if a tire is patched properly (tire removed,patched from within...etc) it can last awhile.
Although I dont believe in mixing brands...there's lots of logical reasons... think about it. I have, however, experimented with different combo's from within a manufactures offerings.
For a while I rode around on a Battlax BT 010/020 combo.
Something fairly sticky up front,with a little bit harder compound out back to try an' prolong the life a bit. Works fairly well. Get them up to temp and they stick very well.
Now I'm on the Bridgestones f/r same compound.
From what I understand, a bike,and its handling characteristics, are determined,built and engineered primariliy around the rear wheel to start with. The designers,engineers and builders choose a tire size and brand (width an' height etc) very early in the design concept.
I dunno.... who are we(accountants,office workers,firemen,gov't workers,car salesmen,etc etc) too think that we can just slap any old set of skins on a bike and have it perform better. True, there are always advances in technologies but the factories put the best tire on their machines(for the avg. user) yup, the average user. If you bought a Busa to canyon carve, you bought the wrong bike, thats my personal opinion.
patch...if ya have too...
sticky tires...sure....why not, yer still ridin' a big beast thou...
hav a glued 1...RSD.