bt 016 while grip well. Wear out fast! Like 4000 for the rear. People were going to 021 which was better. Then the 023gt came out and you can get maybe 8 to 10k... maybe. Its dual compound though if not mistaken. So far so good on mine that im running. I hate the 023 fronts as they are more of a touring profile.
For the 016 fronts I love them but wear out maybe like 6k.
The thing with the 016 is that they are a stable consistent tire IMO. But drawback (as with many tires) is that you sacrifice grip for wear. Also to note that the 016 will wear good until it gets around half tread and then they go away quick.
Im going to run 023gt for the rear and a 016 front. Some say not to do that but f it I march to my own beat... Ill chime in later with some feedback on it.
Lastly the 023 is supposed to be good for wet road and up coming months will be the test for that. I like to ride all year round if possible.

 

Thanks for the replies. Just what I was looking for. I thought the 016 was a dual compound tire till my buddy sent me that link above. Realizing it is 3 compounds, we both thought it might get better mileage. I did quite a bit of digging and found mixed results.

Agreed. I can't afford to be buying a new rear every 4k! And the level of grip w/ the Metz (@8k per) isn't bad at all.


I totally agree jeephawk. If you do, please share your experience. That combo sounds very tempting.

 

You guys might try the 023gt tire. So far so good with mine. Im hopingclose to 8k with it. Hard center that where the GT differs from the rest. Plus its supposed to be a good rain tire also. Sides seem to be gripping for me but im still not leaning it to the edge yet.
Im happy with the rear but the fronts make the bike heavy feeling. I did run the 023 in the back and 016 front only for a little bit and it felt awesome. Bike felt was more responsive and flickable.
Short story.... I was crusing with a bud dropping off an old impala in Oregon and I saw that Motorcycle Superstore had a shop in Medford. Swung by there on the way and they were actually closing the store and just going warehouse only for internet sales only. Anyways it was their last day so all stuff was 50% off their already discounted price. Not much left just alot of crap honestly but they did have a shitload of tires. Grabbed a bunch of 016s fronts that they had left. Got them for 50bucks each! That was fun. They had track tires too like 003 or something. Wish I had more money......

 

the bto-16s grip well and ride smoothly and wear accordingly(4000 max), and are similar to the power pures, 2cts,Q2s,etc. If you want better wear, you will likely need pilot road 3, dunlop roadsmarts, or similar sport touring tires.

If you want to save some pesos, you can buy a tire changer. I couldn't afford hawkrider's brothers(no mar), so I bought one from harbor freight.

 

Nath, I do change my own! I'm on sport touring tires now so I'm looking for a little more grip. Getting 8k per rear is awesome but I'd like to find 6k with that little bit more bite. This last ride w/ kardiac and a friend was the most rear slip I've ever had. Said friend works at a dealer so I can get certain brands 10% above cost.

 

That's great. I get Q2s from STG fairly reasonable. I'd sure like to get a little more mileage just like most would, but I figure grippy rubber, albeit shortlived, is a little added insurance on the street where one mis-calulation can be lethal.

I used to run 2 rears to one front to save a little moola until I lost the front on a high speed turn, slid across the road ahead of an oncoming vehicle and demoed the Hawk.

Mileage is for those who ride more conservatively IMO, but if you are sliding your tires, you need to either back-off a little or dig a little deeper into your pockets for grippier rubber, unless you don't mind sliding a little. If you ride straight up roads more than twisties, you're either going to wear the centers before the sides unless you can find hard centers/soft sides, and I don't know which tires these would be.

 

You picked up the hammer but didn't hit the nail on the head! That's the info I so desperately desire.

I ride to work a lot. 26 miles one way. A good part of that is split highway (PA15).

 

It seems that the pilot 3 and roadsmarts claim that they have hard centers/soft sides, but how hard and soft is up for debate depends on who you're talking to.

I can tell you what I did when i rode to work, or when i go anywhere for that matter: find the curviest roads you can(I call it the circuitous or scenic route), and leave early and get home later. It will make your day. I loved goin to work and coming home was equally exhilarating, except for a few git-offs, haha....but this will happen sometimes when you're havin too much fun.

Riding on straight roads annoys, depresses, and pisses me off. I did over 2 million miles running all over this country in a semi, mostly interstates of course, so I've had it with straight roads, you hear me. Haha. So, I make it a point when I ride the bike that it's all about the ride, and if i have to go 60 miles to go thirty, so be it, because I'd rather go 60 on curves that 10 on straight.

 

I recall a few Rear slip moments on my end as well. I left the day looking at new tires and cleaning poopy out of my anus.

Best group ride ever. lol

 

thanks for all the information guys

 

In all fairness my rear tire has 6,700+ miles on it. Plus the fact that there was crap all over the roads!

Definitely not going 016. I have quite a bit of time left to decide. I'm hoping jeephawk will post more feedback on the 023.... would love to know what kind of mileage the tire will get and riding style. If it gets over 7k, maybe I'll go non-GT??

