Swapped my tires out from the Metzelers to Battlax BT45's last week and wow, what a difference in handling.
Granted, my Metzelers were pretty low on tread, but the profile is significantly different. I've been running BT45's on my Suzuki since I got it and it has a nice oval profile. Couldn't believe how easy it was to drop the FJ into a tight corner after swapping - previously I really had to muscle it in there.
Until/unless I do a swap, I'm still on the stock wheels, so I had to do two slightly different BT45 selections: front is an H, rear is a V.
Also, they are cheap. Which is great.
Thought I'd share for anyone else who is looking for an affordable alternative to the Metzelers!
Front: Bridgestone Battlax BT45 Sport Touring Tire - 120/70-17 58H
Rear: Bridgestone Battlax BT45 High Performance Tires - 150/80B16 71V
$277.12 shipped on revzilla.com
I had those on several bikes. I found the front cuppa wicked easily and due to the tread design, very easy to get a vibration once worn.
FWIW, the first BT-45 rear I tried back in the day was so bad I thought it was defective, and was downright scary in the wet.
The second was no better.
The good thing that is if one watches one's pennies, a 17" wheel swap could be done for about $100 more than the aforementioned set of BT-45s, including a set of (IMO) decent 17" radials...
Just sayin' :pardon:
Quote from: Tekime on June 22, 2016, 07:00:49 PM
Swapped my tires out from the Metzelers to Battlax BT45's last week and wow, what a difference in handling.
Until/unless I do a swap, I'm still on the stock wheels, so I had to do two slightly different BT45 selections: front is an H, rear is a V.
Also, they are cheap. Which is great.
Thought I'd share for anyone else who is looking for an affordable alternative to the Metzelers!
Thanks for posting this info. Good to hear that the BT45s are to your liking.
My XS750 came with the venerable Spitfire tires which seem to be on half the old UJMs I've come across. Being a motorcycle newbie, I went with what the local shops were suggesting and got another set of Spitfires. Whoo hoo! I have a bike and it has new tires. (couldn't get insurance without them, LOL). When they got hard as nails, I got equivalent size Battlax.
The only thing I liked better about the Battlax was the front pattern ignored tar snakes which the Spitfire front tracked like a beagle and gave me the willys.
Otherwise they didn't feel like they were "working" in a good way between me and the pavement. Meh, just tires.
My 1984 FJ1100 came with Battlax BT45 when I got it in 2012. It must have a different pattern because I was back to having a bike that tracked tar snakes. But again the feeling was dull, wooden, what ever you want to call it. I don't push hard but I do end up riding in the rain and at night, and in the rain at night, so I don't want to be thinking about what the tires will or won't do if I come across something unseen to avoid.
I'll thank Tiger for putting me on to Pirelli Sport Demons for the FJ. What a pleasure to ride in comparison to the Battlax BT45. A nicer ride and I found myself comfortable leaning the bike more than before. They'll be due for replacement and I'll be thinking hard about going to some kind of radial, whether I stay with 16" or convert to 17".
G'day,
It's weird that one often see's poor reports of the BT45's. I have been running these tyres on an XJ650 and the FJ1100 for years without any issues. Every now and then I would try another tyre, like the moderate priced Michelins and Pirellis', just to see if there were benefits, but usually for the dollar and longevity, I always came back to the BT45's.
Granted I do not push the FJ, but over every road surface I have come across I found the tyre to be great, never skipped out on wet corners, always held the line.
Years ago on my XJ I used to ride with modern Triumphs through some serious twisties, and never had an issue keeping up in corners, never had a scare either.
I reckon, that for the price and mileage, hard tyre to beat, sure expensive ones will stick like glue, but wear away fast and are quite expensive. I suppose alot also depends on suspension condition, air pressure, surface types, riding style, heavy braking or fast acceleration, etc.
cheers, Gareth
I'm with you Gareth.
Sure there are likely better tyres, but I used the BT's in the 80's, 90's & never had an issue. and now I can afford to experiment (I'm talking on the 1100 with 16").
I was very happy with the Metzlers', just put a Sport Demon on the rear with the Metzler still good on the front. However from the high number of good opinions of the Sport Demon I'm hoping for good things.
The BT's got me around the country, across the country, through the wet, dirt, chasing sporties, (running from some :biggrin:) and they gave good account for themselves and are value for money.
I'm not a fast rider or a corner monster, so will bow to those that can, but I had plenty of fun on the BT's.
On the 1200 however, I've gone radial.
I trialled the new radial wheel on the 1100 as the 1200 is still in bits.
WOW! Talk about chalk and cheese.
I'll keep the 1100 on 16's while I can get tyres for it as it is heaps of fun and will keep the bike original.
For keeping up with the Joneses, go radial.
On my 86 before i modded it i ran Avons...Now the ones I had are not made but Avon has this in 150/80/16 Avon Storm 3D X-M Rear Tire...My Avons were good wearing and predictable...you my end up going with another radial tire brand on front ...Unless you want to stay unmolested looks,go for the mod better choices...Good Luck!
