New Bridgestone T30's (another small review)

[esullivan]

I bought a set of new tyres this weekend as my BT023's where almost to the wear indicators up front and squared off on the rear (10,500 miles). I had intended on buying Michelin pilot road 3's because everyone raves about them in the cold and wet, but on the day, I chickened out on the price. (My wife was with me, so that didn't help). I went instead with the Bridgestone T30s, which were £50 cheaper for the set. This was before I read BCF's lone review of this tyre, in this thread, which isn't very flattering. My experience is a bit different, so I thought I'd throw it out there for anyone else considering these tyres.

After fitting the tyres, I had a few days of high mileage because I needed to bring one of my children to a course near Cambridge (there and back twice a day), so ended up doing close to 1,000 miles on these tyres in the first four days, with a mix of motorways, city and A roads. The weather has been mostly nice, with only one morning of misty rain, so I have had little wet riding on these so far.

At first they felt very wooden. I expected the first 100 miles to feel quite different, but these were harder than I expected. My wife, as pillion, immediately liked them and claimed the ride was smoother. (The NC700 has a cheap, hard, non-adjustable suspension, so it is unlikely others would notice the difference the tyres make, but mentioning anyway.) I didn't get any of the chirping mentioned in the other thread, but I have ABS, so possibly that's the difference. They were definitely hard as rocks and I increased my lean angles slowly and carefully.

After the first few hundred miles, the tyres seemed to bed in and feel much better. Yesterday, I was easily doing my usual leans and they felt well planted on the roads. My usual lean results in about 3/4 of an inch of chicken strip on right side of the tyre and about 1.5 inches on the left (I clearly don't do enough lefts at speed).

After 1,000 miles they still look new, so seem hard-wearing. Once I get some wet/cold riding in, I'll add a note if anyone is interested.
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Current: '14 VFR800X Test passed 31/10/12.
Previous: '12 NC700S, '11 CBF 125, '04 SH 125.

[barrkel]

[garth]

Bridgestone in 'Wooden feeling tyres" shocker.

[supZ]

[barrkel]