BRIDGESTONE BATTLAX BT-021 ST RADIALS

[ernest62]

Good point Mark. I also thought that the supplier was referring to the discontinued "U" (I think) version and had the Honda shop double check...they confirmed that the OEM BT-020 "F" was not carried by their 2 suppliers in Canada. Very odd. I'm going to try to follow up with Bridgestone to try to get an answer.

I found the BT020s listed in Motovan's catalog. There is even a listing for it as the OEM ST1300 tire.

 

[2coldnpagosa]

EXACT same problem with my 06! Did an awesome trek through Wyoming, S. Dakota and back to Colorado. Have 5000 miles on the 021's and they're cooked! The front wear is exactly as you describe. The rear has a bit of tread left but I got a puncture smack in the center after the first 1k miles. Plugged it and crossed my fingers. It needs to go. Sounds like the PR2s are the ticket.

 

[Black Ops]

Returned from WeSTOC with very little left on the 021's. Got nearly 10,000 out of the 020's but wasn't thrilled with the handling. 021's have less than 7,000 and need to be replaced ASAP, love the handling though??? I have a great deal on some PR2's, so maybe.....

 

[Buzz]

I found the BT020s listed in Motovan's catalog. There is even a listing for it as the OEM ST1300 tire.

Yes, listed on page 131 along with 021's. But dealer could not get 020's from Motovan. I ordered an Avon Storm rear which will cost me an extra $75 over the 020 I got in June (but wanted to try it anyway as a match to the Avon front).

Had a call back from Adam Kaempt, Bridgestone USA, who handles Canada tire stuff. He was unaware of a problem with Canada suppliers and said he would check into it further and get back to me...still waiting and .

I went through 2 sets of 021's touring in 2007 and liked their handling and lower price but not their wear, so went back to 020's as better overall value. Until I ran into a problem getting them...

 

[Flemming Rose]

I responded about 2 weeks ago and stated that the rear 021 was doing fine. Well........it's now in the scrap pile in North Carolina somewhere after about 8500 miles. The last 2k went fast and it showed the cord before I could ride it home. Good thing I noticed it before trying to add 800 miles. I found a Dunlap tire at a local dealer and had it installed within 2 hours of making the call for help, since I had to head home.

That was my LAST Bridgetone tire! The front Avon is wonderful and is wearing well.

 

[Blrfl]

That was my LAST Bridgetone tire!

You can't really blame Bridgestone for it. The 021 isn't designed for the load and abuse the ST dishes out and will wear quickly. That's the case for the 13, and I imagine that being heavier, it holds true for the 11 as well.

--Mark

 

[Shadowfax-ST]

You can't really blame Bridgestone for it. The 021 isn't designed for the load and abuse the ST dishes out and will wear quickly. That's the case for the 13, and I imagine that being heavier, it holds true for the 11 as well.

--Mark

I agree Mark, however Bridgestone should specify the 021 as NOT suitable for the ST1300. Mine was fitted by a local mechanic / shop following the "020 update" buzz and an alleged phone call to a Honda dealer. "These are the new 020 replacements", he told me.

If it shouldn't be fitted to the ST then I do indeed hold Bridgestone responsible for their marketing suggesting the 021 is an unreserved improvement / update. Clearly we're suggesting it is not?

 

[Blrfl]

I agree Mark, however Bridgestone should specify the 021 as NOT suitable for the ST1300.

That isn't how it works. Bridgestone (and everybody else who makes tires) has a fitment guide that lists what tires are recommended for what motorcycles.

It's not really that the tire is unsuitable for the 1300 in the sense that it causes a dangerous riding situation, they just don't give the same 10,000+ miles most of us are getting out of our 020Fs.

Mine was fitted by a local mechanic / shop following the "020 update" buzz and an alleged phone call to a Honda dealer. "These are the new 020 replacements", he told me.

Technically, he's right, because the 021 did replace the 020. The OEM tires on the 1300 are the BT020F, which are still in production and are still the tires Bridgestone recommend. So the bottom line is that your mechanic and/or the Honda dealer didn't check the fitment guide and guessed wrong.

Now, when it comes to the 1100, it gets interesting. For the non-ABS, they list the Exedra G547/G548 (which was the OE tire), but for the ABS they list the BT021. If the 021 wears as poorly on the 1100 as some have reported, then that is Bridgestone's faux pas. Honestly, though, I think they probably list tires that are safe to use and get reasonable wear as acceptable. To put this into perspective, a lot of sport bike riders get 5-6K out of a set of tires, which makes Flemming's 8,500 look pretty good. It's just hard to put a tire with a soft, sticky compound on a heavy, powerful bike and expect to get 12K out of it.

--Mark

 

[Flemming Rose]

I visited the Honda Hoot in June of 07 and spoke with the Bridgetone people about the new 021's and my ST1100. At the time I didn't need new tires but mentioned my displeasure with the front cupping on the 020's. There was no mention of the 021's not being recommended for my bike even after telling them that I would consider them for the next tire change.

8500 miles is not bad wear on a sport bike rear but I got over 11,000 miles on the 020 rear and over 13,000 miles on a Dunlap 205.

The real scary part was the sudden weardown of the rear within 2000 miles. The last 600 miles was the Blueridge Parkway. It was not very fast and not in a straight line either. The cord broke through right in the middle.

