^

Very difficult since usually people go from worn out tires to new tires. So for many it is not so much about the difference new to new as the difference from new to worn out

 This has an added dimension of going from a 190/50 PR4 to a 190/55 T30GT... there was always that $100 plus difference in cost between them as well...

 I want to also note, the balancing- it was something like 70 grams less on the rear and 38 grams less on the front to balance the T30's than what it came in as with the PR4's

To screen.  You don't buy a 1400CC sport touring bike for economics.  You can buy a cruiser with hydraulic valves, bias ply tires that will run 20,000 miles, and still get 45 mpg.  Driveshaft or belt as well. 

+1

I would say that the best NON-CRUISER commuter bike going today is the Honda NC700X.  My neighbor has one with full givi bags, large windshield, hand guards, light bar, and has been averaging 70 mpg during his 60 mile one way commute.  He probably has $5000 in the bike total and the way the engine is in the frame valve checks take 1/2 an hour.

That said, I rode it and it is only a commuter.  There is no thrill with that bike like you get with the Versys.

It is the cost that has my attention. What I think of as premium tires (Angel ST or GT, any of the Pilot Road series, and similar) are very expensive tires. At the same time, it seems that tire performance falls of when moving away from these tires. Shinko may be an alternative but to be honest, I have not yet tried a set.... every time I get close, I change my mind and buy Angel or Pilot Roads again. The idea that there may be a decent, good performing tire with good life out there, from a major manufacturer, at a substantially reduced price, is attractive to me. And of course it is possible that a more reasonable priced tire is AS GOOD as the tires mentioned above. So that is my interest in hearing how those new Bridgestones work out for you.

Brian

^

Very difficult since usually people go from worn out tires to new tires. So for many it is not so much about the difference new to new as the difference from new to worn out

 This has an added dimension of going from a 190/50 PR4 to a 190/55 T30GT... there was always that $100 plus difference in cost between them as well...

 I want to also note, the balancing- it was something like 70 grams less on the rear and 38 grams less on the front to balance the T30's than what it came in as with the PR4's

It is the cost that has my attention. What I think of as premium tires (Angel ST or GT, any of the Pilot Road series, and similar) are very expensive tires. At the same time, it seems that tire performance falls of when moving away from these tires. Shinko may be an alternative but to be honest, I have not yet tried a set.... every time I get close, I change my mind and buy Angel or Pilot Roads again. The idea that there may be a decent, good performing tire with good life out there, from a major manufacturer, at a substantially reduced price, is attractive to me. And of course it is possible that a more reasonable priced tire is AS GOOD as the tires mentioned above. So that is my interest in hearing how those new Bridgestones work out for you.

Brian

Well hopefully someone I know who has used both (on this forum) will chime in then. He is going back to a T30 for a few weeks-month before he heads off to Star etc where I understand his plan is to be on a new set of PR4's for that
 And then you have Joe to chime in once he gets a few more miles too
 Atleast then you have people with the same bike, albeit they both have very different experiences with tire life...one getting double the mileage out of the same tires as the other.

 Bridgestone did have a $40 rebate going on these (T30) in March as well, which would have put them at $200 for the set, vs what.......$340 for the PR4... (rumor says the rebate will return late summer, but it is rumor)

The feedback I have gotten from those who are running the T30- and came off BT023's is they like the feel of the T30 better, the profile seems more triangulated (more sportbike tireish) but thus far other than a couple of CBR1000rr guys I haven't seen them get worn out to have a good judge of mileage difference between a BT023 and a T30.
 The feedback from people who came from PR2's- well the fronts were all cupped on the PR2's on every bike I have ever seen, so all these people went from junk to new, and all but one took years to wear out their tires, so feedback from any of them is more than suspect at best. with the exception of possibly mileage differences ( Joel being the only exception to the years comment (about 4-6 weeks to a set) and he didn't get any more mileage from a PR2 than from a BT023- and I am not sure what he gets out of the T30/T30GT)
 The CBR1000RR guys both made an extra, 820 and 960 miles on the rears from their last BT023---but that could simply be riding/road selection/speed/temperature differences--so I don't conclude that to be definitive proof of anything other than they could have ridden differently and it was later in the year-thus cooler temps and likely less aggressive riding

 Some other choices- although not down to this price range.
 Roadsmart II--roughly $250 a set
  I mostly have sport bike guys running these on the rear with a Q3 front, but there are a couple VFR800 guys on them with over 9k on them and no cupping (was an issue with the Roadsmart) and still showing decent life left...I saw one of them this spring but don't remember what the tread depth remaining was, but it seemed like it would last him til mid summer (he only rides about 6-8k a year)-- which I would surmise may get him near 12k
 Z8-- similarly priced to the Angel and the PR3/4
 I have people on them and some of these guys are over 10k now (both on ST1300's), which almost nobody around here gets that on sport or sport touring tires, and it is more than they got out of their last tires

As far as shitco's go--- I would not even install those on my worst enemies bike even if you handed me the leprechaun and his pot o gold--- but obviously someone is buying them.

At 35000-40000 miles annually, I replace tires individually. 

Some front tires...

