I saw an article about OEM tires on the Gen3 - what to avoid

[blassoff]

I wish I could remember where I saw it. It was an article about the two different brands of tires fitted from the factory and one was said to cause inferior handling.

Anybody know the article I'm referring to. I think it was a choice between Continental and Bridgestone tires. Oh, maybe I'll check out NEPRT and look at tire threads.

If anyone can point me in the direction, I'd appreciate it. In the meantime, I'll do some homework.

Thanks, Baz

 

[wheatonFJR]

If yer looking for tire recommendations, tire polls and NEPRT is the best place to start...

 

[blassoff]

Yup, I knew that. I was just looking to read that article again and can't remember where I saw it first. Thought it was MCN, but perhaps not.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Several of the first reviews of the Gen 3 mentioned a lot of input was required to initiate and hold a turn. I seem to remember it in every article I read on the 2013. I think it had to do with front tire pressure as much as it did the tire itself.

My 2015 came with the Bridgestone BT-023. Initial grip was horrible. I still believe that 90% of the cause of my crash was due to the slipperiness of the brand new tires. At 500 miles the underside of the front fender and the front of the lower fairing was coated with a greasy substance that had to come off the front tire. Not a confidence builder.

Somewhere around 1000 miles both tires started feeling solid. By 1200 miles I had zero complaints. Now they are gripping as well as the Michelin PR3s and PR4s.

Good luck with your new bike. Ride more, stress less. (Actually you probably ride more than I do.)

 

[mcatrophy]

Since this is already in NEPRT ...

... At 500 miles the underside of the front fender and the front of the lower fairing was coated with a greasy substance that had to come off the front tire. Not a confidence builder.

Somewhere around 1000 miles both tires started feeling solid. ....

Doesn't ring true, 50 miles should get rid of any slipperiness. Sounds much more likely you were riding through something that clung to the tyres (and was slung off onto your fender and lower fairing.

My '14's original BT023s gave good straight-line grip within something like 10 miles, I gradually built up the lean angle over 30 or so. No complaints, nothing spun off the tyre. Other than some of the mud and cow-dung I sometimes choose (?) to ride through.

 

[Paul Thibodeaux]

The factory pressure, made turns hard. I'm now running 40/40. Turns good.

 

[RaYzerman19]

There was discussion of Gen II's with BT021's, which IMHO are a horrible tire, too rounded, not much turn-in. The Gen III BT-023's should be no different than those who have used them in the past on any Gen. A decent tire, but many prefer others instead.

The factory recommended pressures are, well, way off IMHO. 40/42 F and 42/44 R are the pressures I run usually, depending on the weather.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Since this is already in NEPRT ...

... At 500 miles the underside of the front fender and the front of the lower fairing was coated with a greasy substance that had to come off the front tire. Not a confidence builder.

Somewhere around 1000 miles both tires started feeling solid. ....

Doesn't ring true, 50 miles should get rid of any slipperiness. Sounds much more likely you were riding through something that clung to the tyres (and was slung off onto your fender and lower fairing.
My '14's original BT023s gave good straight-line grip within something like 10 miles, I gradually built up the lean angle over 30 or so. No complaints, nothing spun off the tyre. Other than some of the mud and cow-dung I sometimes choose (?) to ride through.

When you say "Doesn't ring true", it sounds as though you are questioning my honesty. Please don't. I always respect your opinions and your posts, I hope that was not your intent.

I could care less whether I rode through something or the tire is a piece of crap. We have no way of knowing what happens to each individual tire at the factory. We certainly have no way of knowing what happens to each individual tire as it travels from the factory to wherever in the world it goes. My tires had a thick coat of waxy, greasy, gunk on them from the moment I got it. I assumed it was the mold release compound. Dad scraped it with his thumbnail across the back tire right before he drove me to the hospital. It was way thicker than it should have been and it was ON THE TIRE WHEN I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP. Unless my salesman did some intentional meanness...

My tires were slippery as hell from the first moment and stayed that way until after I had a thousand miles on them. I had the pleasure of seeing the yellow TC light flash numerous times although very briefly.

My past experience with the pure garbage Bridgestone BT-021 coupled with my crash on these BT-023s has poisoned me against Bridgestone. I will not be putting another Bridgestone tire on my FJR unless it is an emergency.

 

[wheatonFJR]

^^^

I don't think he was questioning your honesty...I didn't take it that way. When he says that it doesn't "ring true" I think he is saying that it doesn't sound like the plausible explanation for the stuff found on your tires. I would tend to agree with him, on nothing more than my life experience and your description.

As long as this is neprt, if it came goobered up from the dealer to that extent, I would have assumed you would have seen it on your tire check.

 

[zamField]

I had Bridgestone tires on an 09 Concourse I had... terrible traction. Got rid of them after just 600 miles.

P4's on the 13FJR I have now ... 300 miles and they are excellent.

 

[blassoff]

I ran Pilot Powers on my concours, thought they were great, and PR2's on my FJR, no complaints there either. I'll give them a couple hundred miles, if they feel questionable they'll get scraped for PR2's or PR3's.

PS: Red, I can't imagine anyone questioning your integrity, didn't happen.

 

[Uncle Hud]

I've got 7,500 miles on my Gen3 factory tires. Bridgestones. They've worked great, except for that time when the kickstand wasn't fully down -- damn tires just let the bike fall right over. Seriously; they got me very close to scraping pegs last weekend, and I NEVER thought I could lean a bike that far.

