BT-016 Mileage report!

Well, the BT-016's are off the bike. I bought these back in mid-September. Mileage coming off the bike is +-5,000 miles. Now, the tire is not quite at the wear bar and there is 1.5mm of tread at the center-most portion of the tire. I really suspect there is an honest 600-1,000 miles left to these tires. I only replaced them due to a last-minute opportunity to take a trip on the bike that will be in excess of 1,500 miles. I didn't want to risk needing a tire in the midst of a trip.
I do love this tire. But, due to the last-minute nature of the trip opportunity, I did not have time to order another set. Rather, I took the last $179 set of Diablo's from my nearest Cycle Gear.

Still, I would recommend this tire, and I still believe this tire would easily do the 6,000 miles. My road serfaces are generally very abrasive. For comparison, I got 4,800 miles out of the original D-252's.

I just snagged a set of the 179.00 form cycle gear for my FJR. I ride the twistys hard and wasn't sure I could trust the Diablo's to be sticky enough on the FZ. Probably all in my head but don't want to find out the hard way I was right.
I run the Pilot power on the front and a pilot road on the rear on the FZ, nice combo for me.

Scab - Once you get some miles on the Diablos please post a compare and contrast. I'm very happy with my Diablos however I've also heard very good things about the 016s too.

Red Wazp - The Diablos will work fine on your FZ6. I've got two track days on mine; one on a sunny 85 degree day, the other on a cool, rainy day. I consider myself to be a solid advaced intermediate track rider and in my run group I'm usually one of the faster riders. I've had no problems with the Diablos at all. They heat up quick and even, are very predictable and stick great at peg grinding angles. I did have a few drifts with the weather was 65 degree and the pavement was not fully dry. When they would drift it was very even and controlled. All you need is a bit of throttle input or knee correction and they hooked back up.

Hellgate said:

I consider myself to be a solid advanced intermediate track rider.

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That little line made me chuckle Pete, its a bit of a contradiction in terms. On track days there are normally three groups aren't there?

Novice
intermediate
Advanced:Flip:

I think that you are being to humble. You are probably an advanced group rider, getting used to the track again by riding in the intermediate group.
You have more track miles than any of us.

Now back on topic,

I used to have the BT014's they were very grippy, warmed up quickly and like the Diablos have very predictable slide.
The down side was 3300 mile to the rear and 5000 to the front.
For the riding that I do in the main [Short work commute], it really was not a cost effective choice of tyre. They would be binned with loads of meat left on the outsides but bald in the middle.
They would be a great track day tyre though.

I have just switched to the BT 021's and really like them. They really suit the type of riding that I do.

I admire you guys who are able to write down what you feel in terms of tyre input. I generally only know what my tyres are doing when they have already let go lol.

The only thing that I feel is a great different from the old BT020s over the new 021's is the rear warms up quicker [still not as fast as some of the other tyres in the sports touring bracket] and has less grip loss on wet manhole covers and white lines which are abound on my daily commute.
The changes in the front felt far more obvious from the off. I am a small chap and have always felt that the FZ6 required a good measure of steering input to get set up in the corner. It took me quite a while to get used to physically throwing the bike in. When I had my BT021 fitted on the front, turn in was much sharper and well planted. Now I am not sure if this was because I am comparing a new tyre for a worn tyre?
I regularly check my tyre pressures and all of the Bridgestone that I have used have maintained a good range of pressure.
I would recomend the BT 021's to anyone who commutes and has the occasional hard ride.
My next set of tyres will be pilot powers. I am hoping that the sharper profile will give me a good balance of rider input and turn in.

Nelly:thumbup:

I'm disappointed with the Stocks, Bridgestone BT020. I don't like that tyre...

I'm thinking of changing to Conti Road Attack, Dunlop Roadsmart or Pirelli Diablo Strada next spring.
These should be a good mixture of nice grip and good mileage. I guess the final decision will only be what set of tires has the best price!

pt1979 said:

I'm disappointed with the Stocks, Bridgestone BT020. I don't like that tyre...

I'm thinking of changing to Conti Road Attack, Dunlop Roadsmart or Pirelli Diablo Strada next spring.
These should be a good mixture of nice grip and good mileage. I guess the final decision will only be what set of tires has the best price!

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Almost everyone is disappointed with BT020....The BT021 has nothing to do with the 020. The grip is phenomenal compared to the 020 and the mileage is much better than the Strada or Road attacks. The road attacks are my personal favourite along with the 21s though

GConn said:

Almost everyone is disappointed with BT020....The BT021 has nothing to do with the 020. The grip is phenomenal compared to the 020 and the mileage is much better than the Strada or Road attacks. The road attacks are my personal favourite along with the 21s though

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Thanks for the information! :thumbup:

Hi Nelly - The track group that I ride with has only two groups, Group 1 and Group 2. Group 2 is the super fast guys. I like to ride with Group 1 because there is more access to instructors and there is a more gradual warm up to speed. I don't have the skill or confidence to ride with the fast guys and gals yet. That and I don't have a 1098S.

Well, it seems I ditched the BT-016's a bit premature. I was supposed to go on a long-ish trip on the Friday after Thanksgiving. No deal. The wife crashed her motorcycle on Thanksgiving day. A car ran her off the road in a curve. She came away very lucky, with only bruises and sprains. Enough, anyway, that the trip was canceled. The guy that ran her off left the scene. We have no plate or good description, so barring a confession, there will be nothing we can do.
The insurance totaled her bike. It was a Vulcan 500. But all is not bad, I replaced it for her with an '06 SV-650. She's not ridden it yet, as she is still waiting on her right thumb sprain to heal up. I, however, am doing my best to keep the tires warm for her. I must say, not a bad bike. There is a tad more grunt in the lower rpm range, but the power band is very linear, with no punch like the FZ. It is no slouch, but it is no FZ. However, the handling on this bike is fantastic. The stock suspension is superior to that of the stock FZ. I was also surprised at the weight difference. The SV has a dry weight of only 363 pounds. You can nearly steer by thought alone.
Another good thing, is that the bike has a new set of PR2's on it, so I will be able to report a bit about those on a light bike.
Anyway, an FZ and an SV ain't a bad pair to have.

I had the 020's and wasn't impressed but the 021's seem to be a much better tire in all arenas.

nccoder said:

I had the 020's and wasn't impressed but the 021's seem to be a much better tire in all arenas.

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Except for the millage.

Oh man! I'm glad you wife is okay Scab. I hate cars. The SV is a great bike I'm sure the both of you will enjoy it.

Thanks for the info, Scab. Seriously looking into the 016's for my next tires.

Glad your wife's ok! North Alabama cage drivers are some of the worst in existence!