Bridgestone BT-023 tires

Jerry

2016
CBR650F ABS
May 18, 2017
The Netherlands
Brought my bike into the shop for a service job and they said the tires were due for replacement (still running the stock Dunlops at nearly 12000km). I hadn't given it much thought what brand/type of new tires I needed, so they asked me what kind of riding I mostly did (commuting/relaxed touring rides mostly) so they suggested fitting a less sporty tire and advised the BT-023's.

I don't think I have seen anyone mention these tires on this forum before, so I was a little unsure at first but upon reading some reviews, these tires might be perfect for this bike.

They are designed to give more durability on the running area for highway and touring use, but still use a compound with a bit more silica to give good grip in turns as well. They heat up quickly and offer excellent grip in the wet. These tires supposedly handle sporty riding just fine if you're not the type which takes every corner knee down. They are also a bit cheaper than Pilot Road 4's so I think it's actually a pretty solid choice for me. Reviews say they can easily do over 15k km.

I only rode like 20km on them in the dry so far so still scrubbing them in and can't really give my personal opinion yet, but I think it's worth mentioning that going for the "sporty" tires may not always be the best choice.
 

jerzy_bondov

2017
CBR650F ABS
Sep 30, 2018
London
The BT-023s are a great choice. I know a guy who has them on his S1000R (not RR) and is regularly up at the front of the fast group on track days. So don’t worry about them not being sporty enough - and most of the time we’re more likely to need a tyre to handle rain and cold temps than ultimate cornering angle, so get a tyre on the bike that can do that too!
 

Enrico

2018
CB650F ABS
Mar 28, 2019
I always change to Bridgestone tyres on bikes when the time comes ,but don't know what the current type is for the CB650F.
 

Colgster

MotoGP
Aug 30, 2017
Surrey
I've had all the above tyres on my old hornet. They were the best tyres in my opinion but you will find yourself changing them sooner if riding like I did.
 

Jerry

2016
CBR650F ABS
May 18, 2017
The Netherlands
Ok, so here's a bit of a PSA about the BT-023 tires: these tires are suspiciously loud (at least, that's the assumption so far). The full story is below.

Ever since I've had them fitted, I've been noticing a weird, hollow, scraping-like sound coming from the area of my front wheel. I didn't really notice it immediately because of my cool new exhaust I had fitted at the same time, but the sound crept up on me after a while. I started noticing it and recently started listening for it. I noticed the sound would become audible at around 30kph and was at its loudest somewhere around 60kph. Faster than that and the sound would be drowned out by wind noise. The sound is most obvious by speeding up to 60kph, then pulling the clutch so the engine idles and it cannot be missed.

I had no idea what could be causing this (I started fearing it would be the ball bearings in the wheel or perhaps the brake pads scraping along the disc (although I didn't notice any weird braking behavior or sounds). So I went back to the shop where I had the tire fitted. One of their mechanics checked all the mechanical components and didn't really find anything out of the ordinary. He took the bike for a test ride, took it back in the workshop, took it for another test ride and came back telling me that there was nothing out of the ordinary and that he suspected it was coming off of the tires. He said new tires are known to be a bit louder when scrubbing it. However, since I've already done like 1500+km (1000mi) on these tires, they should've been way past that point of scrubbing in already. He said that the Bridgestone BT-023's are known to be comparatively loud tires so he was sure that was it.

So the question is now if I can mentally get over this issue or if I would replace the tires. I think I'll just hang on to them for the time being.

So if anyone is considering these tires, know that you might end up with the same issue.
If there is anyone currently running these tires, I'd like to know if you experience the same thing.
 

Enrico

2018
CB650F ABS
Mar 28, 2019
I have just had Bridgestone T30 tyres fitted and haven't noticed any noise. I thought BT023'S were the old model sport touring tyres and were superseded by the T30's but I might be wrong. I think I have had Battlaxe BT023'S on previous bikes because I always changed to Bridgestone, but I never noticed any noise from bike tyres. ( I notice road noise from car tyres though )
 

Devilsfan

2018
CB650F
Jun 5, 2019
Tampa, Florida
Any chance the tires are unbalanced?

Me personally, I stay away from the Bridgestone's. I'm not a fan. That said I'd get them re-balanced and/or check for flat spots. I had a Brand new Continetal Motion that had a flat spot. Put over 5K miles on it as it never effected handling. But ANY tire can have defects although rare.
 

