OEM Bridgestones: Uncool beans.

[AKjitsu]

Inasmuch as this is another tire thread I thought I’d just put it directly in NEPRT and save Iggy the trouble of moving it. But one apparently cannot do this.

The OEM BT’s that came on my Gen III still had bunches of tread left at 5,000 miles so I figured they’d be good to go on our annual “Mild Hogs” sojourn up into UT and CO. About 500 miles into the trip they became functionally useless. Turn-in became a real chore and it required about 20 lbs. of constant inside bar pressure to keep the bike from standing up in the turn. Not much fun. Kills the front end feedback and makes maintaining a line a hell of a lot of work. And things got real skittish. Running across some tar snakes had the bike twitching around a LOT and giving me the signals that usually indicate an imminent low side. At the next stop, I brought up the subject of tar snakes and my two riding companions (One on a Gen I, one on a Multistrada, both on PR2’s) said they noticed the tar snakes but hadn’t gotten a bit of discomfort from them.

A quick walk-around revealed that both of my tires had assumed the profile usually associated with a cement block. Mind you, still plenty of tread in the center sections but, it’s almost as if the belts/carcass had collapsed into right angles.

So, plenty of tread left or not, these things are outta here. The PR2’s will be here Thursday.

I’m not saying the BT’s are the worst tires I’ve ever owned (that particular shame is reserved for the Pirelli Scorpion Trails that came on my Multistrada) but they’re far, far from the best.

 

[Top_Speed1]

Good NEPRT stuff. Always like to hear others with their tire wear. I'm more conscious (less lazy u might say) of my tire pressure before trips and find it helps

 

[Bustanut joker]

Seems like 'stones have always suked on these bikes..

 

[Old Guy]

Not what I wanted to hear. I've got 2400 miles on mine now and still like them. I'm using mine up at about 600 miles per 32nd of an inch of tread. At 2400 miles just over 3/32" left. I've got 2000 more miles planned before a 4000 mile trip I'm starting June the 7th, so I went ahead and ordered another set to mount before the trip. I'm on my way to the shop now to pick them up.

If I'd read your post before ordering them last week, I may have done something else.

Oh well.

 

[Spud]

I wonder if the OEM 'stones are really the same as the regular? I've gone through a lot of 023GT's and they've worked well for me. I've got PR2's on right now and must say I prefer the way the 'stones handle. Maybe they're putting an inferior version on the GenIII's to save a little $? Cars/bikes have been known to do this, I understand...

 

[DennisJ]

I got good mileage out of the BT-023's that came with my '09 and so far good mileage from the replacement BT-023 GT's that are now on it. Tar snakes make mine handle funny also, feel real slippery and not fun.

 

[Ignacio]

Inasmuch as this is another tire thread I thought I’d just put it directly in NEPRT and save Iggy the trouble of moving it. But one apparently cannot do this.

True you cannot.

In fact, one should aspire to not have something moved into NEPRT. If your thread is moved then you should bow your head in shame like a scolded Labrador for at least 30 seconds.

However, at present this thread, surprisingly, this thread does offer the tiniest sliver of non-NEPRT content...or at least Bridgestonitis hasn't been uttered in such a long time that the R mechanism of NEPRT has not been tripped. Contrary to occasional opinion--not all tire and oil threads go to NEPRT. Usually only those by people that didn't bother reading at all and/or saw a pretty shiny thing on another website and felt compelled to copy and paste for us.

So, what does this all mean? It took you long enough to go through that turgid piece of crap rubber. You'll like the PR2s.

Admin Note: Watch subsequent post attempt to digress further from the OP and have the thread moved. Watch and see if that happens or if real, new content about the original subject is actually added.

 

[mcatrophy]

Hopefully not digressing, what type of Bridgestones were your OEMs?

If they've fitted BT021s then your experience is the same as most. If they were BT023s (GTs or not), most who use these on either of the earlier Gens find them good.

So, which ones were they?

 

[Old Guy]

Hopefully not digressing, what type of Bridgestones were your OEMs?
If they've fitted BT021s then your experience is the same as most. If they were BT023s (GTs or not), most who use these on either of the earlier Gens find them good.

So, which ones were they?

My '13 came with BT023 F. I wondered too if they were comparable to the BT023GT. As Spud suggested, bike manufacturers have certainly put original equipment tires on that were not quite up to snuff.

My Goldwing came with Bridgestones that lasted about half as long as the Bridgestones I replaced them with. They handled well, but they didn't last very well at all.

