Bridgestone Battlax BT-023-GT Tires... they work great on my 6th gen

I figured I'd go ahead and post a short review on the tires I bought for my 6th gen RWB Viffer. There are lots of tire questions on VFRW and some information on these tires might help somebody down the line...

First off, my Viffer is a 2007 RWB model I bought it with 7500 miles on the clock in March, 2012. It had some Pirellis on it that were used but not worn. With the Pirelli's the ride was very rough and the bike was too quick to turn, at least in my opinion. It felt more like falling than turning. Finally, the Pirellis did not feel like they would hold the road under all circumstances. They probably would, but they didn't inspire confidence. Nevertheless, I used the Pirellis until I hit 13000 miles when I got the new Bridgestones.

I did do some research and I definitely wanted sport-touring tires. I was going back and forth between Michelin's PR3s and the Bridgestone Battlax. I ended up choosing the Battlax because it had the GT option which is a heavier carcass tire. I'm 260 lbs, and the bike is 500+, so I figured the GT was made for me.

The Bridgestome Battlax BT-023-GT tires were $430 installed at the local Honda dealer. I could have saved $30 by ordering online and having them shipped to an installer, but it was so easy to just get them at the dealer, it made it worth it.

Now, to the tires. They are AWESOME. I love them! The ride is very smooth. That extra rubber seems to help. They are very confidence-inspiring. You can lean into a turn and feel them hold tight, even over rough surfaces. I ride every day (I don't own a car) so I have been in all types of weather. They really like wet weather. They are very controlled. Finally, they turn in at the rate I want, and I never feel like it's going over too fast.

I have had the chance to ride two-up several times and, believe it or not, they seem to get better when you add a 100 lb. hottie on the back (with the Pirellis my best bet was to ask the hottie to walk!).

If there is a con, I think it's that the tires don't feel very sporty. But I bought them to feel more like a touring tire and that seems to be what they were designed for (and do well).

I've put about 3000 miles on them already and no wear is visible. I'm sure some could be measured if you tried, but the tires still look like they have lots of life left. Unless something weird happens, I'll buy these tires again.

Thanks for reading!

Rich

 

Thanks for sharing....Glad you like the tires
Let us know when you get around 6k on the tires.

 

Hows the wet weather traction? I've put a hundred or 2 miles on mine and they're still scary slippery when wet. Literally spinning 4th gear pulling onto the highway. This was never a problem with the Michelin's. They would lift the front off the ground, in the rain, out the box.

 

I have just installed the 023's on mine, but have yet to break them in yet as I'm waiting to get my chain pressed on tomorrow.

Concerning break in, do any of you ever use sand paper to knock the initial sheen off the tires before riding? I'm curious if I should attempt this.

 

I thought about cleaning the tire also but I think natural break in is best. There are two reasons to break in the tire. One is to wear the form release off the the tire and the other is to get used to the different characteristics of the new tire slowly.

 

I'm on my 2nd pair of BT-023's on my 4th gen.

They're great.

My last set lasted me well over 10k and in a heavy downpour on my way to the BRP I was carving through the freeway with no traction issues.

 

Figure I should chime in as I'm currently rocking BT023s.
Everything said is pretty spot on.
As for the price, $430 seems kind of steep. You can save some $$$ if you find a good deal online and take the loose wheels in so you only pay for mount and balance. But you don't have a car I guess.
I visited SA, had an awesome time. I'd live there in a heartbeat.

 

when i got my wheels back from cycle gear they were covered in grease and grime. so i figured i would clean them up with heavy duty degreaser, and that would get the greasiness off of the new tires too. two birds with one stone. well they looked great when i put them on, but 300 miles down the road and theyre still like ice skates in the rain. they com out from underneath me when coming to moderate stops, and spin in the first four gears when wet.

im not sure whats going on here. if these tires, take forever to break in, if the degreaser was a horrible idea, or if these tires are just garbage in the wet...

 

I've gone through about seven pairs of the 023's and probably more when they were 021's. EVERY time I have on new tyres I go to a large flat parking lot and do donuts and figure eights to get off the mold release that comes on all tires from the factory. The only times I have broken the rear loose in the rain is when I wanted to or at WOT in third/fourth starting a pass and crossing over the centerlines usually breaks the rear. I always figure about $275 a pair online, and I don't trust anyone to mount and balance my bike tires. YMMV

 

i have always been told tire break in is a thing of the past. dont you think after all these years these tire manufacturers found a way to produce a tire that isnt like ice from day one?

i "broke in" my pilot powers by riding like i do any other day. i'm no pro but i dont have chicken strips...

if you want to take it easy to get used to a new tire (god knows it will handle different than the old piece of sh*t you took off) fine but i dont think we need to be sanding our new tires (or spraying degreaser on it???) before use

 

What's YOUR new tire break-in ritual? : Suzuki GSX-R Motorcycle Forums: Gixxer.com

 

How To Properly Warm Up Your Tires - Sport Rider Magazine

great article!! a must read before commenting on tire "break in" again

 

I hear yah, but as much as I'd like to be the one that does my wife's gyno exams, sometimes you have to accept that someone might have more experience and better tools than you.

 

ha! that was a great analogy!

 

THERE IS NO RELEASE .... STOP IT......UGH!
Do a couple low speed figure eights then go riding and get the tires up to temp... ( brake accelerate) Thats it... All done.

If you must abuse your tires with chemicals or sand paper or some other means (chains and lether..ehem) to feel comfortable, please do. It is after all your money your confidence level etc.

But please. No more release talk.

 

Thank you O.P. for the write up. Please keep us up do date as they age.

 

I have done a fair amount of wet weather riding on these tires and I don't seem to have the traction problem you have. I may have just gotten lucky as it didn't rain for a while after I got my new tires. San Antonio is in the midst of a drought, though we have finally gotten some rainfall.

I wonder if our situation is a case of perception. I came from a set of tires that sucked - in all weather - so it'd be pretty hard to do worse than that. You came from a set of quality tires that you liked, so you're looking for that same traction profile.

I'm not sure what to tell you but give it a few more miles before making up your mind. Since I don't have a car, I put lots of miles on my bike quickly. Maybe I had an accelerated "getting-acquainted" period with my tires???

In any case, next time it rains I'm going to pay special attention to see if I can easily break it loose back there.

 

I think there is something wrong with your Tires. The behavior you mention is very abnormal.

Are your tires inflated to some crazy amount?