 

[Shadowfax-ST]

Just a quickie. I got the new front PR2 fitted to Shadowfax today. I glibely told the dedicated tyre fitter about the rear BT021R being fitted and how I didn't care for it. "Dont worry", he replied, "it'll not last long."

I'm getting more peeved I've given Bridgestone my money under the false expectency of their 021 being a 020 update; thanks for the positive information in this thread but I'm for getting my money back.

.

I

 

[thor29]

I got about 7500 out of my OEM Bridgestone Battleaxes. Front and rear had wide flat spots. Bike is in the shop today getting a new set of PR2's

 

[ernest62]

Well I tried to order 020's today from the Motovan listing and the front is discontinued according to them. So I ordered a set of Storms and see how I like them.

 

[Buzz]

Just to update, I still haven't received the promised follow-up call from Adam Kaempt, Bridgestone USA, who handles Canada tire stuff. So I guess Bridgestone is content to lose sales in Canada of their 020's with distributors telling people they are discontinued (only in Canada,eh?). Pretty poor customer service IMO.

 

[Shadowfax-ST]

Just a quickie. I got the new front PR2 fitted to Shadowfax today. I glibely told the dedicated tyre fitter about the rear BT021R being fitted and how I didn't care for it. "Dont worry", he replied, "it'll not last long."

I'm getting more peeved I've given Bridgestone my money under the false expectency of their 021 being a 020 update; thanks for the positive information in this thread but I'm for getting my money back.

.

I

Then again, Mark Birfel's insight promoted perseverence and an X-rated adult only thread in here on chicken strips prompted trying 44psi in the rear 021.

It's worked the handling issue out: it's as good as the 020 was but not certain as sticky as the PR2; but then again the PR2 front drifted unexpectedly the other day so jury's out on my aggressiveness of ride in the WRONG conditions, too (in this case, a wet grate in a bend that I pass daily without incident).

So, now I'll just have to see about wear. I think it's just over 3k miles now; it's still looking okay despite my belief I could scrape a peg on them!

 

[dmkkeng]

I wrote to Bridgestone regarding my poor mileage and severe cupping experience with the BT021's. This was the reply:

Due to the heavy weight of the ST1300 and the additional strain that it puts on the tires, the only tires that we recommend for it are the OE BT020?s that were specifically designed for that motorcycle. You should be sure to always maintain your tire pressures at the maximum 42psi to keep the proper load carrying capacity.

Thanks,

Adam Kaempf
Sales Engineering Manager - Consumer Products
Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations

 

[Tidrick]

Personally, I hope the 020F remains available. I replaced my second rear Avon (~7k mileage) with an 020F. I was talking with someone at the BRG last weekend and bragging how proud I was of this tire and that I thought I was approaching 10,000 miles on it. I have never seen more than 8500 miles on a rear tire. The 020F is about gone but has a little bit of tread left.

When I arrived home I decided to check my mileage record to make sure I was not overstating the life if this tire. To my amazement (I checked my math 3 times) I am almost at 12,000 miles on the tire!!!

To fill out the comment, I must also add I am astounded to see that my front Avon Storm is kissing the underside of 20,000 miles... Yes - it needs replacing, but WOW!

I fully intend to check with Two Brothers on the 020F rear shortly on a replacement as I am pleased with how the tire has performed and held up.

 

[Pall]

Hi,

Concerning the availability of the BT-020 in Canada, was never a problem for me so far. Maybe i was lucky or maybe Bridgestone did supply Motovan with these tires.

Last week did order a Bridgestone BT-020 from Motovan as i always did for the last 2 years.
No shortage on this model .

Make sure you order Motovan P/N: 102-8028 for the front and 102-1162 for the back.

Motovan Catalog Page

and do a search on the left end side of that page for 102-1162

This will show the Bridgestone page for the Honda St1300 and take a look on the right end side of that page for Honda 1300.

 

[Shadowfax-ST]

The BT021 I got upset over because Bridgestone haven't instructed workshops not to fit them to the ST1300 has died - dramatically.

It happened within around 100-miles. Since observing this thread in August I've been keeping a daily eye on my tyres on arrival at work (daylight). This Friday I checked and it was fine; tread depth, pattern, etc. I was even thinking there was little to worry about after all.

Today I rode 20-miles out to meet Pete at Loomies and 20 back with a further 5 to the Honda shop to see if they could shift my rounded out rear brake pin when the mechanic said, "I don't know about your pads but your tyre's well gone!"

I was speechless (an unusual state for me, you might tell) and all I could keep repeating was, "but I checked those on Friday!"

So, in the space of 100 miles including Friday night in torrential rain testing my HG Master 5 suit (that's another story) the tyre wore straight through 3 wrappings of "canvas". If I hadn't ridden to the shop I'd have ridden another 70-miles on the motorway today and Monday. Something tells me I wouldn't have made it?

Conditions:

• 120-miles a day commute mostly trunk roads; recently a week on the motorway.
• 44psi to control their being "squirrelly"
• 1 known high-speed (60mph) ABS employment (last Thursday)
• Approximately 7000-miles use

Are these tyres potential killers when fitted to the ST1300, or what?

So, I'm back where I started 4-tyres back with the BT020, which Portsmouth Motorcycles bent backward to source and fit in my emergency (Cheers, guys!) but lament another opportunity missed to return to the Michelin RP2 .