Devilsfan

2018
CB650F
Jun 5, 2019
Tampa, Florida
What don't you like about Bridgestones ?

Every bike I've had with them they wear extremely quickly. Also, IMO, after a few thousand miles they feel like they slide too easy.

When it comes to tires I say to each their own! I prefer the Shinko's, Continental's or the Michelin's.

***Keep in mind though, this is my first "real" racing-type motorcycle and I generally ride on flat, non-curvy roads. Also, I ride pretty non-aggressive.
 

Jerry

2016
CBR650F ABS
May 18, 2017
The Netherlands
***Keep in mind though, this is my first "real" racing-type motorcycle and I generally ride on flat, non-curvy roads. Also, I ride pretty non-aggressive.
Same here. It's why I went for the BT-023's because they are sport/tour tires with a harder middle area for more longevity on straights, but the rest of the tire is soft enough for spirited riding.
 

SSN637

2014
CBR650F
Sep 4, 2019
I am quite pleased with the BT-23's. Just mounted my second set. I got 10,000 miles out of the front and over 11,000 miles out of the rear. Granted, I pushed them beyond their "useful" life. Like Devilsfan said above, I don't ride aggressive very often and commutes are mostly straight, so long life is what I want. These tires seem to do that quite well!
 

Jerry

2016
CBR650F ABS
May 18, 2017
The Netherlands
I am quite pleased with the BT-23's. Just mounted my second set. I got 10,000 miles out of the front and over 11,000 miles out of the rear. Granted, I pushed them beyond their "useful" life. Like Devilsfan said above, I don't ride aggressive very often and commutes are mostly straight, so long life is what I want. These tires seem to do that quite well!
Have you had any issues with sound coming from the tyres? My dealer said the noise issue I have comes from the tyres but I'm still kind of doubtful about that.
 

SSN637

2014
CBR650F
Sep 4, 2019
Have you had any issues with sound coming from the tyres? My dealer said the noise issue I have comes from the tyres but I'm still kind of doubtful about that.
Jerry, I can't say that I've noticed any significant amount of noise associated with the tires at all.
I've been pleased with their performance for my riding needs. I've been delighted with their longevity.
 

Katie

2017
CBR650F ABS
Feb 1, 2019
Having really liked the BT023s on several previous bikes, I had them fitted to my CBR. They are still ok in terms of wet and dry grip and longevity but I have to say, I don't think the profile really suits the bike. They make fast turns feel a bit clunky and take a bit more work when it comes to flicking the bike around, even compared to the original Dunlops!
Reckon I'll give up trying to save money and just get the Metzeler Roadtec 01s on next time :rolleyes:
 

Jerry

2016
CBR650F ABS
May 18, 2017
The Netherlands
My dealer said the noise issue I have comes from the tyres but I'm still kind of doubtful about th
Interestingly I rode over some pavement where they scraped the top layer off in preparation of applying a fresh layer of asphalt. As soon as I hit the scraped pavement with my front wheel, the sound doubled in volume. When I left the scraped bit, the sound went back to "normal" volume. Makes me think it might be the tyre after all. I probably won't be doing BT-023's anymore.
 

Enrico

2018
CB650F ABS
Mar 28, 2019
Interestingly I rode over some pavement where they scraped the top layer off in preparation of applying a fresh layer of asphalt. As soon as I hit the scraped pavement with my front wheel, the sound doubled in volume. When I left the scraped bit, the sound went back to "normal" volume.o_Owell it would wouldn't it , the same thing would happen with any tyres ! Makes me think it might be the tyre after all. -or the change in road surface :DI probably won't be doing BT-023's anymore.
 

Jerry

2016
CBR650F ABS
May 18, 2017
The Netherlands
You misunderstand. There is always this annoying sound coming off of the front of the bike. I wasn't sure if it was the tyre or not, but since a change in surface made such a profound impact on the volume I can only conclude that yes, it is the front tyre causing the noise, which means I won't be riding BT-023's when these are up for replacement.
 
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