The 021's are quiet but I have heard some noise complaints about the PR's but maybe the PR2's will address this concern. If that is the case I may give them a shot next year.
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Love my BT 021's
- Thread starter STryder
- Start date
Bones
Your Humble Scribe
Pilot Roads are LOUD, no doubt. Hummmmmmmm. It does vary considerably with the road surface, and beyond about 50 mph I find the windnoise cuts out the tire noise.
The 021's I had were blissfully quiet compared to the PR's they replaced, but the 'stones lasted half as long. Like Chris, I'm looking forward to rider reports on the noise level for PR2's.
The 021's I had were blissfully quiet compared to the PR's they replaced, but the 'stones lasted half as long. Like Chris, I'm looking forward to rider reports on the noise level for PR2's.
I just wore out my set of 021's at 7000 miles. Both the front and rear are worn about the same although the front sides show more wear than the center. I'm Not unhappy with the tires, they are sticky in most situations, but in the wet I have felt them slip. I should say that I ride hard and fast about 50-60% of the time. I think most average riders should get 9-11K out of these, I have a set of Storms to put on this weekend, Will see how they work out. If not, I'll probably go back to the 021's.
I put an 021 on the rear after the OEM had a bad flat. Just put 2700 miles on the bike riding 2 up and loaded through CO, WY, MT, ID, UT. Lot's of highway speeds mixed with mountain riding. I now have a very noticeable flat spot in the middle of the back tire. Running 42 psi as recommended. Our combined weight is under 300 lbs plus luggage.
jdpfms
JD Power
I put a set of BT021s on my 04 ST about a week and a half ago before doing an IBA ride. I rode up to NYC from Charlotte and did a 50CC Gold (NYC to S.F. in under 50 hrs. or just under 3000 mi.). I then did some riding back through Yosemite, Death Valley and Las Vegas on my way home to Charlotte with a detour up to Tulsa to visit my brother. In all I put on about 6700 miles. The BT021s did fantastic. They are squared off a little since most of the miles were on interstates. I'm not too close to the wear bars so figure I can get up to or more than 10,000 miles on them.
I took off a set of Z6 front and ME880 rear before these since they had about 7000 miles on them already. I'll probably put them back on and get the rest of the wear out of them when the 021s are done. I like these tires.
JDP
So far for me the BT021's have worked ok,
I just put a full set on the '06 ST, had a rear on when the OEM 020 went south on me after 5k miles. I left the 020 front on and eventually got 14 k out of that tire. I did get 9k out of the back 021 replacement and that was with 2k of those miles riding 2up for the Laguna Seca run in July so it was hot and/or wet most of the time. They do handle better in the wet to me over the 020's, the wear was much more even all the way around the tire with very little flatspotting due to straightline back and forth to work and superslab riding so I liked that better than the 020's which have developed big flat spots with sidewall cupping which made the transitions to the sidewalls a bit of a challenge in the twisties. I am a fast and aggressive rider, helps having Palomar Mt. and other great roads nearby to keep me happy, so I want a tire with great traction and hopefully decent wear overall. So far the BT021's give me that and I fell better in the wet with them over the BT020's. I have had ME880's on my old ST1100 and hated those for their hardness and unresponsiveness in the corners. I also tried a set of Dunlop D220's on a trip last year and while I admit I was loaded for bear with gear they didnt last more than 5k miles on the rear and I had to replace that before selling the bike. They too were better than the stock Bridgestones for the wet, but again didnt last well.
On the ST1300 I have gotten anywhere from 5k to 9k out of a set of stock tires, I'll see how the full set of BT021's hold up over time and let y'all know what I experience.
They are a little stiffer when riding in a straight line and I believe that is due to the center compound being harder than the sidewalls so you will experience more of a jolt when you hit a transition in the pavement with them. Also I guess there is a small difference in load rating for the rear from the OEM tire, 72W opposed to 73W, the front is the same at 59W. I run 42psi in the front and 45 in the back due to the Give box and my saddlebags being loaded most of the time with stuff and am reasonably happy with the wearing so far.
