Tires/Tyres: Bridgestone BT-002RS

Ok well I have had these on my bike for a good while now and I promised Devon (socaldev) I would give a write up on these.

Tread: Ok so we will start off with tread, the tread itself is based more on a track tire. It has a substantial amount less tread on the edges of the tire than 2cts and DC3s, see picture below. I haven’t ridden these in the wet (SoCal Baby!) but I have a feeling they wouldn’t be so good it the wet.

Profile: It has a rounder profile than 2cts but sharper profile that DC3. Because of the profile these tires require a little more input than 2cts to drop into the turns and they don’t drop down as fast but at the same time you don’t have to force them down likeDC3s; I heard DC3s tend to need input all the way down until you get them to the angle you are shooting for. Once you start leaning on the BTs, if you let go they will keep leaning by themselves down to max lean. Some input is needed to stop it from leaning too far down. That being said they don’t bounce back upright as fast as the past tires I have ridden on.

Stickiness: These tires stick like mad! Set at a proper pressure for you bike weight and ridding style so that they heat up properly and you will have problems trying to get these things to break out. I actually started pulling up the front tire out of a few turns, they stick so hard I can throttle out harder. They tend to heat up a little slower that my Michelins did but not much longer…I have to go about 8 spirited turns to heat them up nicely and once there the tear on the tires is nice and even (see pic below). Now I am not going to say these don’t slide but most people won’t get these to slide on them. I can push these harder than the Michelins before they start showing signs of giving out. I have a friend who has these on his Hayabusa and he rips that fucker hard, he says he has problems breaking them loose but of course there are always a few turns where you know you can and he and I both do break them loose on those turns on purpose.

The Slide: On the chance you do break them loose, the slide is so unbelievably smooth. They just slide out soft and slow like butter, 95% controlled feeling. Michelins bounce around on you then when they do start to slide they just give out and your in the guard rail/up a mountain/ or down the cliff. I don’t know about the DC3s but if they are anything like their sister M3 the slide is a little more abrupt and obvious but still controlled once you get them to slide. The fronts have yet to kick out at all.

Feel/Feedback: depending on you suspension and how you ride is how much feedback you will get from each tire. I am a front heavy rider, I like to put my shoulder into the turn and push down on the front more, trail brake the front and my suspension is also a little stiffer than stock. It has that feedback feel of a hard tire where every little bump gives you updates but doesn’t upset you. There is also a feel with the rear I can’t really explain but it lets you know when you start reaching its limit and when it slides it talks back and responds well to throttle input. The Michelins were more of a smooth feel throughout so you’re just guessing what point your tires are in reference to their limit.

In conclusion at first I wasn’t so comfortable with the tires. They didn’t dip down as fast or easy as my 2cts and I kept cutting my line sharper since they tended to want to keep leaning unless I would stop it from going too far. I used to be able to hit a whole canyon downhill in neutral without hands just using weight as the input but now I have to throw my body around more to get the same response. The BT’s require more input to hold old your angle but once you get used to that the tire acts far superior to previously ridden tires. These tires have amazing grip, great feedback, and awesome control. Not too many surprises. I still want to try the DC3s but I really don’t know if it’s worth it. I am getting used to the style of these tires and like the comfort and inspired confidence they give. Hell my friend in the busa has it set that he will never switch out from these. I will later add a pic of the profile view. If there is any more in depth question please ask…What I have ridden on: Stock->M1->M3(x2)->2ct->BT-002RS

Excellent write-up! I've got a set waiting in my basement that I'm gonna put on once my PP's wear out.

where's that profile pic?

Originally Posted by seasonedfries

where's that profile pic?

Looking strait at the tires
F:
R:

Looking down at the tires
F:
R:

I love the write up you did it in detail..i think it would help out future buyers with tires..haha this was my favorite part of the write up:

Michelins bounce around on you then when they do start to slide they just give out and your in the guard rail/up a mountain/ or down the cliff.

haha made me crack up

hey also do you know if the bt016 are good?