 

IMHO, I have been riding the 016 for many moons. Have ridden the 016s on the 2001 S-hawk. and on both RC51s are equipped with the 016s.
As a consideration, I tried a set of 2CTs at the beginning of march.. 5200 miles later, rear was blistered, front had a fine stripe of tread in the middle.. The 2001 Shawk suspension is completely done(GMDcomputrack)
Back to the BattleAxes.. S20. with a couple of months of riding left..

 

Michelin isn't one of the brands I can get 10% above cost... Basically Bridgestone and Dunlop. Good info regardless.

How many miles did you get out of the 016 rears?

 

Yeah I agree. The 016 were really grippy but if your throttle happy or are going to use it for commuting then its going to wear out fast. Im 220lbs so there is more weight on the rear too.

Hey Wolverine. Why do you say you would go the non GT route? The GT is what you want. Basically the GT is the harder center for out heavier bikes. The profile is the same and so is the side compound. Just a harder center.
From what I hear the 023 is replacing the old 021s then people were complaining that the 023 was wearing fast in the center on the heavy bikes, then they added the GT for that. Ive got a couple thousand on mine and it barely shows any wear. (ill post a pic) I truly think that I will get way more than the 4k I got with the 016. Riding season where I live can run into November so alot of riding time is ahead.
The only thing I cant get info on about the 023gt is the grip for advanced riders as I still have about 1/2" of chicken strips on mine.
Ive hit some pretty heavy twisties and pushed it to my limit ( a little over at some points too) and it held fine.

 

 

Exactly the kind of info I was looking for! With my several 2 up jaunts a season and the commuting slab, the 016 is ruled out.

I'm thinking the GT is going to be equal to the Metz Z6/now Z8 that I have been using. While these tires get great mileage, after the first 6k I think maybe they've been heat cycled too many times and start to give it up. That's why I was interested to hear what you get. If it's 7k or more, I would try the non GT to get the added grip.
I guess I really am asking for the best of both worlds which I may not get. I've been happy with Metzeler for 12+ years but the more I push this tire the more I find its limits. I'm very close to the edge of the tire as well. I'd kind of like to hear your input on the level of grip at those lean angles.

 

Around 4000 miles is about right if you are anything besides a Grandma (no offense, Grams). If you have a rear that lasts longer I would consider it gravy. Any other performance based tire will wear about the same.

The only two tires I consider worth running these days are the Brig BT016 and Dunlop Q2's. I think you'll find anything else is a stem down in one category or another.

 

it's spring..and it's tire time again! so Michelin has a brand new tire the Pilot Power 3

The Q2's have been a fan favoirte for a while now.. anyone tried the new Power 3's?

Thoughts? Q2 or Power 3

 

My guess is they are still using a stiff carcass. That means they will only be good after you drive racetrack levels of heat into them. Stick with the Q2's would be my suggestion.

 

Thansk Jamie, I never quite under stood how the flex frame and the motor being a stressed member with the swingarm. effects tire selecton but
A lot of the early articles I read said HONDA only recomends the orginal dunlop D204, it was designed with the bike..

here is one such quote:

"When American journos were given a tech briefing prior to riding the Super- Hawk at the Honda press intro, company personnel emphasized the "tuned" nature of the tires and chassis, which utilizes the theory that an overly-rigid frame and swingarm can contribute to front-end instability and handling problems (see "Twin Tech" sidebar). We were steadfastly warned not to use any thing other than the stock Dunlop D204 Sportmax II radials, as any other tire could upset the balance of the tires and chassis. Being the inquiring (and ignorant) minds that we are, however, we had to see for ourselves if this was true. We mounted Michelin's newest generation Hi-Sport TX15 and TX25 Race 3 radials on all three bikes, and headed out to the track."
Link to Article -Great title BTW- Pasta Or Sushi
srjune97

Would you know?
Do you want a soft carcus on these frames or a hard one.. I thought soft vs hard was a racer/rider preference but if the VTR runs better with one style then the other then that may help me when looking at new tires.

thanks again

 

They always say that, I think it is more of a liability mitigation more than anything else.

All street bikes suffer when a stiff carcass tire is used. It is difficult to get the right contact patch without driving a lot of heat into them. People who have stock suspension will often really like stiff tires because it speeds up transitions. What they don't understand is this makes the bike twitchy. This makes setting up the suspension tricky too. Overall handling can be improved by going to something with a different construction.

When I talk about a "stiff" tire that doesn't mean the rubber compound. Rather, it is the construction of the belts. On the race track the Pilot series tires are great. I've found other tires, such as the Q2's and BT016's, to work very well on the street and the same or better than the Pilots on the track.

I've also seen a lot (way too many) Michelin fronts that get a really weird wear pattern on the fronts. Once this starts the bike is almost unrideable. I've had this happen on my own bike and have seen the same thing on other's bikes too. Something to watch out for.

 

Thanks Jamie. GREAT info!! I'll go for the Q2's