Bridgestone T30 EVO GT front tire

[Constant Mesh]

Installed one of these recently. Seems very rigid compared to the previous Pilot Road 2.

I changed fork oil too.

Don't know if the jiggly, firm tire feeling is due to the tire or the fork oil. I used Maxima 5 WT fork oil which I believed to be very similar to the Yamaha oil.

Maybe I need to experiment with the tire pressure and hydraulic settings on the forks.

The forks compress smoothly when applying the brakes.

 

[thompsonian]

I like how they feel. Stick like glue. HOWEVER, monitor pressure close. Mine is shot and it has maybe 2500 miles on it.

 

[Constant Mesh]

I'd be very disappointed with that mileage. The Pilot Road 2 had 14.2 K miles at the change.

Obviously wear of the center portion of the tire is not an issue for you.

 

[BanjoBoy]

I dun found the "GTs" to be too harsh, (I mostly ride solo) and just do the regular T30 EVOs. Gotta record 8,300 mi outta one set, running 42F 'n 44R, butt am usually around 6.5-7K. As mentioned above, keep an eye on the PSIs.

 

[RossKean]

Interesting...

I recently installed the T-30 EVO GT and I am also finding that the ride is pretty harsh. The GT carcass is quite stiff. I didn't have a lot of trouble mounting the front but the rear was a *****. I had hopes for this series of tires from Bridgestone but I think I may look at something else next time.

Wear seems OK for now.

 

[Mr_Canoehead]

I'm replacing my rear T30 GT right now. Almost exactly 10k km since installation (6200 miles). It's completely done - bald in the center. I'm actually thinking of dropping the pressure a couple of psi to get more even tread wear across the center.

The front still looks like it has another 5k km (3000 miles) left in it.

They are great tires from a handling perspective but they are stiff. I just did the Total Control course on them which helped use up some sidewall. I hate taking off tires with side tread left.

 

[RossKean]

I'm replacing my rear T30 GT right now...

Was that the "EVO"? I have used a couple of the pre-EVO T-30s on the front. The EVO seems to feel stiffer although that could be my imagination.

 

[HotRodZilla]

I love the EVOs. Currently have my 2nd set on my bike. I wasn't thrilled with BT tires, but these things feel great on my bike. Stiff on both ends and the rear is a *****, but great wear, stick well, and feel good. I'll stay with them for a while.

As with anything MC related, what's good for me may be terrible for you. Try something else. The Pirelli Angels have a nice front also.

 

[Mr_Canoehead]

Was that the "EVO"? I have used a couple of the pre-EVO T-30s on the front. The EVO seems to feel stiffer although that could be my imagination.

Yes, it was/is the EVO. I was hoping for a bit more mileage but I never get over 12k km on any tire.

Just checked my records and I got exactly the same mileage (10k km) on the PR3's that I had last time, except the PR front was cupped at 10k, so I replaced it along with the rear. The EVO GT's definitely feel better than the PR3's and this front is wearing nicely.

I have another pair of EVO GT's waiting to go on - which reminds me, I never got that rebate card from Bridgestone.....

 

[RossKean]

As with anything MC related, what's good for me may be terrible for you. Try something else. The Pirelli Angels have a nice front also.

I don't hate the EVOs, just don't love them. I like the way they wear (and especially the price) compared to anything Michelin although I haven't tried the PR4.I did have one set of the Pirelli Angel GT. I really liked them at first - very smooth and confidence-inspiring. I had a serious issue with steering wobble due to the front tire after maybe 4,000 miles or so. Some visible cupping but handling went in the *******. It is the ONLY time I have had a serious steering wobble on this bike. Maybe just a bad tire but once I have had a bad experience with any tire, I won't go back - too many good choices out there!

People have been saying some good things about the Dunlop RoadSmart 3. I had issues with the RS2 but I may give their new offering a try next time...

 

[AdamK]

I just got back from a 3,000 mile ride through the Sierras on a set of EVO GTs I mounted before I left. I really liked the handling. They are pretty stiff and <seemed> harsher on rough roads. On about day 5 of 9 I started to notice head shake at 45 mph. By the end of the trip today it was getting pretty extreme. I'm not sure if it's the tires or something going on with the bike. I did hit a couple of walnut sized rocks which squirted out from under the tires. I'm wondering if I tweaked the alignment of the front end?? I'll try loosening and re-tightening the axle and pinch bolts and see if that helps.

They are a great value if not for the head shake!

 

[RossKean]

Headshake at mid life is what got me out of Pirelli Angels. Hope the T30 don't do the same.

 

[user 8909]

I've been experimenting with cold and hot pressures and even though the T30 recommended psi on the front is 42 I've been running 42-43 when hot by having a 37-38 cold psi.

With 4k on the tire now it's wearing evenly and better than previous tires with no sluggish low psi feeling that FJR's have a tendency to doing.

Again, I tend to run against the grain and using my own experience with various brands of tire I've used before. This will be my 2rd T30 (1st one on a GenIII) and I now have the feeling that I've been running too high of psi in my front and rear tires. Having TPM's I've noticed the psi rise 4-5psi when hot, I'm sure that's been engineered into the tire but I can't help but think I've had my tires overinflated.

