Bt021 mileage front vs. back

[BBQ]

I replaced the stock 021s at just under 7,000 miles. They didn't have much left in them. I have PR2s on the Bike now and they feel good.

BBQ

 

[GreyGoose]

I thought i should end this little bt021 thread since i started it. Heres what finally happened:

i decided to take the risk and go on my annual blue ridge parkway / skyline drive trip this year after seeing some pretty major wear on the bt021 front tire. This was a big mistake on my part. This tire had (what i thought) a little life left in it after putting about 4000 miles on the set (the rear is only about 1/2 gone). We get about 500 miles into this trip, and this tire is lookin bad. At 600 miles into the trip, we seeing some strange scuffing on one side. At 700 miles, it had made its way all the way around the tire. At 800 miles, i thought this thing would fall apart. I swore i was going to be stranded on the blue ridge (cell phone coverage was spotty at best). Made it all the way RT. 220 (roanoke) on the blue ridge. Got cell reception. called a buddy with access to a computer. He finds allsport cycles about 15 minutes off the exit. They have a Avon ready to go and had it waiting for me as i limp in off the blue ridge. There are just some days when the "bike g-ds" are smiling upon you. This was my day. We were back on the blue ridge within an hour and 1/2 like nothing ever happened. Tire was litterally coming apart and i was down to the belts. (Guys at the shop kept joking for me to come back later on that night with the bike so they could watch me drive down the road and see the sparks).

Lessons Learned:

1. Another Bt021 will never show up in my garage (We all agreed that this thing was defective)

2. if you even think its going to be close, change it before you leave (trust your instincts)

3. Get a list of potential bike shops along your route

4. The guys at ALL sport cycles in Roanake get a big "thumbs up". Down to earth, knowlegable, and friendly

5. The "snake" ride listed in Rider magazines june 2008 edition is well worth the trip.

GreyGoose, signing out

 

[thompsonian]

Just the thread I was looking for. My BT021 is wearing low and I have put MAYBE 3500 miles on them. I like the feel, but don't like wearing 1 rear to 2 front. I'm used to the other way around. Maybe I'll have to try a set of the new Dunflops....or PR2's if I can get my hands on a set.....

 

[okmac]

Geez, you need to get off the front brake. My front tire will always outlast the rear by 1-2 K miles. I have 8 K on my 021's now and it looks like I have an easy 1 or 2 K left. Having said that I don't like the way the 021's handle after they have a little wear. I have a set of 020's ready to put on as they handle great right up to changing time, usually about 9 K miles. The front probably would go at least another 1 K but I change in pairs.

Mac

 

[Jagermeister]

Geez, you need to get off the front brake. My front tire will always outlast the rear by 1-2 K miles. I have 8 K on my 021's now and it looks like I have an easy 1 or 2 K left. Having said that I don't like the way the 021's handle after they have a little wear. I have a set of 020's ready to put on as they handle great right up to changing time, usually about 9 K miles. The front probably would go at least another 1 K but I change in pairs.
Mac

The problem is the BT021 front's lack of dual compound. The rear, which is Dual-Compound) was good for another 1500, in my case. Conversely, my current front Roadsmart (both F&R are Dual-Compound) is wearing slower than the rear.

 

[Geezer]

I put a set of BT021s on over the winter and now have about 5K on them. The back one is down to the wear bars and the front looks fine. Strange that we are getting so much variation in longevity. Regarding ride characteristics, I found that they sometimes felt a little squirrely, especially after a bit of flat road slab riding, but handled very well and predictably in the twisties and sweepers after scrubbing the square edge off.

I won't buy them again.

 

[odot]

Tire pressure, pups................tire pressure. Bearly flying knows all aboot that. Then ask him boot snow storms.

 

[CHRIS_D]

Yes, mine are doing the same. I have about 6600 miles on both the front and rear BT21 and guess what my front is almost worn out and my back tire looks fine. On all my other bike I always had to replace the rear way before the front. Before these tires I had the Metz on the FJR and the front and rear seem to wear evenly. In fact I managed to get 9400 miles out of them. Damn I didn't want to have replace tires already!!

 

[rushes]

My front has 2700 miles on it and it's worn to the cord on the right side at about a 45 degree angle. The left side is really close. The rear seems to be holding up much better. But I'm getting ready to replace them both. I'll not be using them again.

 

[Fjroamer]

as posted on STN:

hmm..., different stories all over the board (and other forums as well)

just used up a set of 'stone 021's on an '03 FJR. at 7,000 miles.

2,500 up and back to Hyder Ak (from Seattle), mostly straight up, 70mph stuff

2,500 mi blitz to Yellowstone, Beartooth Hwy, Sunlight Basin, Teton Pass, Lolo Pass and lots of hard riding in the twisties.

1,300 hard miles in Lower central B.C. Kootney's w/ lots of twists and turns.

700 mi. various stuff.

...lots of high speed open running mixed in here and yes, front did flat ctr. early but never seemed to be to the detriment of handling. No rr. "chicken strips" and minimal fr. "chicken strips". I'm usually following another rider who is very fast but very steady and smooth as well. No aggressive launches or extreme binder grabbings.

Heat??? At least half of those miles were in the 80* to 100* temps this summer.

ride 1 up, semi lightly loaded, fr 39 psi/ rr 42 psi (always)

The last 500-1,000 miles the front was near the wear bars, rear still maybe good for 1,000 miles. Today I pushed these tires very hard coming home over the North Cascades Hwy.. The tires stuck like glue and handled great even when well worn. Always handled better than 020's, Pilot Road 1's, Conti R.A.'s, & Pirelli Diablo Strada's.

I have always tried a different tire and will try the Pilot Road 2's or Dunlop Roadsmart's next but I was quite satisfied with the 021's performance right to the end. If I can match this handling and get longer tire life/mileage, I'll be quite content.

This is no "assault" on other folks experiences or comments... just another perspective thrown into the mix.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AMA # 331709

IBA # 21088

 

[old&slow]

FYI ,,, OEM Bridgestone BT021 front tire,,, 3600 miles, wasted ,,,, back tire looks like it has several thousand miles left in it...

going to try a set of Michelin pilot road 2's for my next set.....