Anyone got experience with BT020s vs Z6s?
 

I'm new here and new to SVs (just bought a 2001 S three weeks ago).

Anyways, it had a brand new front and near new BT020 on the rear. For the first few rides i was going very, very slow (rusty after 4 bikeless months, new bike, new tyres).

Due to a lack of talent i still ride slowly, but it seems i'm riding badly enough to unstick the front over mid-corner 'ripples' in the road surface. I'm not a brave man so this has knocked my confidence a bit. I only did it a couple of times. I've been moving around on the bike more to keep it more upright now but really i think it'll be best to invest in some stickier rubber.

Also, after a ride through some fast sweepers (*cough*160+*cough*) the rear looks like it's overheated towards the edge a bit. Shiny. And it felt a bit greasy through some following slower corners.

Sorry, i don't know how to keep my problems/stories short.

Now, will Z6s be sticky enough? I'd like something i can get good mileage out of to save me money. But i feel that if i f*ck up and unexpectedly need more lean angle through a corner (front BT020 is scuffed on the sidewalls a little bit...) it'll end up costing me a lot more in repairs than i would have paid for expensive tyres.

Will the Z6s have a rounder profile offering more rubber at more extreme lean angles?

I owned a CBR600F4i and always had Sportec M1s on it. Absolutely loved them for road and track so that's what i'd get if you guys reckon the Z6s won't quite deliver what i want/need.

Sorry bout the babbling.

*bump*

If you're having problems with 020s not being sticky enough in a nice hot climate then I respectfully suggest that whatever your problem is won't go away with even the stickiest rubber available today.

Z6s are (by all accounts) a good tyre but not a lot stickier than 020s. You talk of 160 but I presume this is kph as opposed to mph? Well okay if you're on an SV it'd have to be!

Maybe, and obviously I'm not there to see, you're simply going too fast for the abilities of both the SV and also yourself? And I mean that in a constructive way. I'm others on here will contribute to the debate ;).


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Put the preload back to factory settings, check your tyre pressures and relax your grip. I know you have been riding a while, but tyre pressures are ever so critical on an SV.

I think i'll just get some Sportecs then and if anyone is interested let you know how i go with them.

I always keep pressures at 33/36, check them about once a week. Front pre-load is at 4 rings showing, i left the rear in pos 4. I feel like that's the best compromise between too much choppiness and too much softness.

Thanks for your replies.

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Just to babble some more.
It seems the climate may actually be too hot with the rear overheating?
160+kph yes. Sorry, i forgot you guys still use mph.

I'm riding pretty well within my abilities. I've done a few track days and i know the road isn't the place to go nuts and i always keep something in reserve unless i can see right through a corner.

I very much doubt i'm pushing the limits of the SV and don't feel like i should *have to* upgrade the suspension (even though i'd certainly like to) cause i'm just not that fast, i can't even keep up with my old man on his Beemer. I do perhaps push the front into corners more than other people do though?

The tyres do get worked pretty hard on the roads around here. The twisties around here can go on for 30 k's or so with pretty much one corner after the other. The rear gets a nice orange peel and the front balls up slightly. And after just 900k's it's starting to 'feather' already...

Do you go deep into corners on the brakes?

SV's with standard suspension settings don't like that so much.

In the winter I usually tend to square corners off and fire it out, as i dont think the cold and wet conditions like high corner speed.

In the earlier part of the Summer, I was still riding similarly to this (becomes a habit), but obviously braking much later and going quicker due to the better weather. Braking late on an SV then chucking it into a corner simply loads the suspension up almost to bottoming out on the brakes, leaving no compliance for bumps round the corner.

I found now that the Summer is here, to make the best of the hot roads and hence the oppurtunity to go quicker a slight change in riding style was needed. Not braking as hard, and using lots of engine braking, whilst carrying higher corner speed means that the bike is more settled, and your just as quick if not quicker than "firing it out". It's the classic tale of riding smoothly: Although it doesn't feel as quick, you are actually going quicker, and more importantly riding safer if ya do it smooth.

Don't know whether that applies to you but it certainly helped me out. Having said that, sorting the front and rear suspension on mine is high on the priority list.

Dan.

I try to be on a steady throttle (or rolling it on) as soon as possible to settle the bike and allow the suspension to work as well as it can. Only if i mess up on a steep downhill corner will i trail the brake into the corner gently.

The two times i lost the front it was however before i started to roll on the throttle, but i wasn't using the brakes. Maybe i chuck it into the corner too quickly, too hard? I chose late corner entry points and late apexes (apexi?) on the road as it's safer. This does mean that i need to get it to full (for me) lean reasonable quickly.

I do feel stickier 'sports' rubber will solve my problem. The BT020s are good, but they are 'just' touring tyres. I never had any problems with grip on the CBR with Sportecs on the road. I'm also hoping for some more feel from them. As it is i don't really get any of feedback on the SV until it lets go :shock:

Also when i have the $$$ i'll upgrade the suspension just to have more in reserve and hopefully improve 'feel' also.

I've been whining and carrying on a bit here, but i would like to mention that IMO the SV is at least a 50% better roadbike than the 2001 CBR i had. I love how easy it is to ride, it's light yet fairly stable handling, and the mid-range makes gear selection much less critical than on other mid capacity bikes.
Of course you all know that but i still wanted to say just how much i love my Smurfmobile :D

I haven't ridden the SV for about a week and the tyres have discouloured parts with an oily looking sheen on them now :?
I don't think that's very good is it?

There's more 'colour' than visible on this pic actually
http://server2.uploadit.org/files/JezzaK-IMG_2110.jpg

'Colour' not visible on this pic. But i have scrubbed some of the sidewall :D Maybe i should learn how to ride cause i still get flogged but old geezers on Beemers
http://server3.uploadit.org/files/JezzaK-IMG_2107.jpg

Looks like chain fling to me.


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The chain's on the other side though...