 

[eg23232]

There's a reason this brand is well known as "slidestones". Can't wait to run through these bt23s and get some pr2s on the 2013.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Based on some peoples comments on this board, I ordered some BT-023GTs instead of the PR2s I've regularly ordered since 2008.

Gonna have them spooned on this weekend. Hopefully, my results will be better than yours. I'm just trying to find a grippier tire than the PR2 for weekend trip riding curvies...and save the PR2s for longer trips.

I'm just kinda tired of the PR2 front acting tired halfway through the tire...with a lot of bar pressure and wierd vagueness in the corners. The rear tire is long lasting and pretty good IMO. Just would like to see if the BT-023GT is grippier for weekends raiding the Cheeselanders up nort by dat aways.

 

[Harnic]

Very interesting! Thanks for the heads up. My '12's 021 front is shot at 7,500 km & at the recommendation of another forum member, I chose a Michilin PR3. I fleetingly looked at the BT023, but have decided to completely dismiss Bridgestone for the forseeable future. As I used to tell my kids when they were young: "you need a time out!". ;-) It looks like this sports touring game is going to be expensive, 2 sets of tires a summer really adds up!

 

[Spud]

So, what does this all mean? It took you long enough to go through that turgid piece of crap rubber. You'll like the PR2s.

So, just out of curiosity, have you ever run the 023GT's? Or do you assume they're the same as the 021's? (they aren't)

 

[majicmaker]

I suffered the same thing with mine AKjitsu, They are the worst. In no time at all I had to manhandle the bike like a pregnant elephant. THEN!!!! One day I was averaging 100 heading to Daytona Bike Week. 200 miles straight up I-95 for me. As I exited on the off ramp and slowed down. I felt this god awful Bump... Bump... Bump... I thought I picked up a gigantic nail so I pulled over and saw a "BUBBLE" the size of a half a tennis ball on the front tire. Scared the living Crap out of me. Made it to Seminole Motor Sport and got a new tire put on in 15 minutes. If that thing would have let go enroute, I'd be toast. I don't ever want to utter the word "Bridgestone" again.

 

[drc32-0]

Very accurate review AKjitsu.Holding a line took a LOT of pressure...so much so that I was starting to think I made a bad mistake buying the 2013.I changed to the PR3's at 7000 miles and it felt like a FJR again.It was kind of odd for me,but the front was cooked at 7000 while the back looked like it might have a couple 1000 left on it.Most of those miles the bike was loaded pretty heavy.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I suffered the same thing with mine AKjitsu, They are the worst. In no time at all I had to manhandle the bike like a pregnant elephant. THEN!!!! One day I was averaging 100 heading to Daytona Bike Week. 200 miles straight up I-95 for me. As I exited on the off ramp and slowed down. I felt this god awful Bump... Bump... Bump... I thought I picked up a gigantic nail so I pulled over and saw a "BUBBLE" the size of a half a tennis ball on the front tire. Scared the living Crap out of me. Made it to Seminole Motor Sport and got a new tire put on in 15 minutes. If that thing would have let go enroute, I'd be toast. I don't ever want to utter the word "Bridgestone" again.

BT023 GTs?

Very accurate review AKjitsu.Holding a line took a LOT of pressure...so much so that I was starting to think I made a bad mistake buying the 2013.I changed to the PR3's at 7000 miles and it felt like a FJR again.It was kind of odd for me,but the front was cooked at 7000 while the back looked like it might have a couple 1000 left on it.Most of those miles the bike was loaded pretty heavy.

BT-023 GTs?

Sorry to hear about that Denny. 7000 is about max for me on the PR2s. I had the same experience as you on the PR2s on my run out to Kali in 2011...made me back way off some otherwise enjoyable roads like Skaggs Springs and CA 36.

 

[VMaxChuck]

Please keep us posted on what is working well guys....especially on the '13 model!

Inquiring minds want to know.....

 

[Spud]

I'm really wondering if the OEM tires on the Gen III are a cheaper/different version of the real 023GT's.

My experience with the 023GT's (several sets) has been that the backs wear out first, but keep a pretty good profile until gone. The fronts are the best I've tried. Here's a set I took off where I ran the back to the steel, and same mileage on the front (set mounted at same time). The fronts hold out a long time and stay very round.

 

[Neil San Diego]

The BT-021 and BT-023 are night and day different.

The BT-021s are complete crap. The front tire will wear down to flat sides like a trapazoid in just a couple thousand miles. Never tried the BT-023s, but I've heard that alot of folks like them quite a bit.