Tyres Michelin pilot road 4 or Bridgestone T30

So the Bridgestone T30's went on and I took it for a short ride. With 36 psi front and 41 psi rear. 6 miles down the road and I had to take the rear down to 40 psi it just felt too hard, then after a few more miles down to 38 psi. So far on 38 psi it feels better and not so hard but I will try it on 36 psi and maybe back up until I get what feels right. I will report back after I've put some miles on them while trying different tyre pressures and scrubbing in. Then I can push them to see what they can do
 
Bridgestone makes a very stiff tire in my experience, I'm not surprised you needed to let the air out. My mechanic always complains when he has to install Bridgestones because they are a PITA
 
Dustin said:
Bridgestone makes a very stiff tire in my experience, I'm not surprised you needed to let the air out. My mechanic always complains when he has to install Bridgestones because they are a PITA
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That's my experience too. Very hard carcasse, that's great if you go to the track but bad when you have to mount them. Just adjust the suspension, I think lowering the tire pressure will not help that much. The tire damping of the bridgestones is much less compared to Micheline or Pirelli so you have to set up your suspension different.
 
In my experience Bridgestones are less prone to punctures than Michelins.
I assume this is due to the harder carcass.
Every set of Michelins I have run, I've had the rear puncture, sometimes twice.
It's never happened to my Bridgestones, coincidence? I think not.

Sent from my Nexus 5
 
You're not wrong about the T30's being hard.

Check out this video of this geezer who travelled all over the world on T30's on his Gixxer.

At the 2:50 mark he shows a cross section of the tyres, they look bullet-proof.

I'll definitely give them a go next.

[video=youtube;6pvCsteQSUg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pvCsteQSUg[/video]
 
I went for the T30 after weeks of indecision. If Ron Haslam's school has them, it was good enough for me. Excellent Tyre with exceptional dry grip at high lean angles. Lets be honest there all pretty good these days. The garage that fitted then swears by the Avon Storm. They are well priced also. I'm not into the Michelin myself, but a good buy if your a carrier. I've done 2'500 miles on them without any slips or high sides. IMG_0949.jpg
 
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So then, two days of riding to work an I'm impressed already. No white lining no following the ruts and for a new not quite scrubbed in pair of tyres they feel so much more stable at lean angles. I've yet to test them out at silly lean angles though. When I've done some slow leaning in to deeper and deeper angles and feel there scrubbed and ready to not care, then I'll report back again. So far sooo good though.
Running at 36psi front and 38 psi rear at the moment. Not had to change any susspension settings yet. My sag is going to stay the same obviously but I may change compression and rebound a click or so.
Great rubber and so far better than the Michelins I had on.
 
Delta, do you work for Bridgestone? Man you sound like and ad. But wtf, you have convinced me. T30s are my next. I just changed out my rear to another PR2 that I had but with the $40 rebate. I think I might put a couple in the Garage for the next change out.
 
sloppy said:
Delta, do you work for Bridgestone? Man you sound like and ad. But wtf, you have convinced me. T30s are my next. I just changed out my rear to another PR2 that I had but with the $40 rebate. I think I might put a couple in the Garage for the next change out.
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Hi Sloppy..
No fella I deffinetly do not work for bridgestone, if I did I'd be using their most sticky tyres and getting the freebies and discounts too. I've always liked battlax tyres and I get more feedback in lean than I did from the michelin PR2 I had on the FZ1. That guy was right in saying michelin puncture more easy. I had meat left on my rear but thought rather than get a repair job just buy new bridgestone rubber..
Ok I will be back with my thoughts after I've put some ride miles on the T30's.
 
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My one and only puncture was a Bridgestone, whatever that's worth. :)

I normally don't like them but the Bridgestone BT 021 and 023 seem to suit my VFR quite well. I am hoping that the T30 are the same
 
Hi guys well I have to say these T30's are bloody good for a ST tyre. Plenty of grip with very fast warm up time too. Five miles had them lovely and warm and sticking like shit to a blanket in the deep lean angles. No slips loads of confidence with these. Great roll over from one side to the other. Tyre presures are 35 psi front 38 psi rear. They feel solid on the road in the bends and I guess I've taken the piss a bit on some huge round abouts going round and round to see how they cope. I can't belive they are sport touring tyres. Let's see how they wear over a few K.
 
Ok it's a few months later and a few thou on the tyres. Well the psi has stayed the same 35f & 38r. I'm happy with the tyre pressure at that. In the warm and dry the T30 is very good, in the wet still very good. The complaints, well there's a few little ones. First one I spun the rear in the wet after giving it a handful at 80mph even after I'd warmed them over 20+ miles and I have noticed a small bit of white lining and a small bit of rutt or groove following but nothing to worry me about the T30. Maybe it's down to crap roads or the tyres being a slightly hard sport touring compound. Overall not a bad tyre in the UK winter and it still gets slightly warm even in these freezing temperatures. I've had a few rear slips on black ice too but any tyre would be the same on that stuff. Tyre wear, well I've put maybe 2.5k on the tyres now and they still look good with no flat area on the Middle rear. I ride fairly smooth most of the time but I still have a thrash down the road putting the front end up in the sky when the mood kicks in lol. I'm still happy with the T30
Any reports from other T30. Users?
 
Thanks Delta, it sounds like the grip is very good, wear is even and good so far. I will be curious how many mile you get from them.
 
I'm extremely happy with my T30's.
They are the first set of sport touring tyres I have ever tried after only ever using hyper sport tyres.

On my favourite roads I like to have a bit of a go and they cop everything I throw at them.

The rear tyre particularly is very grippy and the front tyre gives me plenty of confidence at decent lean angles.

I've only done 2000 klms on them and am really happy with my decision so far.

Due to lack of time; I only use my bike for short 3-4 hour rides on the weekend when the weather is nice, so I can't give you my impression of the tyres in wet weather.

Sent from my Nexus 5
 
I run bridgestone s20's. And i love them. They grip the road great. Went to deals gaps with them and i didnt question them one but while i was riding the the tail.
 
fazertazer1 said:
I run bridgestone s20's. And i love them. They grip the road great. Went to deals gaps with them and i didnt question them one but while i was riding the the tail.
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I've used them previously too and liked them very much but like all soft hyper sports tyres; they wear too quickly.


Sent from my Nexus 5
 
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