I just put a full set on the '06 ST, had a rear on when the OEM 020 went south on me after 5k miles. I left the 020 front on and eventually got 14 k out of that tire. I did get 9k out of the back 021 replacement and that was with 2k of those miles riding 2up for the Laguna Seca run in July so it was hot and/or wet most of the time. They do handle better in the wet to me over the 020's, the wear was much more even all the way around the tire with very little flatspotting due to straightline back and forth to work and superslab riding so I liked that better than the 020's which have developed big flat spots with sidewall cupping which made the transitions to the sidewalls a bit of a challenge in the twisties. I am a fast and aggressive rider, helps having Palomar Mt. and other great roads nearby to keep me happy, so I want a tire with great traction and hopefully decent wear overall. So far the BT021's give me that and I fell better in the wet with them over the BT020's. I have had ME880's on my old ST1100 and hated those for their hardness and unresponsiveness in the corners. I also tried a set of Dunlop D220's on a trip last year and while I admit I was loaded for bear with gear they didnt last more than 5k miles on the rear and I had to replace that before selling the bike. They too were better than the stock Bridgestones for the wet, but again didnt last well.
On the ST1300 I have gotten anywhere from 5k to 9k out of a set of stock tires, I'll see how the full set of BT021's hold up over time and let y'all know what I experience.
They are a little stiffer when riding in a straight line and I believe that is due to the center compound being harder than the sidewalls so you will experience more of a jolt when you hit a transition in the pavement with them. Also I guess there is a small difference in load rating for the rear from the OEM tire, 72W opposed to 73W, the front is the same at 59W. I run 42psi in the front and 45 in the back due to the Give box and my saddlebags being loaded most of the time with stuff and am reasonably happy with the wearing so far.
So,, good thread!! What I got out it, is that a some people like this tire, some don't. 
Some people find it hums, most don't. Some say it's awesome in the wet, some say not. Some say it wears in a weird way, others say it wears great.
So to sum it up with previous tire threads, the only thing most members agree on is that PR's are noisy and Dunlops suck. The rest are either great or suck depending on who you are and I guess where you live!
So the the only reasonable thing to do is to try most of them out:biker: and find out which ones I like the best!!
But, then again I really like the 020's so maybe I'll just stick with them!!
PB
Some people find it hums, most don't. Some say it's awesome in the wet, some say not. Some say it wears in a weird way, others say it wears great. So to sum it up with previous tire threads, the only thing most members agree on is that PR's are noisy and Dunlops suck. The rest are either great or suck depending on who you are and I guess where you live!
So the the only reasonable thing to do is to try most of them out:biker: and find out which ones I like the best!!
But, then again I really like the 020's so maybe I'll just stick with them!!
PB
timmybob4
06 ST1300a
UPDATE:
I hit the wear indicators on the front Bridgestone 021 at 5,800 miles. Going to try the Road Attacks. (Was leaning toward the PR2's but I can't find any.)
What are some good websites to order 021's from? I don't live close to many dealers.
ChipSTer
Growing old, but not up!
+1 for me... My BT021's are into the wear bars.... Still sticking to the road, but I've got less than 7K out of them (and I suspect less than 500 to go)... I really would like a tire to last longer... I guess I need wrist surgery to make that happen!!! :crackup
I haven't decided to drop-kick the 21's yet, but I may have to try the Pilots... Just to see for myself... :22yikes:
I haven't decided to drop-kick the 21's yet, but I may have to try the Pilots... Just to see for myself... :22yikes:
Gene
That's MR CUPCAKE to you!
I also have mixed feelings on these tires, they rode and handled great the first 3-4k but in the last 1k they have went to crap !! The sides of the front have worn to the wear bars and the center is like new and the rear is almost as bad. this wear has caused cupping on both ends and a very twitchy transition from upright to leaned over and it is really bad when 2-up. At 5.5k the confidence in these things are gone and they will be replaced soon. I think as a interstate tire with little agressive twistie riding they would be a great tire for commuting on the slab. I ordered another set of Pilot Roads from Motorace for the next long trip . They replaced a set of Storms that were great hanling all the way to 6k when they were replaced for a 2.5k trip to NH and ME.
