Just fitted BT020's...

[Finbarr]

They are the biz!

I can finally throw the bike into corners hard and not feel nervous about doing so.

Rock solid in the wet, too.

The slightly different profile gave an "odd" feel to cornering for the first 50 miles or so, the bike seemed to want to "fall-in" to corners (I guess my old tyres made the steering unduly heavy).

Loadsagrins!

I have no idea how long they'll last - but they're sooo much better than the dodgy old trail wings I've had from new.

Just thought you'd like to know...

 

[Droopy Dick]

I need to change my tyres within the next 1,000 miles or so.

I have 020s on my Blackbird and RF900, so have been tempted for the 1150GS.

Nice, positive reports like yours make me feel even more strongly that it's the way to go - I'm never likely to take my bike off-road.

I noticed on both my other bikes that 020s enable a quick roll into corners, but, more importantly,, give a superb level of grip when cornering. Once you get used to the 'feel', they inspire much confidence.

I wouldn't expect much more than 5k miles from a rear, though.

 

[Wreford Miles]

Agree with the above but have had a couple of moments on overbanding... once while going in a striaght line on the motorway.


I'm putting it down to just me, but it's caused a mental issue thing for me at the moment which is proving hard to beat

 

[Fanum]

I had exactly the same thoughts on switching to Tourences.......I suspect the change isn't so much that the 020's are so good, but that the trailwings you changed from are so bad.

I've tried MAKING the Tourences misbehave, but you have to be very aggressive and rather silly to make them twitch- and it was a nice predictable twitch if you know what I mean.

I haven't had any of the problems with the reported problems from these Tourencesyet either.....they've now got 2k miles on since just after Princetown.........best tyres I've yet had on the GS.

l

 

[richie]

So Bill, speaking as the moderator, you reckon they are better than Michelin Anakees.....

Slower to turn though, I guess?

 

[Fanum]

So Bill, speaking as the moderator, you reckon they are better than Michelin Anakees.....

Slower to turn though, I guess?

Yes, and No.......

I went from Anakees F&R to a pair of Tourences (kept the front Anakee though as it's got another 2k miles in it and I thought I might want to go back to Anakees at some point)

On the first roundabout, even with full 'slippy tyres caution mode' on, the Tourences felt better......the Anakees were good, cerainly better than the Trailwings fitted prior to them, but the Tourences feel much better.

The Anakees felt exactly the same as the Trailwings in the turn-in, there was no difference there, but they were better in the wet, much less twitchyness and hardly any little slips leant over on the wet roads......the Tourences are a big improvement though.....I had to try quite hard to make the rear step out.

The Torences however, have a different profile and seem to actively tilt you in to the corner, to such a degree that the first day I had to correct my line a little as I went in too quickly.....I've got used to that totally now and I've actually grinned in conscious realisation of the tyres feeling way better and more secure even several weeks after......IF the feedback and feeling is such that it actually punctures into my focus and makes me think that when just riding normally, they must be good.

(hmmm....that didn't make much sense did it, but I think you'll know what I mean)

I'd have Anakees again if they were all I could find and I needed hoops urgently, but unless I go for knobblies next time for some specific reason, I'm definately sticking on Tourences....pun intended.

Damn, I really must get my FAQ on tyres sorted and posted as promised

 

[richie]

I've just had some new rubber fitted Fanum, but maybe next time I'll try the Tourances. I've only done 240KM wit them on someone elses bike so don't really know.

Interested for you to let us know later the different milages you get out of them.

 

[(RIP) Kaister]

I've had 020's on my previous SV 650 and firestorm.
They're a great everyday tyre, which would only slip very occasionally when pushed on the rear of the firestorm.

However, the tourances on the GS do exactly the same job on the GS, with the added bonus off occasional sand tracks and stuff.

Mileage was the same - 4 - 4500k from the 020's - same for the tourance GS combo.

must be me........

 

[richie]

Never tried the road biased tyres and NEVER will I reckon that for 99% of riders the mihelins or metzlers do what they say they do.

I wonder how many of the members of this forum are that good that they need better rubber. Before anyone slags me off for saying so it's only my point of view and I am not good enough...

Besides, road tyres on a GS...

 

[Wreford Miles]

I wonder how many of the members of this forum are that good that they need better rubber. Before anyone slags me off for saying so it's only my point of view and I am not good enough...



