what tyre to choose? FZS600 2003

Magic_x_uk · 13 Jul 2011 at 13:42

Hi, quick question to those in the know.

I have a Fazer FZS 600 on a 2003.
Bridgestone Battleaxe BT014 fitted to F and R at moment. F fine, R getting towards Legal limit.

Had a quote from CMC Chesterfield for BT014 £137 and BT016 £147 fitted. (Wheel will be on bike as no idea how to remove)

Anything else I should consider? and if not which is better out of the BT014/16?

I pretty much just ride in good weather, country and B roads.

Many thanks.

SKILL · 13 Jul 2011 at 14:46

From what I can tell the BT016 is the successor to the BT014 so would be fine but also probably won't be much different in terms of grip/life really, personally I'd go for another BT014 to keep the matched set and being cheaper helps too

Ultimately the BT016 is likely to be the better tyre, and the profile would probably be fine, but we're likely talking only minutely better.

So basically go for either, doubt most people would notice the difference between the two tyres without reading it off the sidewall

St0rmer66 · 13 Jul 2011 at 16:46

Very soft tyres for a not mega-sporty bike. They'll wear out super fast without you ever using them to their full potential if all you do is ride on the road. Might be worth getting a BT023 (especially on the rear which wears quicker than the front anyway) which will last longer, work better when cold (even on a warm day a tyre can be at a less than ideal working temperature if it isn't being worked hard enough) and grip so well that you'll never notice a difference anyway!

. No problems with not matching tyres, it's a complete myth... think about MotoGP or WSBK racers, they sometimes use a soft front tyre and harder rear and I'm sure they push it a damn sight harder than you do

.

hillbilly2 · 13 Jul 2011 at 18:58

As St0rmer66 said,016's are real soft,don't expect to get good mileage.

Dogbreath · 13 Jul 2011 at 22:30

I would almost certainly go for a sports touring tyre on the Fazer, unless you try to get your knee down on every corner. One of the dual compound road tyres (e.g. BT023) will give you pretty much the best of both worlds anyway and it will be better in wet or cold conditions.

helpimcrap · 14 Jul 2011 at 00:09

if yo plan on travelling more than a few hundred miles on your bike avoid the super sticky.

an 020 or equivilent rear with a bridgestone 010 equivilent front is the best set up as you can mix those tyres ok and lots have. the rears wear on the 010s but the 020s are better and the front always lasts better.

makes (pirelli/dunlop etc)are bad to mix but same brand is normally ok....

Electroshadow · 14 Jul 2011 at 12:38

i ride and fz6 s2 and i always buy a set of metzler interact M5's super sport tyre but its mono compound with tentioned belts to act like dual compound with out the odd transition sometimes experienced.

really good in the wet even better than dunlop road smarts ??

i tend to get 7,000 motorway miles out of a rear and the front is on 10,000miles with with about 4mm left. not bad for sticky tyres...

SKILL · 14 Jul 2011 at 12:50

St0rmer66 said:
Very soft tyres for a not mega-sporty bike. They'll wear out super fast without you ever using them to their full potential if all you do is ride on the road. Might be worth getting a BT023 (especially on the rear which wears quicker than the front anyway) which will last longer, work better when cold (even on a warm day a tyre can be at a less than ideal working temperature if it isn't being worked hard enough) and grip so well that you'll never notice a difference anyway! . No problems with not matching tyres, it's a complete myth... think about MotoGP or WSBK racers, they sometimes use a soft front tyre and harder rear and I'm sure they push it a damn sight harder than you do .

It's not the compound that causes the 'best not to mix tyres' mentality, it's the profile, you'll probably be fine between the different bridgestone tyres though as they're likely to have similar profiles.

As for the BT023, in my experience they're not the longest lasting tyre really (wear was almost gone but more worringly the centre of the tyre had a large number of cracks in it), only benefit here would be keeping the BT014 front.

For a fair weather rider it's likely that they won't do the mileage or type of riding to really 'warrant' a harder tyre, or cause excessively quick wear of a sticky tyre, imo...

Sagalout · 14 Jul 2011 at 14:30

Best tyres I've had recently have been Dunlop Roadsmarts. You don't need all out sports rubber. Sports Touring tyres are awesome these days and actually good enough for most sports bikes (at least when ridden on the road)

Magic_x_uk · 15 Jul 2011 at 07:38

local place will do the 023 for £128 fitted (to wheel ON bike)

Do a lot of you take your wheels off. I am new to biking so wouldnt be confident taking wheel off and putting it back on and ensuring wheel was correctly aligned, safely ON and chain tight enough etc.

Hate to not do it right and the whole wheel come off.

acemastr · 15 Jul 2011 at 08:09

Electroshadow said:
i ride and fz6 s2 and i always buy a set of metzler interact M5's super sport tyre but its mono compound with tentioned belts to act like dual compound with out the odd transition sometimes experienced.

really good in the wet even better than dunlop road smarts ??

i tend to get 7,000 motorway miles out of a rear and the front is on 10,000miles with with about 4mm left. not bad for sticky tyres...

How?!

I've got these and i've not even done 3000 miles and the rear is getting towards the limit, it's not even square. Do you not find them difficult to turn at slow speed when cold?

OP: I'll be going Pilot Road 3's next, easily enough to get your knee down and superb in the wet.

Dogbreath · 15 Jul 2011 at 08:12

Magic_x_uk said:
local place will do the 023 for £128 fitted (to wheel ON bike)

Do a lot of you take your wheels off. I am new to biking so wouldnt be confident taking wheel off and putting it back on and ensuring wheel was correctly aligned, safely ON and chain tight enough etc.

Hate to not do it right and the whole wheel come off.

I fit and balance my own tyres as well. It's really not difficult, you simply need to ensure all the various spacers, caliper mountings etc go back in the right order - and there should be no need to change the alignment if you aren't changing the chain and sprockets at the same time.

Souleh · 15 Jul 2011 at 10:43

147 is a bit dear for a rear 016 btw

Perhaps try somewhere else? I got mine for 110 fitted and old tyre disposed of at a dealer!