!! The sides of the front have worn to the wear bars and the center is like new and the rear is almost as bad. this wear has caused cupping on both ends and a very twitchy transition from upright to leaned over and it is really bad when 2-up. At 5.5k the confidence in these things are gone and they will be replaced soon. I think as a interstate tire with little agressive twistie riding they would be a great tire for commuting on the slab. I ordered another set of Pilot Roads from Motorace for the next long trip . They replaced a set of Storms that were great hanling all the way to 6k when they were replaced for a 2.5k trip to NH and ME.
Bones
Your Humble Scribe
Speaking of Motorace, I just ran into Dave at the local Kawi.Yama dealer 20 minutes ago. He said word on high from Michelin is the 120/70R18 Pilot Road is officially out of production. He has 23 sets (front & rear) of PRs for the 03+ ST. Once those are gone, it's no more fronts. PR2s are on the street. He said reports for performance are good thus far; still waiting to hear about noise and about longevity.
P.S. Sat on a Connie14 for the first time. Looks very tall and very wide. The FRJ parked next to it looked downright small. Bags are WAAAAY wide. Good luck to any left-coasters trying to split lanes!
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Gene
That's MR CUPCAKE to you!
Yep there was one more set this morning !!I guess if we all did short trips and never had to chance tires for a upcoming trip we might all get 10k out of a set all the way to the wear bars . I'm glad we get good gas milage because tires sure are eating into the bike budget at 3+ sets a year But it sure beats riding in the truck
But it sure beats riding in the truck 
BlaSTr
Miami ST
Just passed 7k miles on my 021s and they look like they've got another 5k left. Here in the flatlands, the center wears out before the edges but they're still far better than the 020s I had on originally. When you heat them up, they get nicely sticky, improving cornering and my trust in them. I run them at 42psi f/r.
Doug
Doug
Here in western Ohio, and it's flat as a board and no curves. I ride to work and it's 70 miles each way. There are only 4 decent curves between here and there. The rest is dead flat and dead straight. Another problem is the roads are mostly tarred and chipped. Man they are rough and they are chewing up my 020's.
ST13Fred
Fred
A buddy had BT 021 tires on his 91 ST11 that not only were toast at 5K, the rear had a bad wobble to it like the cords had seperated! Visually he could not see any problem and still does not know what the problem was. Maybe he threw a wheel weight. Don't know.
If these tires don't have the 'F' stamping, they are not OEM. My OEM BT 020 tires are doing well, I trust them in really knarly conditions, wet or winding and will probably stay with them.
If these tires don't have the 'F' stamping, they are not OEM. My OEM BT 020 tires are doing well, I trust them in really knarly conditions, wet or winding and will probably stay with them.
I've been running the '021's for about 2500 miles. They stick well wet and dry. They seem like they are going to last a good 7000. And they are quiet (so far), However, at least for me running 42 psi front and rear they seem to follow rain grooves and other longitudinal imperfections in the pavement WAY too much. Anyone else having the same experience???
My experience with the 021s are similar to GRN's and gene's. I've run 3 sets of 020s on my '94 ST1100. I always put on a new set for the 3 Flags rally. So, the bike does have some luggage, and on the way back from Canada my wife is with me. But, I've ALWAYS gotten 10,000+ out of each set of 020s, which, while they aren't the hottest tire for canyon carving, they do everything really well (like the STs themselves).
Now, I decided to try out the "new and improved" version of the BT series, the 021s. The first 3k was wonderful. A little hard to get started diving into a curve, but once in the curve, it was rock solid at holding it's line. I picked up my wife in Great Falls, MT, and after a week of playing around Yellowstone/Tetons/et al, we ended up in Park City, UT. Left the next morning and the rear tire was wobbling. Center standed the bike and the tire had about a 1/4 side wall warp for about 6". We proceeded carefully to Provo where I looked for a bike shop. Nothing I could see, so we slowly pressed on...through Utah Hwy 12 for a couple of days and then to Disneyland with a stop in Vegas. I shaved the rear tire in Hurricane, UT, which helped, but the wobble was still present. By the time we got to Morro Bay, CA, the warp was gone (??????) Now, before anyone says anything, YES, the tire's bead was properly seated (I worked in tires for a number of years, so I'm not TOO stupid about the subject), but this puzzled me.
