Bridgestone BT-021 Feedback

I have been running the BT-021's for a couple of months and wanted to share my experience. I was one of the first ones on the forum to install them so I have been able to rack up some miles. BTW, I purchased them from SW Mototires which has great prices and amzingly fast shipping. From order to my door in 2 days! Down side of buying tires online, Like Haulin Ashe pointed out some weeks ago. If you have a problem with a tire your pretty much on your own. :angry2:

My first impression of the tires for the first couple hundred miles was exceptional! The grip both wet and dry very good and great feel on turn in and would hold lines in the turns better than the Avon AV series that I had been running most recently. After only a 100-200 miles I noticed that my front tire was very noisy! It sounded like I had a 4x4 truck riding next to me it was so loud. The sound was similiar to a motocross tire going down the blacktop.

First course of action, I checked the tire pressure and discovered that the shop that installed and balanced them had only put about 33psi in them and the gauge that I used when I reinstalled them on the bike wasn't working. New gauge, set them to 41psi. No change at all, I also tried several other tire pressures to no avail. So i take the bike over to the place that installed the tire and discussed it with them. Considering that I didn't buy the tire from them they were very cool. They pulled the wheel and dismounted the tire, we inspected the tire inside and out, everything looked fine. Then reinstalled, and balanced the tire. Trust me on this, these guys work on sport and track bikes. The guy helping me was one of the most anal mechanics that I have seen mount and balance a tire.

I leave the bike shop and could tell immediately that nothing had changed. At this point the tire has about 1500 miles on it. So after discussions with SWMoto I decide to take it up with Bridgestone. With only a few days before my trip to Oklahoma City I'm debating what to do. The person I'm communicating with at Bridgestone (Motorcycle Product Manager) basically says that there are no known problems with the tire and if it's not supping that it should be fine! Yeah, should have followed my gut on this one. On my trip to OKC I'm about 40 miles outside of Memphis and all of the sudden it feels like my front tire turned into a square? I stop, look everything over, pressure good, appearance fine, no nails or other debris wedged into it. I get back out on the road and anything over 30mph is unbearable! I'm talking shaking your damn teeth out. So I limp into Memphis and locate the Cycle Gear. One tire in stock the right size and load rating: a BT-021!!!

Long story short, bought it there and had it mounted at the custom chopper shop down the street. Owner of the shop is going to hold the old tire for me so maybe I have some recourse with Bridgstone. Pull out of the shop and can't believe it!! My front tire was quiet and felt smooth as glass!! Put 1500 miles on the new tire over the next couple of days and no problems. Bottom line, I fully believe that I just got a bad tire. I will keep this thread updated with the progress that I make with Bridgestone.

JW

Bummer on that front skin! Those are going to be my next tires; please keep us posted.

Planning on a set of the BT 021s for my next tire change, thanks for the input.

Hopefully you got a rare lemon that is not typical for this model tire.

To be expected. As with the Avon Azaro balance and Storm rear wear problems, the Metzler shredder issues, the OE Stone cupping fiasco, all to be expected, as pneumatic vulcanized rubber tires are a new phenomenon, and teething problems are inevitable. I would think they should have the technology pretty well figgered out by 2107 or so.......but then we'll all have Flying Cars, so tires will be obsolete.

radman said:

To be expected. As with the Avon Azaro balance and Storm rear wear problems, the Metzler shredder issues, the OE Stone cupping fiasco, all to be expected, as pneumatic vulcanized rubber tires are a new phenomenon, and teething problems are inevitable. I would think they should have the technology pretty well figgered out by 2107 or so.......

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I agree, I'm just posting my experience so that if others have similiar problems we can spot a trend. Like bad kick stands, faulty side bags flying off and what not....

JW

Thanks Jason,

Hopefully Bridgestone will make this right for you.

Lucky you were able to get it replaced on the road like that.

I have a set of BT-021's waiting to go on the bike this weekend.

Thanks

Tom

I've had a set of 021s on my '05 for nearly a thousand miles and I did notice some noise from the front for about 40-50 miles.

I figured it would just take awhile to break it in. I was right, from then on (so far) I'm very pleased with them. I did fill to 41 psi from about 35 from the shop. I didn't really have any problems with the stock 'stones but I thought I'd give the new ones a try and I'm glad I did.

Very light and neutral handling. I'll keep my fingers crossed as to any problems cropping up and for wear which will take some time. I'd pop (?) for another set right now if I had to. Love'em so far!

I have 300 miles on my new set of 021's. They were a little noisy(barely audible, but audible) when coming to a stop for the first 50 miles or so. They are now silent. Out of the box they are already my favorite tire on the FJR. My Strada's felt like I was riding on a rail and tipped into the corner with a litttle too much aggressiveness for daily commuting. They were awesome in the mountains during WFO last year. My bonzai run back home killed the back tire. So square a cruiser owner would have been proud. My 020's cupped badly (front) but were a decent tire. Too bad they only last about 5K miles and are toast.