It's a good point and no I never pushed my trailwings, scorpions and tourances right to the limit and I don't suppose this will happen with the 020's... however in the dry the 020's do seem to give reassurance which means I push a little harder, yes of course a good rider using knackered trailwings would be faster but I'm not that man.

 

[richie]

 

[Wikkus]

Tyres, schmyres...

Besides, road tyres on a GS...

<shrug>
Whatever.

I've had my 020s for just under 5k miles and they're better for the kind and style of riding that I do than the T66Xs that they replaced.

I don't do off-road so it was an easy choice. My GS/A is the two-wheeled equivalent of one of these.



Time will tell if I stick with them or give the Tourances that everyone raves about a go.

Me? I ride like a twat <proud> and tyres tend to get hammered so if I get more than 5k out of the rear 020, I'll be happy.


Rik.

 

[Charliem]

Tourances

I'm about to change from the Trailwings to...Tourances, as I think that the preponderance of opinion seems to favour them.

Does anyone know where to get a good deal on them?

Charliem

 

[(RIP) maverick]

Mileage was the same - 4 - 4500k from the 020's - same for the tourance GS combo.

must be me........

Dude what do you do to your tyres My rear tourance is now knackered -> 9000 miles with about another 1k to go before it's really gone. So sqaured off don't even put it on the main stand anymore

I will unless my offroading increase use the tourances again as they have not let me down, else would like to try the TKC80's as I have seen Mrtickle riding his harder than mine with roadtyres

 

[Danamr]

So are the BT020's really better than the dual sport tires they are replacing? Or is it the urge to try something new?

 

[Jarvy]

Tyres are a personal things. I love the 020's and will replace with the same. I don't worry about the milage but will get >5k from them. Summer trip to Italy with wife and all luggage not one problem on everything from wet motorways to icy mountain passes and even a 2 mile dirt track to villa in Tuscany. Have a mate who is an ex club racer and has tried all tyres on GS's and says 020's are best for road use.

 

[Dave Halsall]

I agree that most tyres do the job under normal road conditions. What Finfarr conveniently forgot to mention was that he fitted Bridgestone 020's just before riding a track day. I have to confirm that the tyres worked well as Finbarr was playing cat and mouse with the Japanese sports bikes and was coming out on top. A few egos were dented that day by the performance of the GS especially by the way it carried speed through the corners. I you want to have a giggle, fit some 020s, get to a track day and go and hunt a few Blades, Hyabusas and R1's down.

Dave

 

[R Savage]

My rear Tourance is ready for replacement after 12,000 miles of two-up touring with luggage.

So do I fit a pair of 020's at over £200 or one Tourance for <£100?

Richard

 

[Finbarr]

Depends on what sort of riding you plan to do for the next six months.

If it's more of the two up luggage shuffle - sure go for another Tourance - it's a sensible choice.

If you plan to ride solo on some choice roads and would like to push a little harder - maybe the 020's will increase the grin factor a tad.

What Dave failed to mention in the post above (thanks Dave - great day out on the track by the way! ) was that the other two GS's which were also slotting around the track at a great rate of knots - were both on Tourances - so to be fair, I don't know if there's that much in it.

I feel the swap from Trail Wings to 020's has transformed my bike - I ride with far greater confidence (I had the rear step out a few times on the TWs) and have generally enjoyed myself more in the last two weeks than I have at any time in the last year on the same GS.

I haven't tried the Tourances and can't comment on them - but by everything that others have said I will probably fit these when the current set of 020s wear out in about 5k miles from now.

Much of why I went for 020s in the first place was because I was planning this track day, my TWs needed replacemnet and I had previous experience of 020s on my old GSX-R1100.

So - to sum all of this up - it's inconclusive. Go with your gut feeling. Much of bike/rider performance is all about confidence anyway - there's not much difference (at our level) in the actual technology.

So go buy what you think is best. If it works for you it was the correct choice. - If not, you know better for next time.

Enjoy.
Finbarr.

 

[R Savage]

So go buy what you think is best. If it works for you it was the correct choice. - If not, you know better for next time.

Enjoy.
Finbarr.

Thanks Finbar. Off to Watling for a rear Tourance and thus saving sufficient funds to experiment with making the Givi PL rack fit my GS !

Cheers

Richard