Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: Which tire is more important., tire, front

Question
If you could only change one worn tire which one would it be, front or rear?

Answer
Wow, that is a toughie. They're both so very important, for different reasons. You should never change just one, no matter how old they are. You should always change them as a pair.

I guess if I could only change one, it would be the front. The front is responsible for most of the steering and almost all of the braking. The risks from having a worn front tire and a fresh rear are greater than having a fresh front tire and worn rear.

The problem is, having a new sticky front will cause additional trouble for the rear. Being able to corner sharply and securely is great, but when the rear tire tries to keep up (roll on the throttle in the turn) it will more likely break traction.

Choosing one or the other is a decision I would never want to have to make.

<shudder>

Pat