The front? Toast in 5,500 miles with a whopping flat ridge in the center. There are photos over on the my-mc.com site from Al Barclay's ST. They look the same as mine do. And, the handling is terrible when that ridge is present.
Sounds like the 1300 is having the same issue with the tire, no? Randy Quam toasted his 021s in 5,000 flat on his 1300. Almost scrubbed to the cords. And wouldn't you know it, I went to the MC show Friday, with photos of the 021s and was going to corner the B.S. rep. But they didn't show! They're not even listed as a vendor/rep for the whole of the San Mateo show! <RATS!>
Personally, these are NOT "replacements" for the 020s. IMHO They're terrible tires, and unless B.S. makes the 020s again (they've stopped), I guess I'll be a MEZ6 buyer from now on, or maybe the Avon Storms. Too bad for Bridgestone.
Ray
Now, I decided to try out the "new and improved" version of the BT series, the 021s. The first 3k was wonderful. A little hard to get started diving into a curve, but once in the curve, it was rock solid at holding it's line. I picked up my wife in Great Falls, MT, and after a week of playing around Yellowstone/Tetons/et al, we ended up in Park City, UT. Left the next morning and the rear tire was wobbling. Center standed the bike and the tire had about a 1/4 side wall warp for about 6". We proceeded carefully to Provo where I looked for a bike shop. Nothing I could see, so we slowly pressed on...through Utah Hwy 12 for a couple of days and then to Disneyland with a stop in Vegas. I shaved the rear tire in Hurricane, UT, which helped, but the wobble was still present. By the time we got to Morro Bay, CA, the warp was gone (??????) Now, before anyone says anything, YES, the tire's bead was properly seated (I worked in tires for a number of years, so I'm not TOO stupid about the subject
), but this puzzled me.The front? Toast in 5,500 miles with a whopping flat ridge in the center. There are photos over on the my-mc.com site from Al Barclay's ST. They look the same as mine do. And, the handling is terrible when that ridge is present.
Sounds like the 1300 is having the same issue with the tire, no? Randy Quam toasted his 021s in 5,000 flat on his 1300. Almost scrubbed to the cords. And wouldn't you know it, I went to the MC show Friday, with photos of the 021s and was going to corner the B.S. rep. But they didn't show! They're not even listed as a vendor/rep for the whole of the San Mateo show! <RATS!>
Personally, these are NOT "replacements" for the 020s. IMHO They're terrible tires, and unless B.S. makes the 020s again (they've stopped), I guess I'll be a MEZ6 buyer from now on, or maybe the Avon Storms. Too bad for Bridgestone.
Ray
That sounds bad. I am running the Storms at the moment, and the front just started to show slight feathering on the side tread after 7500kms. I have been on a few decent rides spent over on the side of the tread, more than average, so not unexpected. As I got around 10,000kms from a Z6 and 2 AV45 fronts, the storm looks the goods for grip and better distance. Can't argue with that.
I'm going to try and insert this photo (hope it works). It is a photo of Al Barclay's front BT021. It has about 5k mi / 7k kms on it. Here's what to imagine: this tire didn't start looking like this yesterday, it's been "getting there" for probably 2k miles. Now imagine what it's doing to the handling characteristics of a bike... Mine looks about 90% of what Al's looks like.
FWIW, I run 42/42 for pressure. Also, these tires are about the worst I've had for keeping air pressure. Loses maybe 2-3# every week. These are even worse (by a long stretch) than the set of Michelin x89s I ran over 10 years ago. THESE ARE HORRIBLE TIRES! (IMHO that is... )
Here's the photo:
FWIW, I run 42/42 for pressure. Also, these tires are about the worst I've had for keeping air pressure. Loses maybe 2-3# every week. These are even worse (by a long stretch) than the set of Michelin x89s I ran over 10 years ago. THESE ARE HORRIBLE TIRES! (IMHO that is...
)Here's the photo:
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