Author Topic: New BT46 Bad Mileage?  (Read 2610 times)

Online kfz

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New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« on: May 19, 2022, 03:05:10 AM »
Hey,

Just bought my second Bridgestone BT46 and check the records to see the old has a done a little over 5K miles.  Bit disapointed in this for my old Mille.  Not exactly a sports bike so why am i getting sports bike mileages.  Bike does long runs (for UK standards), quite a bit of 2 up work and general use. The BT45  lasted around 8K.

Not faulting the tyre, its superb, plenty of below zero and wet weather work.  Its crazy good.

Anyone else found they are getting less miles on the 46 than the 45? 

Kev


Offline Frenchfrog

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2022, 03:16:30 AM »
Just fitted one. The previous Conti very much underperformed in that respect too. My feeling as it's possibly linked to softer compounds...t

Online Sye

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2022, 03:33:09 AM »
Great grip wet and dry = high silica content and softer compound which means they wear out faster. Hard as a rock and crap grip tyres last forever.

Offline Scout63

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2022, 05:41:21 AM »
I just fitted Conti ClassicAttacks to one of my bikes.  I was surprised at how soft and sticky they feel. I’m guessing they will wear quickly as well.
Ben Zehnder - Orleans, MA USA

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2022, 05:41:21 AM »

Online kfz

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2022, 06:45:05 AM »
Great grip wet and dry = high silica content and softer compound which means they wear out faster. Hard as a rock and crap grip tyres last forever.



Yes I understand their is no free lunch, Im trying to see if its me or everyone else is the same?

Tt has to be comprise or other wise wed all be on race tyres.  The BT45 was a sticky tyre, didnt last for ever but last maybe 30% longer (test subject of 1). The question is does the drop in mileage warrant the increased performance? 

Offline Vagrant

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2022, 07:53:19 AM »
I just fitted Conti ClassicAttacks to one of my bikes.  I was surprised at how soft and sticky they feel. I’m guessing they will wear quickly as well.

Lucky you! Your guess will be wrong. They will go 30-40% longer than anything else.
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Offline Scout63

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2022, 06:55:38 AM »
Lucky you! Your guess will be wrong. They will go 30-40% longer than anything else.

Thanks for that. Great news.
Ben Zehnder - Orleans, MA USA

Online Sye

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #7 on: May 20, 2022, 09:13:00 AM »
Just had a look on the Bridgestone site. The BT45 had dual compound, harder in the centre and softer on the edges. The site says that this was to improve mileage.

The new BT46 has a single softer compound all over, to improve wet grip according to their blurb. This suggests that you get better grip at the cost of mileage.

You need to decide what's most important to you. Grip versus mileage and cost. 👍

Offline guzziart

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #8 on: May 23, 2022, 04:28:53 PM »
Hey,

Just bought my second Bridgestone BT46 and check the records to see the old has a done a little over 5K miles.  Bit disapointed in this for my old Mille.  Not exactly a sports bike so why am i getting sports bike mileages.  Bike does long runs (for UK standards), quite a bit of 2 up work and general use. The BT45  lasted around 8K.

Great!  I just bought a pair of BT46's for my '87 LMIVSE.  :sad:

Art
« Last Edit: May 23, 2022, 04:30:03 PM by guzziart »
'71 CB350, '72 Eldo, '72 CL350, '81 CB125s, '87 LMIVSE, '91 CT70, '03 V11 Lemans, '08 Wing  ('12 Wee Strom - R.I.P.)

Offline flower_king001

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #9 on: May 23, 2022, 05:33:33 PM »
Great!  I just bought a pair of BT46's for my '87 LMIVSE.  :sad:

Art

I used to run them on my 1986 IV LM1000 but had weird cupping on the front tire after 3-4000 miles. I had the same issue when running them on my 1998 EV.
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Offline pete mcgee

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #10 on: May 23, 2022, 05:43:22 PM »
8k miles out of BT45s, I wish, best I ever got was 5 to 6 k miles over 20 years using them. That is on a mk 3 lemon.
Still thats the price you pay for grip, wet or dry they just worked.
Ive been interested in what people were getting out of the BT46 and what they thought of them.
Thanks for posting.
Pete (no not the Bungendore one)


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Online kfz

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #11 on: July 31, 2023, 01:10:15 AM »
Quick update on this subject of BT46 life for the record...

The front lasted 8K so this is a lot more like the BT45.  I'm guessing the short life of the rear is down to my right hand and amount of 2 up with luggage work. And maybe the small 120 tyre is a factor.

Kev

Offline Vagrant

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #12 on: July 31, 2023, 07:19:40 AM »
I can honestly say the two BT45's I ran over the combined 180000 miles on EV's were the worst for mileage of the dozen or so brands I used.
Switch to the A41 radials and you'll never look back.
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Offline Jack Straw

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #13 on: July 31, 2023, 08:04:05 AM »
On my V7III the BT 46 tires worked well, terrific grip wet and dry, decent ride, crisp steering, but the rear was too worn at 5K while the front showed cupping that I didn't understand.

I switched to Conti RA3 which I really like but they're not available any longer.

It's always something, eh?

Offline Bazil

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #14 on: July 31, 2023, 05:06:16 PM »
Yep - mileage sucks.

