Bridgestone Battlax BT-020

[Visitor Q]

Just a bit of praise for a tyre rather then the usual 'are such and such tyres good' or 'i stacked it, im blaming the tyres/diesel'.

Basically i got my cbr600 back when i was 18 and poor (still am poor, but slightly better at prioritising).
Tyres died before id got comfortable with the bike, and i sourced a pair of new macadams for £65 delivered (lol, sound high quality eh).

Anyway i did various things to my bike, mainly dynojetting a full system on there.

But i was bugged by the fact my brakes which i hadnt bled in a while would lock the front at most speeds with not much bullying. And id always fancied braided hoses, and learning stoppies.

Anyway long story short, after a few lucky breaks and the gf treating me to braided hoses for valentines day i decided to sort out new tyres too. Sourced a set of bt020's on wheels for £120

Whacked them on at easter and binned the macadams, and sorted myself out a set of leathers too.

Since then its been nothing but smiles and miles.

But whats prompted this thread is the 2 hour 90 mile ride i just had down the A5 (and back obviously). Since getting the tyres ive learned kneedowns comfortably, i can wheelie in second happily, i can stoppie etc.

But earlier i actually 'saved it on the knee' -not bragging, more a case of being stubborn then skill- so to speak on a tight left hander id overcooked it into, where i went slightly wide too over cats eyes and middle of the road cack (and double whites) without any real slide (it just hopped like a cunt). I've also had a slide on the back when almost kneedown that happily got grip again.
I also had an incident coming up behind a car out of a corner who fancied turning right, whilst hugging the curb. Naturally brown trousers, but they handled the rear slide whilst heavily braking on the front and then let me dodge round.
And on the way back (admittedly they were quite warm already) i hit torrential rain all the way from betws y coed back to bangor. I was still able to make good progress, hang off and not a hint of insurrection from either end. Braking and accelerating was totally behaved and it even wheelied happily abit later when i got to a road i always wheely on whilst it was still spitting.
Also been letting me get away with late braking without any misbehaviour.

All that from a set of 'sports-tourer' budget tyres
And its not on some uber hyper sports bike either, its on an 'old' cbr 600, circa 1996 with dodgy suspension.

Im bloody made up, and i couldnt recommend them enough.

Just thought id mention
____________________
China traffic/travel bike vid - When I make a sweeping statement, please add the word 'statistically' in to the sentence before you bitch...
From September 2014 to January/February 2015 I will not be using any English, nor reading any. As such, I won't be on here. PM at will, but I won't be checking/posting unless in emergencies. Certainly not for the first couple of months. Please berate me savagely if I break that rule...

[TheDonUK]

If you like them ricardo, when they are done mate splurge out on the New BT-021's the 020's replacement, they are so grippy its not even funny, got me scraping the engine bars on my bandit, they grip from cold, ile let you know about tire life but i just cant stop raving about them...

Give em a try if your budget can stretch to em, you will not regret it

[Visitor Q]

I might do when these run out, but i dont think that'll happen for a fair few miles.

Just made up that they've made such a massive difference to my bike.

Sounds weird but i cant really see how much better tyres can get for my needs...
____________________
China traffic/travel bike vid - When I make a sweeping statement, please add the word 'statistically' in to the sentence before you bitch...
From September 2014 to January/February 2015 I will not be using any English, nor reading any. As such, I won't be on here. PM at will, but I won't be checking/posting unless in emergencies. Certainly not for the first couple of months. Please berate me savagely if I break that rule...

[Rookie]

Absolutely agree. I loved the Pilot Powers, but they wore out so damn quickly. I actually use the 020s the same as I did with the Powers, and they feel at least as good, plus they should last twice as long.

[skida]

I put 020s on my first Sprint ST when the BT56s (or 57s, I cant remember) where finished and they were great, giving absolute confidence in all weathers and conditions.

The Speed Triple had 010s on and they were also good but needed to warm up before they were really effective in the cold and wet. When the back was worn out I put a 012 on and I had a couple of "moments" when accelerating out of a side road on cold tyres.

I have Pilot Races on the CBR600 and don't rate them at all, so will be replacing them with 020s when the time comes.

It is amazing how good Bridgestones are these days: In the seventies they came as standard on Japanese bikes and were a joke. The first thing people would do is change them for Dunlops or Avons.
____________________
Previous: Suzuki GT125, Honda C50, Honda C90, Suzuki GS125, Yamaha XJ600N, Triumph 955i Sprint ST, Triumph 955i Speed Triple, Triumph 955i Tiger, Triumph 955i Sprint ST
Current: Honda CBR600FR

[FreshAL]

I put 020's on my old SV, best thing I ever did for that bike. They get a big from me as well.

