tyres again.

[kwak zzr]

i'm looking for the cheapest place to find a set of bt 014's for my sv, at the mo ive been quoted £210 fitted to the bike? is this a good price or does anyone know where to get them cheaper in the midlands.

[fizzwheel]

Not sure on the price. I paid somewhere in region off £120 for a rear on my GSXR 180 profile though so a bit more pricey than the SV...

I f*cking hated those tyres though.. but its personal choice isnt it :wink:

You pays your money you take your choice. I hated them to the point that I was seriously considering putting a set of Z6's on my GSXR. Oh and I got cr*p milleage out of them to. I managed to squeeze 1800 miles out of a rear but it was absoloutly knackered when I changed it. They are really really soft.

[kwak zzr]

why did you hate them fizzwheel? bike mag recommends them as the best road tyre. my cousin had one on his bandit @ £140 and i was thinking how good it felt.

[fizzwheel]

Remember tyres are a personal thing, I suspect that the 014's just are not suited to my riding style however I found the following.

Pro's

Once you have got heat into them on a dry hot summer day, they are a fine tyre, they give plenty of grip and work really well.

Cons

You have to keep a brisk pace to keep heat into them, if you slack off the pace or do a bimble through a village and then pick up the pace again they loose some heat. I found it took a while to get heat back into the tyres again.

When they are cold my god are they vague, I found them lacking in feedback and I couldnt predict what the tyre was going to do.

They don't work at all in the wet, same trouble as when they are cold, no feedback and they felt really vague to ride on.

I couldnt feel the limit of the tyre this would result in front end slides or spinning up the rear once its limit of traction was reached, but there was no warning the tyre would just let go.

I think for a tyre used on a bike on hot summer days, they are probably fine. However I don't use my bike like that I ride in all weathers at all times of the year. The 014's totally knocked my confidence in my ability to ride in varying / changeable conditions. If I got caught out in the wet I felt really uncomfortable on the bike.

I was prepared for a shorter tyre life than I was getting from an 020 or the Z6 but 1800 miles from a rear just isnt cost effective for me.

I could have played with the tyre pressures a bit, but to be honest I had no confidence in the tyres. Once the front was dead I changed to Pilot Power 2CT's

Also bear in mind that this is my exeperience of them on the GSXR, they can't be that bad as they are standard fittment and lots of other riders love them. I just don't think they are a tyre for me.

I've also spoken to other riders who feel the same as me about the 014. I had a 010 on the front of my SV for a while and I really liked that. But again I have to say that I think the Z6's really suit the SV really well. They work well on hot days and also perform brilliantly in the cold or wet. I recommended Liz to get a pair for her SV after trying them on mine and she really rates them as well.

At the end of the day its up to you. If you liked them on your mates Bandit, maybe they suit your riding style...

Remember bikes mags are not always as unbiased as they appear. Quite often they give the best review to the manufacturer that pays them the most money to run the tyres or advertising in their mag...

Talk to a few more people see what they say about the 014, don't just take my view as gospel.

[Jabba]

As you guys say, strange how some folks like one tyre over another.

I've had a BT014 on the rear of my bike for about 3.5k miles and there's probably enough tread left to see me through the winter.

I like the tyre and haven't had a "moment" on it wet or dry, cold or warm. The only thing that I've got to grumble about is I suspect its a bit stiffer than the OE BT56 as the ride quality is noticably more harsh with the BT014

Mind you, I suspevt that I'm quite gentle on tyres....... the front BT56 fitted as OE has now done over 10k miles and, like the rear, will see me through the winter.

I'll either get a set of BT020s or Avon STs in the spring. Probably the former as my experience with Bridgestones has been good so far.

[kwak zzr]

cheers guys. :D

[fizzwheel]

Dont get me wrong I really tried to like them. I couldnt bring myself to replace the front when the first rear died. So I got another rear, the first rear lasted 1200 miles when I got a puncture. When was looking at it to see what had punctured the tyre it was down to the wear markers nearly anyway. I then did 1800 miles on another rear before I killed that. At which point the front was dead as well...

