This years tyre choice question lol

Sorry for the common question but I'm buying some new shoes for the cat, on bikespeedUK they have some good offers on sets.

Choices are Bridgestone battlax BT-021 £139, Pirelli Diablo Strada £119 or Dunlop qualifier D209 £129. Any advice on the best to go for?

Personally I wouldn't touch the BT-021. Had them on my Thundercat when I bought it. Inspired no confidence at all. Got Michelin Pilot Road 4's on now, which feel better but still not sure about.

I ran a pair of the Diablo Stradas and liked them, but they haven't been manufactured for a number of years now, so even 'new' tyres will be several years old (that probably goes for all of the ones mentioned actually). I am on PR3s now and like these too.

Would that be an issue? The fact that they aren't produced anymore? I mean I'm coming from a mismatched square set at the minute so anything will be an improvement haha

BT021 is an horrendous tyre, avoid like the plague.

I hated the BT21 too, do not buy those

Currently running Michelin PR3, they seem fine. I ran Maxxis Supersports for a few years too. Very grippy, but I struggled to get 3k out of a rear.

Well that's the bt021 off the list. 1 down 2 to go haha

I had the original Dunlop Qualifiers on my old RSV1000R - the rear only lasted about 3K. I've had similar disappointing mileage out of Diablos. I think those are both single-compound, which would explain why they went square.

BT-021s came as standard on my Fazer8, and lasted much longer, but, Yorkshireman that I am, I still chucked the front away before it was worn out because the handling had become so diabolical. I put Conti Motions on, and they transformed the bike. The rear did about 5K before it got its second puncture and with only about 1K left on it it wasn't worth repairing. The front's still on with plenty of life left at 6K. A pair of those in Thundercat sizes will set you back £124.70 post-free from http://www.moto-tyres.co.uk/.

Thanks bobh I'll take a look. I have a contemptuous on the back at the minute and it will have lasted 3 years come May. I was only looking at the above mentioned tyres because they were on offer but with the continentals at that price I can't go wrong

I had a mix of BT-021 on the rear and a Diablo on the front when I bought the bike years ago.

The Diablo only lasted a few K and ended up looking like a pencil tip in profile (worn sides, raised middle) and the BT-021 was the complete opposite. The middle squared off while there was plenty of meat left on the sides.
..probably the worst possible mix.

The weird thing is that I believe the BT-021's are meant to have a hard compound in the middle with softer shoulders (in order to last longer I assume), but the damn thing spun up under acceleration in the damp, and dragged it's arse so much under braking, that it had probably the completely opposite effect on it's longevity....I could be wrong, but I think they're better suited to big heavy tourers. :/

This what I had to say about a BT21, this pre-dates me joining here, so sorry for the link to another forum

http://bikemeet.net/index.php?topic=5007

You can see the squaring off effect starting to appear on that one.

Well the new tyres are ordered. I went with the continental conti motions again purely because that's what I had on the back already so I know they're OK for me.
Managed to get a set for £124.75 delivered from blackcircles, which I thought was a good price. They should be here next week. I've rang around some local garages and they want £50 to fit them. Does that sound about right?
My mate charged me £5 to do the rear on my old 125cc haha

Anyway just for giggles I thought I post a pic of what I'me currently wobbling about on..... it's amazing I can turn at all really haha





That's the conti motion which isn't too bad, then there's the bt014.....




I tried some 'spirited' cornering the other day and it was reminiscent of the slalom on my Mod 1, only lent over haha

Well that's my new tyres on. Can't believe the difference in the handling! Bike almost want to fall over in the corners haha
Speaking of which, how long to I need to 'take it easy' for?
And what constitutes talking it easy? Are we talking first time on a motorbike easy or just no kneedown corning for first few miles?

I've been told 100 miles and then again 50 miles, it all depends. You are roughing up the surface so for the cornering I suppose you'd do it incrementally - not all over at once, so probably knee down out the drive will end in being thrown off

First time I changed tyres on the 'cat I had to get used to  how easy it wanted to turn. When I bought the bike they were already squared off and all previous bikes had the old square tyres, so the new shoes for me, was quite something to get used to - think I may have been a bit too cautious though.
I dreaded the next tyre change as I recollections of the first time, not a problem - just didn't try and lay too much power down for an hour or so and pretty much forgot about it after that. When you cornering feel what's happening, once the rubber is scrubbed it'll take more hammering.

Talking from experience (of totally forgetting I had brand new rubber on loose wheels that I'd fitted the day before) you do need to take it easy for a while.

Back wheel just slid away under "normal" acceleration coming out the drive :(

Just be quite gentle with braking and acceleration and gradually increase your lean angles to wear away those chicken strips.

If you ride totally up right for 30 miles then I'd say they've still not been broken in but if you gradually increase lean angles I'd be confident in them after about 10-20 miles.

Enjoy the new rubber.

Cheers
Rosco

Thanks's guys,
It's a big shock how light it is while cornering and how little effort it now requires to drop in.
It's a good thing I suppose lol
And I don't generally get my knee down off the drive, I'm a wimp like that haha
but I do have a good ride planned for next Sunday so hopefully by then they should be on their way to being worn in and if not then they certainly will be by the time I get back :-)

I was told that Continental don't use release agents so your tyres should be good to go immediately, however, as Rosco says above I would just ride a bit steady for the first few miles until I can see that I've been all the way over on both sides.

I've read that as well (also for other manufacturers), but they do have quite a shiny surface that need a bit of scrubbing in.