Paladin. wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:11:My bike came with the OEM Chen Shing tires. Got a set of Dunlop D404's, replaced the rear, held off on the front as it wasn't worn out. Ran 4000 miles before I did the front. The rear was getting worn, picked up another rear wheel, with good rubber, not Dunlop, and have been running that for the last 7000 miles.
But I go no where near the limits of performance.
I think the last sentence of Paladin's statement above is key. Unless you ride on the ragged edge of traction limits, I doubt the difference of having mixed tires on a Savage would be that much of a distraction. I know that having a Dunlop 404 on the rear, and an Avon on the front of my 99 works just fine.
In fact, I'd choose them above the matched set of OEM tires by IRC that are still on my 87 after 20 years. (I thought IRC had always supplied the OEM Savage tires?) Anyways, I've got to get those IRCs off the 87 because of the weather cracking, even though they still have a little tread on them. (I'm not currently riding the 87, just starting it occasionally.)