Roadsmart II: 2500 miles on one, almost 3000 miles on another.
     Felt fine, but... 
PR 2: 6400 miles on one, 5200 and counting currently.
     Felt good when new, greasy after 3500-4000 miles or so.
Angel GT: 3800 miles.
     Best handling tire of the bunch.  So far.
T 30: 5500 miles.
     Felt good the whole time.
BT 45: Okay, this is a "rear only" on the front, GoldWing size.  ** don't try this at home y'all**
     Had over 14,000 miles when I hit something in the dead of night...going pretty hard...in West Texas.  Managed to superglue the torn flap of tread down and limp it another 1500 miles home.  Still had nearly half the tread left too. 

Still in the garage:  Another Roadsmart...sheesh.  Several Avons.  Another BT45 "rear only".  A couple of Metzeler.  One 880, one 888 (I think).  A set of Shinko 009s.


saxman

^ Not to totally sidetrack the thread but....

BT45 is a bias ply

ME888 doesn't come in any size to fit a Connie front or rear
ME880 does have a front but no rear
and you don't say why you only managed the mileage you stated?
 I cannot see any scenario where a Roadsmart II only goes 2500 or 3000 miles and yet you claim a BT45 was able to go 14k and would have went way longer had it not been for road hazard-- and you are talking about what, a 120/90- I find it hard to believe that would even clear the fender

 I just find the entire post so questionable........

oh boy... such a nice thread... 

Lloyd, the bike feels great, my NC trip i thought to my self, wow on several occasions, feels and runs that good. 
for the ones that don't know, i have 82.5k miles on my 09, bought new mid 10 and live in Minnesota!!

Tires, i have been on several sets of pr4, some pr3, pr2, angel gt, stone 023 several sets. I probably do not ride like the average c14 guy, but i know i am not alone in the poor tire life club. 
my NC trip i was very hard on tires, pr4 lasted about 3k miles, close to the bars front and rear, worn very even, they felt great the entire time,
I just picked up a set of t30 to run until mid next month, saving them and replacing both for another trip. i keep very good records so mileage reports when i put them back on and finish them off will be a couple months from now.  i was a fan of the 023, so i figure these will be as good.

as far as motorcycle costs, mine has been very expensive, more so than i expected, but i go through tires very fast, spend lots on major services, suspension upgrades. but almost every mile puts a smile on my face!!

if my tire life is requested or questioned, i can easily paste my records here, if it would help anyone. 
Joel

Well hopefully someone I know who has used both (on this forum) will chime in then. He is going back to a T30 for a few weeks-month before he heads off to Star etc where I understand his plan is to be on a new set of PR4's for that
 And then you have Joe to chime in once he gets a few more miles too
 Atleast then you have people with the same bike, albeit they both have very different experiences with tire life...one getting double the mileage out of the same tires as the other.
..........
As far as shitco's go--- I would not even install those on my worst enemies bike even if you handed me the leprechaun and his pot o gold--- but obviously someone is buying them.

shitco's 
I am the tire eater, Joe gets much better tire life. not sure what i do wrong, i don't seem to hammer the gas,or hammer the brakes, but i do sail the bike off in the twisties at a decent clip for sure. also i have spent tons of time at the track in the last few years, not that track time should count against my tire life, just skill building at a very rapid pace. 

jokingly i have been referred to as the hooligan in our local group. some were discussing adding risers, pros cons, things like that. One member jokingly said i was trying to find a way to add clip ons to my bike. lol

I will conclude with a thank you to all three; Joel and Joe and (sorry I can't remember the guy from Arcadia's name now)for their patience,  their bikes took longer than normal simply due to my time budgeting and the fact it is spring in MN and everyone wants it all right now, and some of the services are "while you wait" which always eats into these more significant services time....

you are very welcome !!!

^ Not to totally sidetrack the thread but....

BT45 is a bias ply

ME888 doesn't come in any size to fit a Connie front or rear
ME880 does have a front but no rear
and you don't say why you only managed the mileage you stated?
 I cannot see any scenario where a Roadsmart II only goes 2500 or 3000 miles and yet you claim a BT45 was able to go 14k and would have went way longer had it not been for road hazard-- and you are talking about what, a 120/90- I find it hard to believe that would even clear the fender

 I just find the entire post so questionable........


Sorry for the long delay...but...

ME880 goes right on there.  You are right...not an 888, but another 880. 

BT45 works just great.  120/90 is too tall (good eye!), but the 130/70 is great.  I know the safety nannies are pretty sure bias and radial don't work together.  But I just put em on and it works OK.  Questionable?  Want a picture?  Question somebody else's integrity.  What a tool...

Mileage: I live in the mountains.  Every single ride begins and ends with 15-50 miles of twists and turns, depending on which way I go.  It is a big heavy powerful bike and I can drag the pegs all the way around the corners if I want to.  Yes, with whichever tyres are on it that week.  I wore out a front PR2 once in two weekends riding with the neighbor, but I didn't list that one.  He is kind of a hooligan, and I can keep up just fine.  Or ditch him if I need to.  The C14 is pretty fast for what it is.  Less than 1000 miles for sure.  I just thrashed it, and usually I try to preserve the things since it can get expensive.  So I only counted tyres used for "regular riding".


saxman