On the Mark IV I'm just replacing one worn to the indicators bars with less than 6000 km ( 3750 miles) on it. Front with same mileage is Ok so far. I run pressures of 38 rear, 37 front and I'm no  Valentino Rossi ! Handling has been a bit unsettling for a little while - a bit of front end chatter which I'm hoping a new rear will fix.

I was trying to have matched tyres, but with a 16 " front the choices are limited and I'm going to mix it up now.

Picking up a Michelin road classic rear tomorrow - we'll see how that goes.
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Online Tony F

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #15 on: July 31, 2023, 05:32:31 PM »
I used to run them on my 1986 IV LM1000 but had weird cupping on the front tire after 3-4000 miles. I had the same issue when running them on my 1998 EV.

Cupping on the front tyre is usually caused by the pressure being too low. What pressure are you running?

Offline Huzo

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #16 on: July 31, 2023, 05:55:11 PM »
Well guys, y’all reap what you sow.
Why do you keep messing around “experimenting”, when you can fit triple compound Michelin Pilots and not trouble your dealer again for minimum 18,000 km ?
I once saw 22,000 km, but admittedly that was a LOT of cold, wet and rain soaked kilometres.
But NEVER less than 16,000 and even that set only came off to fit a new set for Europe.
I just do not get it…
« Last Edit: July 31, 2023, 05:56:08 PM by Huzo »

Offline Bazil

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #17 on: July 31, 2023, 07:54:53 PM »
Well Huzo, if I had me some 17 " rims that would be an option, but no good for my pre-millennial mount. With a 16 " front and 18" inch rear I'm snookered.

That's the price you pay for persevering with a dinosaur, albeit a modern? classic ( along with no ABS, cruise control, fuel injection, dynamic suspension and other gee gaws)
1986 Lario ( long gone, still missed)
1985 Mark IV Lemans ( Gina)
1991 V40 Targa ( L'il Jeannie)
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Offline 73 sport

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #18 on: July 31, 2023, 08:18:51 PM »
   Bazil, you haven't done the research. michelin  makes 16inch front tires and 18inch rears. Huzo is correct in stating the quality of michelins.

Offline Bazil

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #19 on: July 31, 2023, 08:52:29 PM »
Unfortunately the only Michelin 16 " available in our little backwater now seems to be a scooter tyre or a supermoto tyre, according to the Michelin website. For my riding skills they are probably fine, but my ego wont let me ride on a scooter tyre !

Hopefully the Sports Classic rear will prove worthy at least, even if not up to the Pilot performance.
1986 Lario ( long gone, still missed)
1985 Mark IV Lemans ( Gina)
1991 V40 Targa ( L'il Jeannie)
1962 Royal Enfield Crusader Sports

Offline elrealistico

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #20 on: August 01, 2023, 03:44:01 AM »
Yeah, tyre selection gets crappier as time goes by. Would love some michelin pilots for either of my geese, but they just don't make them that I can find in the US.
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Offline motor-sheep

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #21 on: October 13, 2023, 06:08:15 AM »
I am new to the forum. Hello everyone.  :bike-037:

My experience with BT45 and 46 are:

CB750 (edit: this is BT45):
Front tire:  23K miles
back tire: 19K miles
2 tooth front more (40), faster acceleration. House/work driving + leisure driving. Usually quiet constant speed. Later changed back to 38 tooth.

moto guzzi V7 : New tires (edit: BT46), until now drove 7K miles
Front: about 3~3.5 thread depth left.
back: about 4 mm total thread depth left

Not sure how much I can get out of the BT46, but I like the grip. It grips much better on wet road. Maybe that is the reason I dare to go a but faster in corners, resulting in a bit faster usage.

« Last Edit: October 13, 2023, 08:02:04 AM by motor-sheep »

Offline blu guzz

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #22 on: October 13, 2023, 07:22:49 AM »
tire life also depends on the road surfaces you regularly ride on.  in my area, the surfaces are pretty coarse, so mileages of 10,000 and up are uncommon.  another factor to a lesser extent is whether a tire is used up is a matter of personal choice where some folks ride down to the cords, others such as myself are a little more conservative about when a tire is cooked.  because i ride mostly twisty roads, i am willing to trade the last 500 or so miles for the better handling of new rubber.
Blue Guzz

Offline rocker59

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #23 on: October 13, 2023, 08:40:20 AM »

Check into Michelin Road Classics for the older Tonti Guzzis.

https://www.michelinman.com/motorcycle/tires/michelin-road-classic

Currently running them on my 2004 California and they seem like a really nice tire.

Previously ran Pilot Activ, but they've been discontinued.
Michael T.
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Offline Stretch

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #24 on: October 13, 2023, 06:24:28 PM »
I never got more than about 5K miles out of a rear BT45 on my old GB500.
They gripped fine - wet or dry, but were pretty soft. Noticeable change to
the handling on that bike when the rear squared off.

Front cupping can be caused by spirited riding - hard braking in particular.

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Offline motor-sheep

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Re: New BT46 Bad Mileage?
« Reply #25 on: October 25, 2023, 07:40:27 AM »

I don't mind a squared off tire. With slow speeds I drive, I don't feel a difference in grip or petrol usage. It's the same as far as I know. I try to drive my tires all the way to the legal 1.6 mm. Then exchange them.

moto Guzzi V7 iii don't accelerate that fast unfortunately. Sometimes I miss the 750 CC chain drive motorcycles.

 

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