Quote from: Troyskie on June 25, 2016, 01:56:39 AM
.....The BT's got me around the country, across the country, through the wet, dirt, chasing sporties, (running from some :biggrin:) and they gave good account for themselves and are value for money.
I'm not a fast rider or a corner monster, so will bow to those that can, but I had plenty of fun on the BT's.
Troy, we all did that back in the day on those tyres but tyre technology has advanced in leaps and bounds since then.
Tyres that stick, particularly in the wet, have been around for a while but at the cost of a short life. Now, you can get the grip
and the life. I go through a couple of sets a year (I always replace them as a pair) and they progressively last longer and longer.
I currently have a set of PR4's that I'm wondering if I'm ever going to wear out. They have seen an above average amount of corners so the wear is more evenly spread over the whole tyre but even so, the mileage so far is incredible.
To me, sticky tyres are not about how hard you ride, but a safety issue for anyone that rides. It's not all about lean angles and g-forces under brakes, it's about not accidentally breaking traction, maximum braking in an emergency, wet weather cornering, going into a corner too hot, gunning it to get out of the way of a car, whatever. There are plenty of times extra grip can be a life saver other than riding like a madman.
It's a bit like saying drum brakes are good enough, I don't ride hard enough to need discs.
Unfortunately, these 16" tyres are not the beneficiary of the latest technology. I guess this is because of diminishing demand and typical application.
The combination of weight and torque of the FJ makes it a potential handful in the wet and I like the idea of having everything going for me when it comes to staying upright.
Noel
Quote from: ribbert on June 25, 2016, 07:23:54 AM
Quote from: Troyskie on June 25, 2016, 01:56:39 AM
.....The BT's got me around the country, across the country, through the wet, dirt, chasing sporties, (running from some :biggrin:) and they gave good account for themselves and are value for money.
I'm not a fast rider or a corner monster, so will bow to those that can, but I had plenty of fun on the BT's.
Troy, we all did that back in the day on those tyres but tyre technology has advanced in leaps and bounds since then.
Tyres that stick, particularly in the wet, have been around for a while but at the cost of a short life. Now, you can get the grip and the life. I go through a couple of sets a year (I always replace them as a pair) and they progressively last longer and longer.
I currently have a set of PR4's that I'm wondering if I'm ever going to wear out. They have seen an above average amount of corners so the wear is more evenly spread over the whole tyre but even so, the mileage so far is incredible.
To me, sticky tyres are not about how hard you ride, but a safety issue for anyone that rides. It's not all about lean angles and g-forces under brakes, it's about not accidentally breaking traction, maximum braking in an emergency, wet weather cornering, going into a corner too hot, gunning it to get out of the way of a car, whatever. There are plenty of times extra grip can be a life saver other than riding like a madman.
It's a bit like saying drum brakes are good enough, I don't ride hard enough to need discs.
Unfortunately, these 16" tyres are not the beneficiary of the latest technology. I guess this is because of diminishing demand and typical application.
The combination of weight and torque of the FJ makes it a potential handful in the wet and I like the idea of having everything going for me when it comes to staying upright.
Noel
Well said Noel. Agree 100 percent.
I've gone through a few sets of BT45's on my Suzuki and have been happy with their performance overall: a balance of handling, wet performance, grip & longevity with a low price tag. Each time I've waffled over doing Pirelli's as the grip would be wonderful, but I can't stomach the idea of burning through them in a few thousand miles! And I don't think I'm even pushing the BT45's enough to warrant a stickier tire, especially on the street.
I do notice some minor cupping on the front tire right about when the rear is reaching end of life. Never affected handling or caused any vibration for me.
Only 1k miles on the BT45's with the FJ so far and hoping they will continue to please. Had one eye out for a cheap rear wheel swap and will probably do that eventually if I keep the FJ around. For now, working with what I got. :)
Quote from: ribbert on 25-06-2016, 22:23:54
"Quote from: Troyskie on 25-06-2016, 16:56:39
.....The BT's got me around the country, across the country, through the wet, dirt, chasing sporties, (running from some biggrin) and they gave good account for themselves and are value for money.
I'm not a fast rider or a corner monster, so will bow to those that can, but I had plenty of fun on the BT's.
Troy, we all did that back in the day on those tyres but tyre technology has advanced in leaps and bounds since then."
"Posted by: oldktmdude , Well said Noel. Agree 100 percent."
As I'm going through the 1200 project, putting radials on etc. I can't help but agree with your point.
My point, however, was about the stock 16" tyres, not the wonderful selection of modern tyres we have for the radials.
Given the smaller and smaller range of tyres available for the 16" wheels, the BT's are a good 'allround' :sarcastic: choice.
Pete, slightly off topic now,...you mentioned being able to tell the age of a tyre from a stamp on it. I looked it up & it works like this...
On one side of the tyre there is a stamp with DOT, some numbers, then at the end a group of 4 numbers such as 3415 or 34/15 (depends on manufacturer).
