~$410 shipped from the UK for a stiffer springed shock with just rebound adjustment.

Build quality and performance is extremely impressive I think their units with remote adjuster and compression adjustment are a bit overpriced (within spitting distance of Ohlins) but this shock has transformed the rear end and I don’t get the back end stepping out under throttle like I did with the stock unit when I’d roll on the throttle out of a corner with lean angle and I have precise control now when I do lift the rear end. Didn’t even bother doing 2 up with the stock unit since it’s sized for like a 120lb Japanese guy. I really like very little sag in the back my riding style on the street especially is very biased towards lots of trail braking into corners and heavy throttle out so works well for that. Would definitely buy one of them again. Aside from stiffer fork springs it’s one of the best upgrades I’ve made. Wish they’d get more of a US presence though. I salivate at the prices people pay for these in Europe.

 

[CCI]

"I really like very little sag in the back my riding style on the street"

Same here.

"especially is very biased towards lots of trail braking into corners and heavy throttle out so works well for that. "

Same here.

"Would definitely buy one of them again. Aside from stiffer fork springs it’s one of the best upgrades I’ve made."

Same here.

"got a little sticker shock looking at the common SV options (Ohlins, Penske, k-tech)"

Same here. The YSS shock with the rebound adjust turned it into a different bike for about a third the cost.

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

Just an aside. I decided to swap a replacement valve onto my rear yesterday and in a rush and 110° temps I ended up damaging my old tire’s bead putting it back on the wheel so ran out, grabbed a Rosso IV and threw it on (carefully) tested it out this morning up to 120+mph on a Mexican interstate that looks like the 101 and happens to be near my house. Did some low speed scrub in and as expected it’s basically the same profile as the 3. No qualms of mixing the two at all. No rear pendulum feel or squiriming (aside from the normal new tire squirm you can get when scrubbing In a parking lot) hooked a few bends and worked perfectly.