| Author | Message | ||
     Rogue_biker |
I have an '06 XB12R Firebolt. My bike started out with Dunlop D208's, and most recently have been wearing Pirelli Diablo Rossos. For a while I thought the Rossos' were THE best tires for the Firebolt because it got rid of most, if not all of the Firebolt's not so good handling quirks, while maximizing life. When Buell switched their bikes to Pirelli's, they basically made the bikes handle more normal. The Rosso's added more life and slightly better grip than the standard Diablo's. But the BT016's simply takes that level of performance another notch higher. Let me explain. The 016's is Bridgestone's newest sport tire. It is basically the showcase of the company's efforts in MotoGP tire technology. It features a triple compound rear and dual compound front, with identical center compound for both to give the tires resistance to wear, while maximizing grip and feel on the sides. This tire is standard on such bikes as the GSXR's, ZX's, etc., But those OEM tires only come in Dual Compound. The aftermarket BT016's rear have a triple compound for added grip and feel at that end. How did it improve the handling of the Firebolt? The immediate feeling I got was that of a neutral tire. Given the Firebolt's short chassis, that is great news. Some tires either giveth or taketh some things on the Firebolt. The bike is known to be finnicky when it comes to tires because small differences in profile results in much more pronounced handling characteristics on the Firebolt than on other bikes. It comes from the bike's steep geometry and very short wheelbase. Among the Firebolt's less diserable handling qualities, a strong tendency to stand up under braking, a requirement to have continuous bar pressure to negotiate a turn, bump steer at low speeds, and heavy initial effort when starting a turn, all have been eliminated with the BT016's. But there is more. These tires offer oustanding feel, even better than the Pirelli Diablo Rossos, which have great feedback already. Add to that, the BT016's feels like they have a higher level of grip at high lean angles, which overall translates into a complete feeling of being planted in the corners. It gave me an even higher level of confidence when cornering even in the bumpiest sections of Palomar Mountaint's S7 compared to the already very good Rossos. Finally, because the BT016's eliminated all of the Firebolt's handling quirks, especially the need for constant bar pressure when negotiating a turn, and resistanct to turning under braking, it required even less effort to ride fast. The Pirellis did a great job on this but after some wear, like around 60% wear, the Rosso's front tire began to cup and the Firebolt's resistance to turning under braking would return and would become progressively stronger as the front tire wore. With te BT016's, I could brake deep into a corner, even all the way through it, without affecting the steering effort whatsoever! I simply could not do that on any tire in the Firebolt. In a nutshell, the BT016's completes the Firebolt's handling package. It has tons of grip, great feedback, neutral feel, which results in the highest level of confidence in handling I have ever had on this bike. As far as life, Bridgestone makes no claims of added tire life with its Dual/Triple Compound carcass. So I have no high expectations on it. I would say after 3k miles and I expect to be replacing these tires. If it goes beyond that, I would be very impressed. Because this is a sport tire designed for the street with occassional track use, I would not recommend this tire for commuters, long distance riders, nor riders who ride mostly in flat areas. But if you live at the base of racer mountain, or 60% or more of your riding is in twisty roads, no matter what bike you ride, I think the BT016 is capable of improving the handling of your bike. If it can tame the finnicky little Firebolt, it can do wonders for others! Nuff said! | ||
| Iamarchangel |
Haven't really had enough fast road experience to comment much on tires but I did not like the way the dunlops skated in a corner. The Conti Road Attacks do all that for me although I never thought the 'bolt's handling was that bad. Are you able to compare the Battlax with the Road Attacks? | ||
| Fullcircle |
When I goth my XB9R it had Pilot power C2T' on it. Just changed to the BT016 and feel the same way about them. Really like the way the bike steers and feels with them. Will be doing a track day on June 2nd and will report back on traction and feel. Unless someone beats me to it. | ||
| Rogue_biker |
I can't really compare them to the Road Attacks as I have never tried those on. I've been in love with the Firebolt since its inception, but I avoided buying one until Buell fixed most of its issues. The 'Bolt's handling is NOT bad at all when the bike is tuned properly. But it has been very well documented by many riders and thorough tests that this early XB chassis is very sensitive to set up, and that includes tires. Most bikes change their handling feel depending on tires. But the 'Bolt's sensitivy to set up makes these changes feel more pronounced. For example, when I got my Firebolt, it shipped new with the Dunlop D208. Sticky enough tire that's for sure. But it simply will not allow the bike to turn under braking! It was like the hand of God fighting against you! The harder you brake, the harder it fought. This improved with the Dunlop Qualifier. But it got really good with the Pirelli Diablo's. It's no wonder Buell switched to the Diablo's as OEM in 2007. The BT016's, simply put, eliminates, I mean it eliminates 100% any traces of the Firebolt's handling quirks. Allows Trail Braking-check Holds a line throughout the arc of the corner-check Bumps or dips do not affect steering*-check *It's not really bump steer per say, more like dip-in-the-road steering. At low speeds when negotiating a corner, when the Firebolt hits a dip in the road, it wants to steer straight! This is due to its short wheelbase. The BT016's will be my tire for the Firebolt now and in the future. | ||
| Xb1200rick |
This is great to hear! I just put on a set of Bt16's Saturday and am headed to deals Gap this weekend. Should be fun. Rick | ||
| Swordsman |
Wow, price is good on those too... starting @ $109 over at Newenough. I'm coming due for some shortly. Anyone know how the mileage holds up, say, compared to the Conti Road Attacks? I liked my Road Attacks, but seems like they "deformed" quickly, giving me a flat center and flat sides (turn in gets pretty tricky when your tire has a corner on it!). ~SM |
