BT015 Bridgestone OEM K8

[knittingchamp]

How would you rate the BT015 Bridgestone tyres that come with the bike to alternative brands available, I have been told that they are a good sports tyre and most riders will reach their limits before the tyre does (I would fall into the most riders category).The reason Iâ€m asking is I have ordered a new bike and am thinking I could put say Diablo Corsa or Metzler M3â€s on, sell the originals new and get it all done for $200 - $250, worth it or a waste of money?

[simmo]

Very soft ask Guido under 2000 kms on the first rear & that was running in the bike in , I think its over kill for our road conditions it would be a nice sticky tyre for the track where you are scraping pegs, some people scrapping pegs on a K8 on the street I think will have a very short life span somehow
I found the briggie 020 was a great rear tyre duel compound I think they have replaced it with a new one now maybe 021 or 022??

[BUSGO]

I can't speak highly enough of the OEM BT015s.
I have done a very healthy 6,000 ks on mine and they have held the ground remarkably well with no hint of worry. At least another 3 or 4 thousand before new rubber will be needed.

(Cornering at 200+ is not a problem)

Remember also that they are a special profile for the busa and are designed for sport touring. Not drag racing.

With all respect, Guido is a big boy and does a lot of tyre abuse type riding. I'm not surprised that his rubber life is short.

[Busa Greavett]

I can't fault the grip at all, really good, even in the wet. Mine died at around the 3k mark. But I've gone for another one so that I can get a bit more use out of the front before changing the set.

Will go for Michellin's next time round!!

[01busa]

Tyre abuse

[BUSGO]

Tyre abuse

You know you love it...

[simmo]

I know the race track he goes to and its not Eastern creek
I might add its not the middle thats worn out

[BUSGO]

Ok Guido - Poor choice of words.
But is there a good sticky tyre that you don't wear out very quickly?

[LOAFIE]

Im with Simmo, Ive got the Bridgestone BT 0020 ( now BT0021 ) and am getting outstanding tyre wear and grip. I did the snowys last weekend where it got down to 3 degrees and had no dramas.

[spamanglenn]

did it get down to 3 degrees or is that as far as you leaned over?

[TimF]

Just about to have my 6000klm service and the tyre is very worn both in the centre and on the sides.

I'd like something stickier. But it's hard to justify as this tyre has done well despite highway work, mountains, and constant commuting.

I'll still change brands when I get around to it - just to see if I can't find something that suits my needs better.

[BUSGO]

Well my second BT015R shredded itself on the Hume Hwy near Goulbourn today. It looked fine this morning and by lunch time it was down to canvas in the centre. (350ks non stop)
I got 11,000 out of the first one and 9,000 out of the second, but for the first 2 months that I owned the bike, it rained almost continuously so that may account for the extra ks from the 1st one.
The BT015s have never put a foot wrong for me but I was forced to put a Pilot Power PC2 on the rear as a replacement because I had no other option.

[Rev004]

I must admit that I have always been a Michelin man and swore by them as a tyre, but since getting the busa the Bridgetsone 015 I'm very impressed. I like the grip that the tyre offers from a cold start and they hang on great for what I do, however I would prefer a softer front so I will be trying the 016 on the front next time around and sticking with the 015 on the rear.

[ged]

The Michelin Pilot Sports that I have on my 2000 'Busa (no limiter...) are getting a bit threadbare. I never liked them very much, they aren't really up to the weight of the bike but they're OK for grip in the wet (we get a lot of that here in Europe). They've lasted well enough, although I'm not generally hard on tyres.

So now that I'm thinking about new rubber and I can't help but notice that the later Hayabusa is shod with BT015. Some people seem to like them, some hate them. I'm confused.

The BT56J was what was on my Hayabusa when it was new, and for a while that was the only tyre that you could fit to the bike. Unfortunately you couldn't always get one when you wanted one, and sometimes I fitted something else. Every time I've fitted something else I've regretted it in some way or other. Either they won't hold a tight line, or they squirm under heavy braking, or they wear out, or they something else. One pair wouldn't even go in a straight line at anything more than a hundred but admittedly they should never have been on the bike in the first place.

Not that I'm saying the BT56J is the perfect tyre, it's just that I haven't yet found anything that's better on the 'Busa.

But the 56J is a ten year old tyre, and technology marches on.

So if someone who's used the BT56J on the Hayabusa for ten years tries the BT015, is he going to regret it again? I have a pair of 56J in the shed waiting to put on the bike but if someone tells me that the 015 is streets ahead, I might give them a whirl. And report. :)

[BUSGO]

I would recommend that you use your pair of BT56s if they are not past their use by date....
The BT015s are good tyres for road riding and are the upgrade of the 56s.
Just replace the 56s that you put on now with 015s later on when you need them again.