Jabba don't discount the Metzler Z6's its IMHO a superior tyre to the 020. I had 3 or 4 sets of 020's before I put the Metzlers on my SV. The difference is incredible much much better.

[Jabba]

Z6s.......The difference is incredible much much better.

How well did the last on your SV compared to others, and what was the wet grip like (I'm sure that most tyres will grip all I want in the dry)?

Not sure if they suit Hornets as I've not heard of anyone using them. Guess I could be the first :lol:

I know one guy who's got Conti Road Attacks on and he likes those, grip and mileage seem good to him compared to BT014s. and having the name in the tread is cool :wink:

Trouble is that he's the only one........... most of the Nesties go for either BT014 or 020, Pirelli Diabolos or Avon STs.

[fizzwheel]

I dont know about milleage, I havent worn one out yet...

Liz has done around 4500 on her rear Z6, I reckon its got another 1500 miles on it at least.

IMHO they last better than the 020's do. The thing I found with the 020 was that they square off quickly once they get worn and once they do, they are horrible to ride on, esepcially in the last 1000 miles or so of their life.

As for wet / cold grip. The Z6's wipe the floor with the 020 IMHO.

I thought alot of it was hype when people talked about how good they were on here, or that the differences were down purely to having a new tyre fitted. But I really do believe that they work really really well on the SV, they heat quickly and give good grip also for me they give really good feedback to, they inspire confidence in the bike and I'm able to feel where the limit is.

[Essex of Essex]

Try Central Wheel in Coleshill, I had a good price from them ride in and out earlier this year. The job was done quickly, and efficently.

01675 464221

[Jabba]

As for wet / cold grip. The Z6's wipe the floor with the 020 IMHO.

I've asked the question on the Nest....... and then searched on "Z6". My post is the only one :lol:

I'm assuming that the ME Z4 is an inferior product?

[fizzwheel]

I'm assuming that the ME Z4 is an inferior product?

I dont think they make those anymore. Z4 was original fittment to the Curvey SV, and from what I've read didnt deliver a particularly pleasant riding experience. I havent tried Z4's so dont take what I've said as being gospel.

[Jabba]

I dont think they make those anymore.

Still listed on the Metz website but I'll be giving them a wide berth.

Tempted by the Avon STs though - lots of stories of great mileage on Nest and I remember being behind Anna on a wet rideout and seeing the fan of water behind her bike.

Don't have to choose yet, though :wink:

[fizzwheel]

I remember being behind Anna on a wet rideout and seeing the fan of water behind her bike.

Don't have to choose yet, though :wink:

I remember that to I was impressed by how much water they were clearing. I've been recommended Avon's to I just thought I would try the Z6's instead. For the SV I'll be sticking with those.

If you want a sporty tyre that works well in the warm and damp / cold try the Pilot Power 2CT. bit more expensive that the 014, but gives much better tyre life and I feel more confident with those on the GSXR.

[Jabba]

Strange innit......... most Nesties won't go near Michelins. I think there have been bad experiences in the past with them not warming up properly in the UK climate.

But why Hornets and not other bikes........ it's all rumour and received wisdom :?

[fizzwheel]

It is weird. Reputation is like a bad smell. It travels fast and sticks around. I've noticed before that it only takes one or two bad comments and then everybody jumps in and agrees, whether they have first hand experience or not.

Thats why I tried to say that the 014 experience I had is specific to me, somebody else might like them, personally I hate em :D

[Jabba]

014 ........ I hate em :D

I don't hate 'em, just not going to part with my hard-earned ackers for 'em when there might be something that suits me better out there.

Not that I paid for this one, of course............. the insurance man did :lol:

[Peter Henry]

Kwak..If you like to throw your bike around in a frisky kind of way..I can strongly recommend Michelin Pilot Powers. They offer 43º of lean in the wet! FFS! :shock: Softer compound on the shoulders for ultimate grip when it really matters.

