which tires

[stephen101972]

im about 2 weeks away from needing a pair of new tires have seen a pair of bridgestone bt021 at the price of £158.00 incl delivery then obviously fitting on top of this. they are to be fitted to a yamaha thundercat 600cc. i currently run the bridgestone bt020 but the rear has flat spotted in the centre and the front doesnt give me much confidence when pushing hard in the twisties.

has anyone got any reviews on the bt021 good or bad i want to hear all comments. also for another 20 pound i can get the michelin 2ct. are these worth the extra 20 pound or is it just another marketing gimmick to get more pound notes out of our pockets trying to convince us that the edges are the same compound as what valentino rossi use to have for his moto gp bike.

both tires are rated highly online for durability by retailers due to having dual compound casings, hard in the centre and supersoft on the edges.

any real life experiences from similar bike owners would be greatly apreciated.

please note i do aproximately 3000 miles a year touring and approx 2000 miles having fun and would hope there is a tire combination that could exist that only needs replacing at the beginning of the biking season and not towards the end of it as well

look forward to some feedback on this matter

regards steve

[yoda]

The BT021 tyre (TYRE) is OK but ensure the correct tyre pressure.

[R1evad]

Bearing in mind tyres are the most subjective part of any bike, one mans meat / another mans poison etc. Its all down to experience and what "feels" right.

If you do more touring / commuting than scratching, then BT021`s are probably more suited to your needs. On a 600 you could run a whole year on a set.

Thundercats are very sensitive to correct tyre pressures, especially the front, so check your pressures at least once a week, or more frequently at this time of year as the outside temperature going up and down daily can seriously affect the readings.

I personally prefer Dunlops and "Qualifiers" are good on 600`s offering reasonable durability with Quck warm up. I`ve used them all year round on a CBR600 including a trip to the Nurburgring, and got about 4000 out of the back one. currently running a pair on my R1 and they are fine on the road but overheat on the track.

Yer pays yer money and makes yer choice!

[stephen101972]

ah the old story of tire pressures, what is the recomended psi for a 600 thundercat as i really dont have much knowledge in these matters. i always run high pressures in the car when doing trackdays so on the bike i have put rightly or wrongly 32psi in the front and 34 psi in the rear. ( i dont use the bike on track so road psi settings only please haha)

i have a sneaky suspision there will be alot of negative comments been hurled at computer screens when people read this but on the positive side i havent fallen off and still manage to get it leaned well over on bends. the bike came from the dealer with 32psi in the front so didnt feel the need to change this as i presumed this would be correct and im always more nervous about losing the front end so left it well alone.

[R1evad]

Be very careful with tyre pressures. Lowering pressures reduces the weight carrying capability of a tyre (thats why most manufacturers have higher pressures recomended when fully loaded).

The Standard tyre sizes for a `cat are 120/60 Z17 (55w) front and 160/60 Z17 (69w) rear.

Pirelli, Metzeler, Michelin, Dunlop, Avon, and Bridgestone ALL Recommend 2.5 bar front 2.9 rear.

Thats 36 / 42 psi in old money. If you have been running 32 / 34, I bet the front feels like its falling over on slow corners and the rear squirms coming out of bends hard on the gas.

Try your current hoops on 36/42 and see how it feels, then ask your tyre fitter to recommend pressures for your new tyres. (do both with standard suspension settings, so you can tell the difference between tyre feel and dodgy set up)

JUST A WORD OF WARNING. Because Tyre pressures are so important to the stability of a road going vehicle, Police vehicle and accident inspectors ALWAYS check them as well as tread and correct fitment.

Incorrect tyre pressures are a contributory factor in a high % of road incidents where loss of control is an issue and it is possible to get "done" under construction and use legislation, especially if an accident is as a result.

Reducing pressure DOES NOT increase grip, it LOWERS the bikes capacity to handle weight (race bikes are lighter and heat tyres more so run generally lower pressures).

Reducing pressure DOES have an adverse effect on tyre sidewall deflection, especially on the front.

For the road it is ALWAYS best to run standard pressures. It is the way the bike and tyre manufacturers designed them work best and is the safest and legal way to run on the road.

This is not negative comments St.10, just the result of 30+ years of practice wearing bike tyres out!! (track and road)

[stephen101972]

that would explain the lack of confidence in the front end of my bike i obviously have the wrong pressures in my tires!!! i was beginning to think it was pshycological but if i have the wrong psi in my tires it does make alot more sense.

have bought and paid for my new tires now and have opted for the bridgestone bt021 will see how these handle (at the correct pressures of course) when they arrive. went for these instead of the michelin ct since i dont intend on taking my bike on a track and the bridgestone according to reports has allegedly got a bit more durability on the centre contact part of the tire and is still pretty good on the edges for road use altho is known to overheat on the track so this will probably suit me better.

many thanks for all the constructive feedback especially regarding tire pressures didnt realise bikes run so high a pressures. all part of the learning curve i suppose and hopefully some one else will read this post and learn from this too.

[Tommy2Wheeler]

i recommend either dunlop 208rr's mental front wheel grip is fantastic feel is awesome, good in wet too, suprisingly.

or michelin pilot sports, on my second pair after having a gap and getting some bto20's there not my cup of tea, again like the dunners michelins r fantastic

[R1evad]

i recommend either dunlop 208rr's mental front wheel grip is fantastic feel is awesome, good in wet too, suprisingly.

or michelin pilot sports, on my second pair after having a gap and getting some bto20's there not my cup of tea, again like the dunners michelins r fantastic

I know where you`re coming from TTW. Next time you change try a set of Qualifier 209RR`s dual compound jobbies etc tried them on a new R6 and they are the DB`s on the road. Dry, damp diddnt make much difference. Dont know about fully wet use though, but by all accounts they just grip and grip.

(still cannot beat Metz racetecs for pure track work though, just coz you can choose compounds) but K1F and K2R is good on really sunny days.

[ringer]

I personally prefer Dunlops and "Qualifiers" are good on 600`s offering reasonable durability with Quck warm up. I`ve used them all year round on a CBR600 including a trip to the Nurburgring, and got about 4000 out of the back one. currently running a pair on my R1 and they are fine on the road but overheat on the track.

that's the funniest thing i have seen for a long time

[square box]

Dunlop Qualifiers on the track on a 600 can't go wrong with them

Square box

[R1evad]

SB, What none of your own pictures?

Nice to see Steve Hanging off like a gibbon once more

I Dont Supose "ringer" will own up.. Recognise the style, but not the bike list

[ringer]

I Dont Supose "ringer" will own up..

Huh ?

[Mr OCD]

TCat Owner here also...

ALWAYS run 36F/42R...

I run Avon Storm ST down the rear with a Avon Viper Sport front just to give the front end a bit more grip - feels superb on the road. This setup was recommended by an Avon distributor... its what alot of the Hayabusa boys go for apparently...

£180 fitted to bike...