These are my own observations and I'm not trying to convince anyone otherwise, just a thought on tire wear. Everyone rides and loads their bikes differently.

 

[SLK50]

Forget the actual numbers for a moment.

If you're seeing a 5 psi increase from cold to hot

then your starting pressure is too low.

The ideal delta is 10%.

Sooo...regardless of what you read cold,

you want that plus 10% when hot.

Based on your readings, I'd increase cold

pressure to 39 psi and would expect 43 when hot. HTH

 

[AdamK]

I've been experimenting with cold and hot pressures and even though the T30 recommended psi on the front is 42 I've been running 42-43 when hot by having a 37-38 cold psi.With 4k on the tire now it's wearing evenly and better than previous tires with no sluggish low psi feeling that FJR's have a tendency to doing.

The recommended pressure is always a cold temp. It doesn't matter what the hot pressure is. It is to be expected as PV=nRT. As temp rises so will the pressure. I start with a cold rear pressure at 42 and have seen hot pressures as high as 47 - 48 psi when the ambient temps are 90 - 95F. When I was on my trip through CA last week my cold pressures dropped to 37 - 38 when I hit the coast. I raised the pressure to 41 front 42 rear to match the cold pressure when I was in temps of the high 80's to low 90's.

 

[Uncle Hud]

On my second set of Metzelers (Roadtec 01 and Z8) as I taste the smorgasbord of moto tires, and the T-30 EVO GT is my favorite. The PR4s were really, really nice, but not worth the considerable extra money.

Haven't tried Pirellis yet, but I think the next set will be T-30s again. Got almost 12,000 miles out of 'em last time.

 

[AdamK]

On my second set of Metzelers (Roadtec 01 and Z8) as I taste the smorgasbord of moto tires, and the T-30 EVO GT is my favorite. The PR4s were really, really nice, but not worth the considerable extra money. Haven't tried Pirellis yet, but I think the next set will be T-30s again. Got almost 12,000 miles out of 'em last time.

I agree! The PR4s are about $100 more per set. My ONLY complaint with the EVO GTs is the head shake. I'm hoping it's just a fluke.

 

[HotRodZilla]

On my second set of Metzelers (Roadtec 01 and Z8) as I taste the smorgasbord of moto tires, and the T-30 EVO GT is my favorite. The PR4s were really, really nice, but not worth the considerable extra money. Haven't tried Pirellis yet, but I think the next set will be T-30s again. Got almost 12,000 miles out of 'em last time.

I agree! The PR4s are about $100 more per set. My ONLY complaint with the EVO GTs is the head shake. I'm hoping it's just a fluke.

Are you sure you didn't throw a weight? I'm on my second set, which, I know, isn't a lot, but they have been super smooth and no issues. No funny wear, and nothing I haven't fully expected. I'm also hard on my tires. I ride fast, brake late, and accelerate hard, just for the giggles. At 250lbs, the bike and I are not light. If these tires were gonna freak out, I would think I'd notice.

However, people who lived and rode in the eastern US used to despise the original Roadsmart fronts. They developed a huge trapezoid bump. Because of where I mostly ride, no issues at all. I ran two or three sets of those also. Maybe the tires wearing funny due to where/how you ride, or maybe it's something stupid, like a weight. I'm curious to know what's up.

 

[AdamK]

On my second set of Metzelers (Roadtec 01 and Z8) as I taste the smorgasbord of moto tires, and the T-30 EVO GT is my favorite. The PR4s were really, really nice, but not worth the considerable extra money. Haven't tried Pirellis yet, but I think the next set will be T-30s again. Got almost 12,000 miles out of 'em last time.

I agree! The PR4s are about $100 more per set. My ONLY complaint with the EVO GTs is the head shake. I'm hoping it's just a fluke.

Are you sure you didn't throw a weight? I'm on my second set, which, I know, isn't a lot, but they have been super smooth and no issues. No funny wear, and nothing I haven't fully expected. I'm also hard on my tires. I ride fast, brake late, and accelerate hard, just for the giggles. At 250lbs, the bike and I are not light. If these tires were gonna freak out, I would think I'd notice.

However, people who lived and rode in the eastern US used to despise the original Roadsmart fronts. They developed a huge trapezoid bump. Because of where I mostly ride, no issues at all. I ran two or three sets of those also. Maybe the tires wearing funny due to where/how you ride, or maybe it's something stupid, like a weight. I'm curious to know what's up.

Weights are there. I just mounted these about 2 weeks ago and just put 3,100 miles on them in Northern CA last week. They were rock solid through the first 2,000 miles or so. I did manage to squirt a few rocks out from under the front when I encountered some rocks in the road. I'm think maybe I tweaked the front end?? I'll try loosening everything up and re-tightening the axle and pinch bolts per the manual and see if that helps. Been running 41 front 42 rear until we hit the coast and the temps dropped 30F. The cold/morning pressures dropped to 37/38F. I tried bumping it back up thinking that was the cause and it actual felt a little worse??