Author Topic: BT 45 life  (Read 9057 times)

Offline fatbob

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BT 45 life
« on: February 14, 2015, 06:21:54 PM »
Taking off a Bridgestone BT 45 after only 4,600 miles. It'd been the shortest lived tire yet on my EV. GOING BACK ON WITH A Michelin pilot road 4 trail. 150/70 17. I've had great life from these on my Norge. This tire was meant for dual sport bikes that stay on the street. Anybody used PR4 on a Cali?
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Offline LowRyter

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2015, 06:27:43 PM »
aren't those radials?
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Offline fatbob

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2015, 06:34:42 PM »
Yes, Z rated radial.
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Offline NC Steve

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2015, 06:36:31 PM »
Hmm. I've run BT45s on 2 Guzzis and 3 BMWs and always gotten 10K or so. Maybe you got a bad one?
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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2015, 06:36:31 PM »

Offline LowRyter

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2015, 06:43:30 PM »
Yes, Z rated radial.

I didn't think you could run radials on a Cali.  Go for the 880 Metzlers.
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Offline Joliet Jim

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2015, 06:47:58 PM »
I had BT 45s on my Cali stone. They seemed to square off on illinois roads pretty quickly.
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Offline fatbob

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2015, 07:11:41 PM »
I didn't think you could run radials on a Cali.  Go for the 880 Metzlers.

The BT 45 is a radial.  The PR4 Trail as V rated, not Z as I posted above.  Our crushed limestone chip sealed Wyoming raods, coupled with their primarily straight nature, and my normally elevated speeds all ads up to short tire life.  6K is the best I have done on a bias ply ME880

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Offline ken farr

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2015, 08:39:46 PM »
Shinkos.


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Offline jabberwocky

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #8 on: February 15, 2015, 05:58:06 AM »
I had BT 45s on my hot-rodded RD350. The back tire was pretty played out at 4K and the front had a lot of tread left, but it was wearing strangely. The tread blocks were no longer square across the top. I have a $52 shinko on the back of my T3, and think it's great. I've got about 3500 on it, looks like it might go to 5.5K or so, handles great, and was $52. I need a front tire this season, and I'm not sure what to get, as I've read the the Shinko front equivalent to the rear I have is not particularly good. It won't be a BT45 though. On my BMW /5, I have a Michelin Pilot Activ which has been really great, but that's a 19", and I don't think they make that in an 18". I have some research to do.

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2015, 06:17:47 AM »
Avon Storm2 Ultra.

Online Dilliw

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2015, 07:07:32 AM »
The BT 45 is a radial.  The PR4 Trail as V rated, not Z as I posted above.  Our crushed limestone chip sealed Wyoming raods, coupled with their primarily straight nature, and my normally elevated speeds all ads up to short tire life.  6K is the best I have done on a bias ply ME880



BT45 should be a bias touring tire.  I've run them on my EV on the rear twice and while I got decent wear (about 8k) the last 3k or so the tire got squirelly especially when wet.  I like the BT45 front tire however especially in 110/80.

I'm running the Pilot Activ up front now and it seems like a really good tire so far.  Time will tell though.  I've still got the ME880 on the back but next change I'm going to try the Pilot Activ there as well.

I think there are people who run radials on the EV but I haven't tried it.  Wayne ran one in a pinch and I think he said he had to keep the pressure way up but it didn't slow him down enough for me to keep up with him.
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Offline Vagrant

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #11 on: February 18, 2015, 09:07:09 AM »
simply put BT45's on the back of an EV will be the poorest wearing tire you ever ran. 160,000 on my EV's so far and the only one that lasted was the extinct Dunlop 491.
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Offline charlie b

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #12 on: February 18, 2015, 09:30:59 AM »
At least with Shinko's you won't cringe every time you shell out the money for a new tire :)  They last as long as the BT45's did on mine and don't get really weird when they start to square off.