Not sure what kind of olde worldy English money they go for though. :wink:

I wont buy Bridgestone's out of protest at them wrecking Loris's world title dreams for 3 seasons in a row! :D

[fizzwheel]

Peter I agree. ( that doesnt happen often does it :P )

I think I paid £225 for a set of 2CT's ride in rideout.

As an aside they put a set of 2CT's onto Colin Edwards Yamaha M1, he was 9 seconds a lap slower than his normal Michellin Slicks with them on. Cant be that bad a tyre :twisted:

[kwak zzr]

at £225 thats 014 money so if there better i'll try those, i for one didnt realize how good an sv feels on good rubber thats why i'm having a change if tyres.

[fizzwheel]

Thats the price for the GSXR which has a Wider rear tyre ( 180 as opposed to 160 ) so you should find that the tyres for the SV are a little cheaper...

What have you got on your SV at the moment ?

[kwak zzr]

the standard 220's with 6.5k on.

[fizzwheel]

the standard 220's with 6.5k on.

Personally I would think that you'll get just as much :smt040 from a set of Z6's as you will from a set of 2CT's or something else equally as sticky. Also you'll pay less money for a set of Z6's

Just a thought...

[northwind]

You've got to be cracking on to get your money's worth from a stickier tyre than Roadtecs/Stradas/Road Attacks I reckon... It's nice, sometimes, to have more grip than you'll ever use mind :) But not nice enough that I'll pay more for a tyre that last less than half as long.

[kwak zzr]

good point.

[Jase22]

I can beat that price on 014's at my local bike shop. See BFM Motorcycles (http://www.bfmmotorcycles.co.uk/catalogue/tyres/bt014.jsp) and you can have a pair for about £154 including carriage.

You could also give Avon Azzarro's a thought, plenty of tread on those boys.

[northwind]

Ah, hang on. Tradition requires that I point out that I saved enough in just over a year of using Roadtecs instead of my old Sportec M1s, to pay for a second set of wheels with Rennsport Roads on. And when all the tyres are worn out I'll still have wheels to sell :)

[Jase22]

Nobody likes a big-head!!! :lol:

[Stu]

Ah, hang on. Tradition requires that I point out that I saved enough in just over a year of using Roadtecs instead of my old Sportec M1s, to pay for a second set of wheels with Rennsport Roads on. And when all the tyres are worn out I'll still have wheels to sell :)
Northwind, you do always confuse me when you insist on calling them Roadtecs and most other people call them Z6 or Metzler Z6 (shame Stuartyboy's glossary didn't really take off) and are Pirelli Stradas the same thing?

[northwind]

Nobody likes a big-head!!! :lol:

'Taint bigheaded, if I was bigheaded I'd say something like "I tried Roadtecs but I'm so uber-fast and my bike such an eater of rubber that I slid on every bend, now I use race slicks" :)

Stu, Roadtecs is what they're called! Says so on the side! Stradas are pretty much the same, different tread pattern, same carcass, some people say they're stickier but I reckon that's more or less because everyone thinks Diablo = sticky. Good marketing ;) Performance Bikes had a guy from Pirelli say they were identical.

[Marshall]

Daz

Theres a place down the road from me called Sticky Jims's

Its in the old shifnal train station building, he does good prices.

try him on 01952 462616

ring him first as he works weird shifts

HTH

Tom

[kwak zzr]

thanks marshall will try him.

[imaleon]

Hi everyone,

Noticed you mentioned the Z4s, I am also changing my tyres soon, and I have the Z4s fiited on my curvy. Have heard very good things about the z6s, can anyone give a comparison of the two? How much would I be looking at to get new front and rear z6s fitted?

Cheers

Chris

[northwind]

Comparison- night and day, basically. The Z6 is better at everything apart from being sold to Suzuki in huge quantities at rock bottom prices to fit to budget bikes :)

[Ed]

Daz - try Sticky Jims at Shifnal. 01952 462616. If you say you saw their ad in the Shropshire Star they give a discount.

[kwak zzr]

Sticky Jims £215 fitted to the bike or £195 to wheels thats the bt014.