I'll be replacing the Conti Road Attacks on my current SV with 021's in the summer

[G]

On my ZX6 I found an 010 front, 020 rear gave a good combination of grip and life. (Or supercorsa front and 010 rear as I had on the SV for a bit).

I'd say I definitely noticed and improvement in grip, especially in wet weather grip on the 010. I always found they warmed up well and gave plenty of grip from cold. Different bikes etc, though, of course.

[Gazdaman]

020s are good, I had them all round. Had the exhaust scraping happily enough, lots of knee down etc.

But moving from an 020 to a supercorsa it's a different league. Not as forgiving in the wet though.

Gaz

[P4LERIDER]

I've used 020's on my sports bikes for years due to the high milage i rack up & have always found them to be decent tyres but am going to swap to the new Pilot Road 2's the dual compound ones...

Anyone used them or got an opinion?

[akaDAVE]

When I got my tyres changed the bike shop said they only had the 020s in stock and I was a bit unsure as they described them as 'sports tourer', and this is for a zxr400.

I don't really know much difference but they seem more than sound to me and were a million times better than the squared off rear I was on.
Can't get my knee on the ground but I've had it leant over enough to scrape the peg on a roundabout and they seem very stable.

The only uncertainty I have in my bikes grip is over rough ground and that's because there is no suspension to speak of!!
____________________
GSXR600

[JonB]

I still maintain that my BT45's were far superior than the BT020's I had on the Bandit, they only lasted 5000 miles, but I did a trackday with the BT45's and they didn't fault me once.

The BT020's kept wanting to chuck me off my bike, especially at 90+ right handers, just kept wanting to highside me.

Obviously on different bikes it could be better, but IMO with limited experience of tyres the BT020's weren't the best. My BT45's were better in the wet as well.
____________________
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[TheDonUK]

I brought my bandit around christmas jon, came with some dodgey tyres on it (i think the original ones), As soon as i could i fitted BT-45's which are a great little tyres, they did the job, and if i couldent afford 020's/021's i would buy them again,

A mate convinced me to try 020's for my next set, which i did partially, leaving my BT-45 front and putting an 020 rear on... That setup worked pretty well (and before someone says, no that setup is NOT illgeal, it would be the other way around)

But now with a pair of 021's its another league altogether...
They will take bends flat out with no problems...

[JonB]

I bought my bike with 42 miles on the clock and it came with 45's as standard!

I'd love to try out the BT021's, I like the idea of dual compounds.
____________________
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[G]

The 020 claimed to be dual compound as well I believe.

Never used a front 020, but never been that impressed by the BT45.

[scottyni]

been running 020's on my falco for the past 3 years and i love them.. never a moment even in the wet. recommend them highly

then....

i put a new 021 on the front and did a trackday, only 30 mile it...

damp first session and it didn't miss a beat. so now it's 021's for me.

trying to use this 020 rear quick... on a twin easy enough

021's recommended indeed
____________________
if you can't ride it.....
OR take it too bed...
IT AIN'T WORTH AVIN'

[Visitor Q]

So the general concensus is upgrade to bt021's if possible.

Hmmm

May do on the next bike i get/when these run out.

Thing is im already going faaaaaaaaaaaaar too fast on road on these. As said rolling out of a corner at 80 odd near kneedown to have some hatchback 100 feet infront of you turning right is a liberating experience.

VERY nearly decided fuck it go round the right. Bare in mind good lines through corners are outside inside outside so i was already on the right hand side.

It was actually the rear slide that both slowed me down and pointed the bike sharply left Nur all you buggers that say getting comfortable sliding in carparks is a mugs game
____________________
China traffic/travel bike vid - When I make a sweeping statement, please add the word 'statistically' in to the sentence before you bitch...
From September 2014 to January/February 2015 I will not be using any English, nor reading any. As such, I won't be on here. PM at will, but I won't be checking/posting unless in emergencies. Certainly not for the first couple of months. Please berate me savagely if I break that rule...

[woo]

Just watch out for diesel or small gravel patches 020 or 021 will not save you from that hence why im a go fast in a straight line wheelie warrior!

If i get a blow out or buckle from doing 170mph i will not know about it for i will feel soft green grass between my toes and a gentle soft wind blowing across my face for i will be in ayselcium!
____________________
Elen sila lummen omentielvo!

[Visitor Q]