But, I loved the PR3's on my Honda and would readily use them (or PR4's) on my T5 if they made ones that fit. 
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Offline wrbix

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #13 on: February 18, 2015, 10:43:39 AM »
The BT 45 is a radial. 



Nope, bias ply. Been using them long term on my LM4 - get about 4k on rear.
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Offline youcanrunnaked

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #14 on: February 18, 2015, 11:18:10 AM »
Tonti frame bikes were designed back when there were no radial tires.  They are optimized for, and do best with, bias-ply tires. There are plenty of quality bias-ply motorcycle tires, so why would you use a radial tire?

Try the Michelin Pilot Activ.  Very good sport-touring tire with very good tread life.

« Last Edit: February 18, 2015, 12:27:27 PM by youcanrunnaked »
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Offline LowRyter

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #15 on: February 18, 2015, 11:44:46 AM »
John L 
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Offline wrbix

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #16 on: February 18, 2015, 12:23:15 PM »

(The BT-45 is available in both radial and bias-ply versions.)

Hmmm, can't find that. Bridgestone and American Motorcycle Tire sites both say bias ply.
Bill in VA, sometimes FL

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Offline youcanrunnaked

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #17 on: February 18, 2015, 12:27:10 PM »
Hmmm, can't find that. Bridgestone and American Motorcycle Tire sites both say bias ply.

I thought I saw this at one point; my mistake.  Fixed it.
« Last Edit: February 18, 2015, 12:29:14 PM by youcanrunnaked »
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Offline Steph

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #18 on: February 18, 2015, 02:15:40 PM »
BT45 are a good compromise and available off the shelf here.
I get 6000 miles on the rear and little over 10k on the front tyre.




Offline Sheepdog

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #19 on: February 18, 2015, 02:55:23 PM »
I've used BT45s on both my Vintage and my Bonneville. The front tire cupped badly on the Triumph and the rear wore out very quickly on the CalVin. I just took delivery of a set of Michelin Activs for the Guzzi...I expect they'll work well on the Bonnie, too.
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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #20 on: February 18, 2015, 03:24:15 PM »
nothing wears like a pilot road.

I've tried all the alternatives except for the angel GTs and none have lasted more than 6k.

BT45s are the go-to tire for ninja 250s because nothing much comes in such a small size, and even those wear out rather fast for such a small bike

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #21 on: February 18, 2015, 03:41:30 PM »
nothing wears like a pilot road.

I've tried all the alternatives except for the angel GTs and none have lasted more than 6k.]

Not pleased with the PR on the V11-Avons ready to go on this weekend.


Offline mwrenn

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #22 on: February 18, 2015, 11:17:01 PM »
I had BT 45s on my hot-rodded RD350. The back tire was pretty played out at 4K and the front had a lot of tread left, but it was wearing strangely. The tread blocks were no longer square across the top. I have a $52 shinko on the back of my T3, and think it's great. I've got about 3500 on it, looks like it might go to 5.5K or so, handles great, and was $52. I need a front tire this season, and I'm not sure what to get, as I've read the the Shinko front equivalent to the rear I have is not particularly good. It won't be a BT45 though. On my BMW /5, I have a Michelin Pilot Activ which has been really great, but that's a 19", and I don't think they make that in an 18". I have some research to do.

Revzilla has Michelin Pilot Activs in 18 inch for the front.

Offline cwiseman

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #23 on: February 19, 2015, 12:47:26 AM »
I run BT45's on my CalVin and can get anywhere from 4,000 to 7,500 out of a rear. I've tried Michelin and Avon and was not impressed. I ride like a freaking idiot so grip and handling are a bigger concern than getting a tire to last much longer, and the BT's are cheap so it doesn't bother me. If I rode normally I'd put a kenda or shinko on and not worry about it.
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Offline charlie b

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Re: BT 45 life
« Reply #24 on: February 19, 2015, 07:28:05 AM »
You might try one of the Shinko's.  I would guess, from my limited butt meter, that they are as sticky as the BT45's.  But not as sticky as the Sport Demons.
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