Commuters and all year users...a tyre question (sorry!)

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furygan man · #16 Post by **furygan man** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 4:09 pm

Can someone confirm the right sizes for me? The Matin Poll manual has different examples depending on the make?

120/65 or 120/70 Fronts
180/55 or 190/50 Back

Prob going to for the PR3's or the BT-23's or the Roadsmarts

LOL (still no nearer deciding!)

Anyone have any good suppliers after i've confirmed the sizes?

Seeing Griff in Jan for his Airbox mod and some AP rearsets and 14k service so will get them put on then

Aladinsaneuk · #17 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 4:42 pm

i think - though I could well be wrong, that most who have tried the bridgestones on a falco, have been very under whelmed

i would draw up your list of what has been rated highly by folk - then shop too see actual costs - then decide

furygan man · #18 Post by **furygan man** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 5:01 pm

So what's the correct sizes i need to order?

D-Rider · #19 Post by **D-Rider** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 5:03 pm

furygan man wrote:Can someone confirm the right sizes for me? The Matin Poll manual has different examples depending on the make?

120/65 or 120/70 Fronts
180/55 or 190/50 Back

Prob going to for the PR3's or the BT-23's or the Roadsmarts LOL (still no nearer deciding!)

Anyone have any good suppliers after i've confirmed the sizes?

Seeing Griff in Jan for his Airbox mod and some AP rearsets and 14k service so will get them put on then

Normal fitment on a Falco is 120/70 front and 180/55 rear

Go on - stick some Pirellis on it - it is an Italian bike after all
(so clearly needs a German made tyre with a name that is written like a Welsh town)

furygan man · #20 Post by **furygan man** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 5:05 pm

...to the rescue again! It's a real toughy this one!

HowardQ · #21 Post by **HowardQ** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 6:29 pm

Aladinsaneuk wrote:i think - though I could well be wrong, that most who have tried the bridgestones on a falco, have been very under whelmed

i would draw up your list of what has been rated highly by folk - then shop too see actual costs - then decide

Sorry Pete but you are wrong!
Lots have people have made good comments about BT 020/021/023s in the past and some people have used hardly anything else.
People like Tweaker and Falken have used them a lot, and others that I can't remember without checking.
The only adverse comments have been about some BT021 fronts which wore funny although it did not seem to cause handing issues and they still lasted pretty well, Ken and I both had this problem.
As I don't commute anyway, I had often used BT014s on the front which I found gave me better feel on the front for my type of riding and lasted as long as 021s.
The 023 fronts certainly seem seem an improvement and are wearing fine. Probably as good as the 014 fronts, which means excellent.
Look at the write ups in magazines like Bike, who rate 023s and original Roadsmarts as excellent sports toures, with nothing rated higher yet, but the new Roadsmsrts are looking good.

If this is putting you off F/man, go for the new Roadsmarts, but both are fine with me.

furygan man · #22 Post by **furygan man** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:01 pm

I know, i didn't get that impression either from the replies i've received.

Came down to BT-023's and the new Roadsmart 2's, the way and frequency that i ride i wouldn't really understand the difference between the two, but the point of getting either of these is too gain confidence in all weathers and get out more rather than wrap the bike up in cotton wool like i have been doing

So just to be a bit different i'm going for the RoadSmart 2's and see how i get on, Griff will be fitting them in Jan

Thanks all, another one of those threads that's so subjective and personal!...I'm sure it will come up again many times

#23 Post by **mangocrazy** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:01 pm

D-Rider wrote:Normal fitment on a Falco is 120/70 front and 180/55 rear

If you're feeling adventurous (and flush) you could also try a 190/55 on the rear, but as the 180/55 is nearly always a fair bit cheaper and 99% of people run them, it's bit of a no-brainer.

I really wouldn't fit a 190/50. That will slow the steering down quite a bit and will also be more expensive than a 180/55 for no benefit and will probably be to the detriment of the handling.

Aladinsaneuk · #24 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:31 pm

I said under whelmed... Not bad !

I can only go by what I recall folk saying - and people, though ok , thought that they did not set the world alight

Compare that with folks views on the pirellis for example - or the road smarts...

HowardQ · #25 Post by **HowardQ** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:54 pm

To be fair Pete in most cases people were often comparing them with much stickier much shorter life spots tyres like Diablo Corsas, but as all weather multipurpose tyres both the Dunlop and Bridgestone Sports Tourers are excellent.
You would not expect to be doing the best times in the Fast group on a trackday with them, but the discussion was about ride all year round/commuting tyres after all.
I don't tend to ride hard and hang off the bike enough on the road to melt the sidewalls these days, but I certainly don't hang about.
Still everybody to their own I suppose.
It's nice to have different views, so we get these discusions going, it was getting a bit quiet recently!

D-Rider · #26 Post by **D-Rider** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 8:57 pm

On the Bridgestone theme there was a recent comment by one of the chaps on the Coventry bikers forum. He has raced a bit and also sells and fits tyres .... in fact a few from this forum have had tyres fitted by him - so he does know a bit more than a lot of us on the subject.

Bt014's are ok - as with all Bridgestones, they are lethal when cold, so be extra careful from the off dude, otherwise it'll be........

I guess with Furyganman wanting things that'll work in the cooler conditions, tyres that take longer to warm up would really not be the best choice.

davebms · #27 Post by **davebms** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 9:19 pm

Ive had Bridgestones on a couple of bikes ok BUT thats all ..i found that they wear oddly . i have pirelli roso 11 on the falco (did have z6) if ever there was a Tye that suited a bike its pirelli/falco if i were in your shoes

pirelli angel would be my choice

Aladinsaneuk · #28 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 11:02 pm

as i said - just - ok...

one other tyre to consider - the maxxis

for assorted reasons i had to fit a set earlier in the year - and i honestly cannot fault them

half the price of anything else, wear well, stick well and perform well in the wet and dry

if old badger pubes had of sold me his spare set of oz wheels, i would be happy to keep these as winter tyres....

Salty · #29 Post by **Salty** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 12:01 am

A review of Dunlop Roadsmart2 :- http://www.motorcyclemonthly.co.uk/news ... adsmart-ii
But I still love Michelin PR2s.

Aladinsaneuk · #30 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 7:52 am

and have you considered the tyre pressures yet?

and will you use EU or USA air??

(Some of the other old hits who frequent AF1 will be giggling....)