As for mileage, I still have at least another 1,500 miles on the rear. Next set will be Bridgestones again, unless PR4s are equally priced.

So, I guess I ride like a grandma, eh?

 

[MCRIDER007]

My '13A came with BT023s, they felt like I was riding on dead wood when new but seemed to get better with age. I took them off at 4K because they looked like 6K tires and I had a trip coming up. I thought there would be a big improvement with new BT023 GTs but it wasn't as much as I expected.

My 14ES came with BT023 GTs and they seemed like pretty good tires. The rear lasted 7K and the front is probably good for 9-10K if I want to drag it out. Still lots of center tread and very little left edge cupping.

I like the BT023 GTs, not the longest lasting tires like the PR2s, but great value, and the aftermarket tires seem to be better than the OEM tires.

 

[mcatrophy]

...

When you say "Doesn't ring true", it sounds as though you are questioning my honesty. Please don't. I always respect your opinions and your posts, I hope that was not your intent.

I could care less whether I rode through something or the tire is a piece of crap. We have no way of knowing what happens to each individual tire at the factory. We certainly have no way of knowing what happens to each individual tire as it travels from the factory to wherever in the world it goes. My tires had a thick coat of waxy, greasy, gunk on them from the moment I got it. I assumed it was the mold release compound. Dad scraped it with his thumbnail across the back tire right before he drove me to the hospital. It was way thicker than it should have been and it was ON THE TIRE WHEN I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP. Unless my salesman did some intentional meanness...

My tires were slippery as hell from the first moment and stayed that way until after I had a thousand miles on them. I had the pleasure of seeing the yellow TC light flash numerous times although very briefly.

My past experience with the pure garbage Bridgestone BT-021 coupled with my crash on these BT-023s has poisoned me against Bridgestone. I will not be putting another Bridgestone tire on my FJR unless it is an emergency.

First of all, I'm sorry you took my post as questioning your honesty, that certainly was not my intent. I've a feeling the English English and American English might put a different emphasis on my words, so my apologies.

What I meant was that I've never heard of, let alone experienced, anything like your description on new tyres. We all find a very thin film that wears through in a very short time, never a coating of something that lasts for several hundred miles. I don't know what was on your tyres, I am sure it's wasn't just the mould release.

As to the goodness or otherwise of Bridgestone tyres, I agree wholeheartedly that the BT021 was a total disaster for the FJR (at least on the front), but I've been very happy with the BT023, GT or not. I'm not entering the debate over which is the "best" tyre, this is highly polarising

, all I will say is that I get on fine with the BT023s. I've just started on a rear T30 - so far so good, and I've never had a Michelin tyre on a bike so I'm not qualified to comment on PR-anythings.

Once again, sorry for my poor communication skills.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

My bridgestones are doing fairly well at arond 6500 miles. Front wore crazy until I upped the pressure to 39/40. After suspension tweaking, bike handles better, but a wicked amount of input is required to keep the bike in a turn, moreso at low speed, but it's always present (increase preload? decrease preload?). Takes hard pressure on the inside bar to keep it turning. Don't think that's the Bridgestone factor rubber though.

 

[mcatrophy]

My bridgestones are doing fairly well at arond 6500 miles. Front wore crazy until I upped the pressure to 39/40. After suspension tweaking, bike handles better, but a wicked amount of input is required to keep the bike in a turn, moreso at low speed, but it's always present (increase preload? decrease preload?). Takes hard pressure on the inside bar to keep it turning. Don't think that's the Bridgestone factor rubber though.

That was one of the symptoms of the POS BT021s, but not my experience with BT023s. Has the front worn V-shaped or with a central flat? Mine is still nicely rounded at 6000-odd miles, handles neutrally in corners (and I'm running around 37, I find even 39 makes the ride much too harsh).

 

[Bill Lumberg]

Still pretty round. May be the BT023, but I think I need to adjust preload one way or the other. Not sure which.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Mcatrophy, thank you for the clarification. I apologize for thinking so poorly of a forum member who has always been nothing but helpful and friendly. If I had read that post in context with what I have come to expect from you I would have taken a more positive meaning. One would think that with all the books I read written in The Queen's English I would be able to understand English as compared to the South Louisiana Gibberish I hear every day. Again, sorry for putting the worst possible spin on your words.

The Best Tire often changes with geography. Here on the Gulf Coast where it rains often, our roads are built on a soft earth foundation. I don't know the composition of our asphalt but our tires last a fairly long time (except for hppants!). I would assume that our asphalt is not as "grippy" as other parts of the country, or the world. The Michelin Pilot Road series has worked well for me. I ran the original Pilot Roads on my Suzuki and ran 2s, 3s and 4s on my ST1300 with overall very good results.

The old BT-020 that came originally on both my ST1300 and Dad's '07 FJR actually worked pretty well. We were Excited!!! to try the New & Improved Dual Compound BT-021. The front was a joke. 3K miles for the front on both bikes. Traction was poor, handling was strange. The rear wore normally and behaved normally but nothing great. We switched to Michelin and never went back.

 

[dcarver]

First of all, I'm sorry you took my post as questioning your honesty, that certainly was not my intent. I've a feeling the English English and American English might put a different emphasis on my words, so my apologies.

I apologize for thinking so poorly of a forum member who has always been nothing but helpful and friendly.

Thank you, gentlemen, for restoring my faith.