BT021 or BT016?

Well it's finally about time for new tires on the FZ. I have been shopping around and reading reviews etc. I have been very pleased with my factory BT020 even if they have been nail magnets....lol....but they have stepped out on me a little up in the mountains when really pushing it. So I am going to stick with the Stones but I want a softer edge compound and just can't decide if I want the 021 or the 016. Most all of my recreational ride time is spent in the twisties since I'm only 30 min from the mountains. I really like the look of the Sport Touring 021 and I am sure since it is a dual compound it will stick much better in the corners. Then there is the 016 which I am not to sure about since it is a "SuperSport" tire but it is dual compound front triple rear. I have had no issues as of yet with the flatter profile of the Sport touring tires and still manage to run circles around my buddies on their RR bikes with SS tires. Anyone have experiance with both or the 016 from a standard ST tire and care to elaborate?

Since I tossed the standard Dunlops at the first change I have had BT010s on my Fazer and they are great. Handling is confidence-inspiring and the life is good, I do most of my riding two-up and all of my braking on the front. I love to chuck it into the twisties and even when I have been a bit over zealous they haven't let me down.

I am mounting new BT-016 tires tomorrow. I will post up my impressions in a couple of weeks. I have ridden a bike with them installed and was impressed enough to ditch the Michelin Pilot Powers..

Andz said:

Since I tossed the standard Dunlops at the first change I have had BT010s on my Fazer and they are great. Handling is confidence-inspiring and the life is good, I do most of my riding two-up and all of my braking on the front. I love to chuck it into the twisties and even when I have been a bit over zealous they haven't let me down.

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Which tire is it your speaking of? I didn't know they made an 010. Single compound or dual?:thumbup:

Cali rider said:

I am mounting new BT-016 tires tomorrow. I will post up my impressions in a couple of weeks. I have ridden a bike with them installed and was impressed enough to ditch the Michelin Pilot Powers..

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yea please do I'd love to know what you think. I am still a few weeks out form purchasing so I have some time. yea my buddy has PP's on his hayabusa and I am totally unimpressed with them. I know it's a big bike and lots of power but I expected them to grip better than they do especially in the corners. Almost seemed to get "greasy" on long rides. Main reason I decided against them though was how fast they seem to wear out and of course price.

Compared to stockers the 016 are in a different league altogether. Great for track and ST. The 021s only good for ST.

crazybiker said:

Compared to stockers the 016 are in a different league altogether. Great for track and ST. The 021s only good for ST.

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See that's just it I don't ride the track and really have no interest in it. I do run some wicked mountain roads in N. Ga, NW SC, E TN and SW NC on a regular basis but not sure if i would actually get the use out of the 016's since I don't ride the track.

If you do manage to lean it to the edges then also 016s is the tire for you. And why not have the extra grip handy when in need especially when you are not sacrificing mileage.

Hollywood416 said:

Which tire is it your speaking of? I didn't know they made an 010. Single compound or dual?:thumbup:

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The sport-oriented Battlax BT-010, a new-generation motorcycle radial tyre from Bridgestone/Firestone Europe, was unveiled at the 57th International Bicycle and Motorshow Exhibition in Milan, December 1999. Designed specifically for street use on machines in the 600 cc-1200 cc category, the BT-010 range provides a balance of excellent grip, easy handling at all speeds, high speed stability, superb wet performance, ride comfort and anti-shimmy characteristics.

here's the full story:

Bridgestone's new generation Battlax BT-010 radial tire designed for street performance - Sport Rider

Here's what the rear looks like:

crazybiker said:

If you do manage to lean it to the edges then also 016s is the tire for you. And why not have the extra grip handy when in need especially when you are not sacrificing mileage.

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I'm not the slightest ashamed of my strips as I usually have very little if any. I'll let you be the judge though. I haven't been in the mountains since winter set in(last 2k miles) so they have a little more than during the summer.