So far the 021's get a :yahoo: :yahoo:

so, Bridgestone, Avon and Metzler all suck - what do we do now?

FJRMGM said:

so, Bridgestone, Avon and Metzler all suck - what do we do now?

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Michelin Pilot Roads?

Got a fresh set ready to mount for WFO... I sure hope they are not like what you went through...

Thanks for the update though, At least it kinda had a happy ending... :glare:

Don't have enough miles yet to have the 021's scrubbed in but so far nice and quiet and lots of grip right out of the gate. Doesn't even feel like I need to scrub them in IMO. PM. <><

My 06 FJR had the 020's as the original tire. Let me state this up front I have never been a fan of Bridgestone/Firestone.

I usually favor Dunlops.

I had 7k on the original set of 020's & I was suprised (actually shocked) that I was very pleased with the performance of these tires both dry/wet & also with their grip/wear. That's when the front developed the dreaded cupping. The front & rear both have at least 2k left on the tires. Now 9k on a front tire, I might have accomplished in the past, but I can't remember when or with which bike. A rear tire? Never even close to 9k. But as I near 8k the rear is still holding up well & might even make 10k+.

Shocked is the correct word. Would have bet the farm on never reaching 10k on a rear tire - no less a Bridgestone.

So after the first 200+ miles on the front 021 I have nothing unusual to report. Neutral steering & no noise. Running 40 psi since first installed.

Shoot....I may have to say something nice about Bridgestones. Who would've thought!

My .02 cents worth.

Hmmmm...I have somewhere between 1500-2000 miles on my 021's. I have a pretty good amount of noise coming from the front tire, but so far the performance is still OK. Thanks for the review. If I do have the same problem I will be sure to post here, and it will be nice to be able to print this out to show the shop that put the tires on for me.

FJRMGM said:

so, Bridgestone, Avon and Metzler all suck - what do we do now?

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I have had Dunlop D208s, really a track tire, low miles but really nice. Currently running Perelli diablo strada's; also a great tire set. hoping to get more miles out of this pair. Actually I am about 2500 miles, which is about all i got out of the 208s in and they are about 1/2 - 2/3rds gone but they still role great no cupping even wear no shakes.

PS I cant remenber the last time I have a front tire that i could not hear but not like dirt bike knobbies

I put a set on last weekend. I'd forgotten how much I like the easy turn-in of the Pilots, Azaros and the Pirellis as compared to the "neutral"(???? OOookay! :dribble: ) front with the 'Stones.

Twice in 2 days I have had them NOT turn in when and where I expected. Uhmmm, can you spell "Butt Pucker"? I hate the sensation of running wide because the front tire didn't turn in and hold the line as expected. If this is neutral, give me 1st or 2nd gear. I'll ride them to WFO and get as much mileage out of them as I can, hoping they will improve. If there is no improvement...off they come and Ill be done with Bridgestones!

As it stands, I'll not be doing any aggressive thrillseeking intense spirited riding. I prefer a tire that causes/allows the bike to instantly respond to minute small inputs and corrections. If I wanted a "cruiser" or "touring" tire I'd have ordered ME880's!

The above is only this man's opinion, and YMMV.

For me it will be back to (In no particular order):

Azaros (Now Storms): though I sometimes have to "unsteer" them in a slow corner when I can't "power out". They love to be ridden aggressively....or;

Stradas: But I hate not having visible wear bars.....and I didn't like the non-E spec rear. The E-spec was a vast and instantly transforming change....or;

Pilot Roads: A little "truckish" but I'm a rather large fellow, and they seem predictable to me. I may try a "sport" on the front (now that I have a tire changer and can mount or dismount as my feelings or senses change).

I suppose I forgot how much I didn't like the 020s as OEMs on the '04. Oh well, I will survive.

I've ran two sets of the 021's ....just ordered a third set that I'll spoon on before heading to WFO.

Best handling tire that I've used on the FJR, perhaps not the best wearing ...getting between 4K to 5Kmiles ....but I never got much better out of Azaro's or others so no real complaints and these handle much better. 33psi is way too low IMO ..check your pressure often, the bike handles like poop with pressure that low IMO. renojohn

I just thought about something last night. It could be that my technique is "lazy" and I've been relying on the profile of the PRs. I'll know more by the time I get to Park City.

RenoJohn said:

Best handling tire that I've used on the FJR, perhaps not the best wearing ...getting between 4K to 5Kmiles ....but I never got much better out of Azaro's or others so no real complaints and these handle much better. 33psi is way too low IMO ..check your pressure often, the bike handles like poop with pressure that low IMO. renojohn

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Your review is the reason I ordered a set of the BT-021's, & will have you to blame if I hate them!