My First Tyre Thread Py PipL Aged 46-anna-bit

So: BT 021's. Horror stories? Wet grip?

Only I'm about to replace the rear on the latest acquisition. It
currently has -020's.

 

Avoid.

After many sets of 020 s and many happy all weather miles put 021 s on
blackbird when they came out. Multiple moments ensued. Had much
arguments in head re old 'tyre run-in' chestnut.
In any case, after hundreds of miles could readily lock up rear under
'gentle' braking in dry. Warm up seemed longer than 020, and in
winter wet, never seemed to warm up at all.
Moments of terror universally associated with overbanding in wet or
SMA surfaces (stone mastic asphalt- banned in uk i believe, deemed
suitable in paddyland somehow, but recently banned). They simply cant
handle it. Dealbreaker came when crossing large [1] (about 2 foot
square) patch of shiny tar in rain when just leaving a 40mph zone
third gear and 10% throttle, pootling along, and alas fiddling with
visor wif left digits. Rear spun up, stepped out, hit lhs lock stop,
cleared tar, flicked back in line.I'd say only part o me in contact
with machine was right handie gripping closed throttle. The alarming
aspect was that i had previously been 'making progress', and was at
this juncture dawdling while trying to shift the condensation outside
the margin of me pinlock insert. Even went back to inspect to see if
there was diesel or any other mitigating factor. THere wasn't.
This being the last in a long line of dodgy incidents, combined with
the incidence of tar only streaks and patches all over paddyland,
specially in corners, i, for first time ever, chucked a pair o tyres
before they had expired. Utter shite.
Replaced them with Michelin pilot road 2ct. A truly amazing tyre in
all conditions AND the longest lived i've ever had.

 

Footnote omitted [2]
[1] Random feature of roads round here, as if they werent catastrophic
enough.
[2] due to feebleness of the mind

 

Why go with something uncertain when there are more popular choices.

 

Dunno, but I'll be interested to find out as they're going on the
Bandit when the current Dunlop shite-round-things die.

 

Because historically I've always got on best with Bridgestone tyres.

 

Aye. This was true for me too, till i got 021s thobut.....

 

I might give them a try anyway. At my mileages I'll only have to put
up with them for 3 months if they're rubbish.

Can't be worse than the standard fit Dunlop's. They're great in the
dry, but a liability in the wet.

 

Conti RoadAttacks. Good grip wet or dry. Fairly quick warm up. Excellent
stability on the brakes. Reasonable life.

That was the feedback from owners of the 1250, and my personal opinion too.
Hell, at Cadwell 18months ago, it seemed every fourth bike was running the
buggers. I was 'mate timed' at 1:56 on the Bandit on RAs, consistently
timed at that, so though I'm a slow old bugger, the tyres didn't
deteriorate.

 

Recall that bus that went on an off-road excursion and killed five kids
on board? Ttbomk, it was never even mentioned at the trial of the
driver, let alone put forward as a defence, but I distinctly recall the
scene of the crash and the sight of fresh tarmac with that distinctive
surface of SMA. All that could be heard from the courthouse was the
desperate side-stepping and covering up that was going on by the Dept of
Transport.

 

Yebbut if no-one tried stuff, nothing newer and better would ever get
developed. Having said that, with no positives and one resounding
negative, I won't be buying -021s.

 

Aye. i remember that one, dont remember the road surface, but do
recall the seat belt red herring. Previously it did make the news
once. Then the NRA, after twas banned in UK, announced that it
shouldnt be used in other than 30 zones and even then not in braking
or cornering areas. Know of a few damages cases where contractors/
councils have been found liable where its been used in wrong place. No
consolation if yer smeared into the grille of a truck mind....

 

work well on the R-GS. Used them on for the clique trip and now commuting
33 miles each way to Cardiff. They have been fine in the coder weather last
week and the rain this week.

Currently riding with some sealant goo in the rear as a 4" screw tried to
kill the rear tyre. Fortunately it went in at an angle and only caused a
very slow puncture which the sealant has fixed.

 

Pilot Road 2s. YKIMS.

 

I didn't want to be the one who said it!

 

OK, next time seeing as everyone rates them. Unfortunately I'd already
ordered an -020 when I saw these posts.

 

Bad form an' all, but when I arrived at the local bike shop whith a
wheel gripped in my sweaty paws, it turned out that the tyre wasn't
in: apparently Bridgestone have gone all bike-specific and they didn't
know which bike I wanted it for, so couldn't order it. I hadn't left
them a contact number so they couldn't ask.

So, as the Michelins have been recommended by no less than three
people in this thread, that's what I've ordered.

 

Bad form squared: 'fewer'.