What you said was kinda what I was getting at though is there really that much difference in lean angle/ability between the two types of tires? funny thing thinking about it while looking at these pics. I really think I could have gotten 10k miles out of the 020's had I not been bitten by the burnout bug for a little while. Amazing how fast that will ruin a tire.

Andz said:

The sport-oriented Battlax BT-010, a new-generation motorcycle radial tyre from Bridgestone/Firestone Europe, was unveiled at the 57th International Bicycle and Motorshow Exhibition in Milan, December 1999. Designed specifically for street use on machines in the 600 cc-1200 cc category, the BT-010 range provides a balance of excellent grip, easy handling at all speeds, high speed stability, superb wet performance, ride comfort and anti-shimmy characteristics.

here's the full story:

Bridgestone's new generation Battlax BT-010 radial tire designed for street performance - Sport Rider

Here's what the rear looks like:

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Hmm guess we haven't gotten it in the states yet. I know CycleGear doesn't list it and I am stuck on buying from them since they are the only place that offers Roadhazard. Good looking tire though..especially the front.

Trust me, get the 016s. They are like $230 shipped from www.tiresunlimited.com and if you hardly have any chicken stripes then they will assist you in dangerous times :cheer:

Anyone else got an opinion on the 016 vs. 021 debate? Between here and reviews on other forums I am about ready to pull the trigger on a set of
016's.:rockon:

My FZ6 had 016's from the factory. I bought the bike new in 08 it's an 06.
Between wear, a screw in the rear tire and cupping on the front, I was inspired to replace them and went with the 021's. front and back.
I'm very happy with them. I'm much more aggressive with the 021's and haven't noticed any degradation in comparison to the 016's performance. My thinking is maybe the center compound on the 021 is different from the 016 but even to the touch the 021's seem stickier than the original 016's.
Living in San Diego I also commute just about every day with the bike Then hit the back country on the weekends.

Have fun!

nccoder said:

My FZ6 had 016's from the factory. I bought the bike new in 08 it's an 06.
Between wear, a screw in the rear tire and cupping on the front, I was inspired to replace them and went with the 021's. front and back.
I'm very happy with them. I'm much more aggressive with the 021's and haven't noticed any degradation in comparison to the 016's performance. My thinking is maybe the center compound on the 021 is different from the 016 but even to the touch the 021's seem stickier than the original 016's.
Living in San Diego I also commute just about every day with the bike Then hit the back country on the weekends.

Have fun!

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Not trying to doubt you but you sure they were 016's?? Only Bridgstone tire I know of to be put on the FZ6 is the 020. If it did come with 016 there's something screwy about that cause the 016 was not even out yet in '06 and doesn't make sense for a dealer to change tires in a new bike.

I had an 021 on the rear after the 020 picked up a nail....they really didn't seem to last very long for commuter duty. Also living in Florida most of our roads are straight so I did a lot of straight line riding but the wear of them did not impress me much. I switched to dunlop road smart's. It seems that the 016's are the better choice for you.

Hollywood416 said:

Not trying to doubt you but you sure they were 016's?? Only Bridgstone tire I know of to be put on the FZ6 is the 020. If it did come with 016 there's something screwy about that cause the 016 was not even out yet in '06 and doesn't make sense for a dealer to change tires in a new bike.

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That's what I was thinking as well. The BT-016 is a new tire and was only released to the world in early 2008.

Hmmm..

It depends from the riding you do. For me the 21s were perfect. They had nice grip and held for longer than other sport touring tires. They do have one drawback though, they need some time to get in temp. More time than my Conti Roads & pirelli strada. If you do a lot of city riding, this is not your tire IMO, i you do a lot of sport touring this is definitely it.

P.S. If you try using concrete wheels it will still handle better than the 20s Just buy the ones you think fit you best, none of the two will disapoint you.

crazybiker said:

And why not have the extra grip handy when in need especially when you are not sacrificing mileage.

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Are they expected to get about the same mileage? I thought the 21 would last longer..

BT016....it's going to be my next tire! I've heard nothing but great reviews...even for tourers/canyoners