The 34 is the week of the year made and the 15 is the year, so that Conti I have on the rear has one year of shelf life left, but not too much tread. Good for run-in, but that's it.
One more thing...
After learning the age of tyres I decided to check the ages of the other tyres on my bikes.
Crikey bikey!!! The Metzler I've just changed for a Sport Demon was 4 years old before it was fitted!!! Little wonder the sucker went off after 12 months. I had heaps of fun down at the rally, great grippy tyre, awesome wet handling bla bla, and the alpine roads are harsh on tyres so it was pretty flogged by the time I got home (yeah yeah mostly in the centre I know.. :blush:).
Noel, your point on changing tyres as a pair is well made. In this case on my last hard run I did feel the front start to give a little. Knowing its age now, I'll definitely change the sucker (then I'll have Sport Demon front and back). As I had a lot of fun relatively recently on the rally, I'll hopefully get a good idea of the difference between the Metzler and Sport Demon. Then, to back myself up, I'll try out the BTs.
A lesson to me is, if I'm putting tyres on for long life & high k's, then check the age of the tyre that is to be fitted.
If we're only doing a few thousand k's a year at most, and then not too much hard corners etc., then we should get 3-5 years from a tyre. Old stock could just put someone in a baaad situation when they think the tyre is relatively 'new'.
Troyskie
Quote from: oldktmdude on June 25, 2016, 05:40:34 PM
Well said Noel. Agree 100 percent.
I thought those BT45s were slowing me down on the Aussie Rally rides. I'll be selecting a more modern tyre after this feedback.. Look out Pete and Alf!
Quote from: Layback on June 28, 2016, 08:45:54 AM
Quote from: oldktmdude on June 25, 2016, 05:40:34 PM
Well said Noel. Agree 100 percent.
I thought those BT45s were slowing me down on the Aussie Rally rides. I'll be selecting a more modern tyre after this feedback.. Look out Pete and Alf!
Len, as a bloke that has a dedicated R1 racebike, I'm surprised you don't already have better rubber.
Noel
Quote from: Layback on June 28, 2016, 08:45:54 AM
Look out Pete and Alf!
Not bringing the R1 to the next Rally are you ? :empathy:
Looking forward to seeing you again Len. Still heading up this way in July?
Regards, Pete. :drinks:
Quote from: ribbert on June 28, 2016, 09:49:30 AM
Len, as a bloke that has a dedicated R1 racebike, I'm surprised you don't already have better rubber.
Noel
You are spot on Noel.. would you believe the last FJ tyre I purchased was in 1985!
I had only recently purchased the FJ1100 I had on the Aussie rally and it had new tyres (Bridgstone BTs) put on by the previous owner. I had an expectation that it must be just slow old dudes that go to FJ rallies. I was wrong in so many ways :biggrin:.
The rear tyre did break away a few times on slow corners and I agree with a.graham52 that the front suffers from cupping but I was happy with the grip of the front. I do need to put on new tyres now and I will be trying a different tyre from the BT going from the feedback here.
I must compliment our fellow members for giving good feedback to Tekime's post on tyres. Most other forums pay out on anyone that wants to talk about tyres (and oil) but it is, as we all agree, a very important factor if we want to stay vertical and in my experience one brand of tyre does not necessarily suit every type of bike.
I am very happy with the Bridgestone slicks on the R1 for the track but I will be trying something other than the BTs on the FJ1100.
Quote from: oldktmdude on June 29, 2016, 07:01:00 AM
Quote from: Layback on June 28, 2016, 08:45:54 AM
Look out Pete and Alf!
Not bringing the R1 to the next Rally are you ? :empathy:
Looking forward to seeing you again Len. Still heading up this way in July?
Regards, Pete. :drinks:
The FJ1100 all the way for me on the road Pete :smile:
I had the trip booked starting on 28 June but my leave was cancelled three days before we sailed.. Not happy! :cray: I made it up to my son by enrolling him to get his bike licence :good:. I'll give you a call later mate.
Len
Quote from: Layback on July 01, 2016, 04:22:06 AM
Quote from: oldktmdude on June 29, 2016, 07:01:00 AM
Quote from: Layback on June 28, 2016, 08:45:54 AM
Look out Pete and Alf!
Not bringing the R1 to the next Rally are you ? :empathy:
Looking forward to seeing you again Len. Still heading up this way in July?
Regards, Pete. :drinks:
The FJ1100 all the way for me on the road Pete :smile:
I had the trip booked starting on 28 June but my leave was cancelled three days before we sailed.. Not happy! :cray: I made it up to my son by enrolling him to get his bike licence :good:. I'll give you a call later mate.
Len
That's a shame mate. I know how much you were looking forward to getting away for some quality time with your son. I'm sure he'll be happy to get his bike licence, you'll be able to enjoy some great rides together.
We'll catch up again soon mate. :drinks:
Regards, Pete.
PS. my apologies to the original poster for getting off topic.