Bridgestone's official stance on 010/020 mix

I lurk and occasinally post in 'another place. Someone there has asked
Bridgestone their opinions on using an 010 front with an 020 rear and
they replied with this :

"Dont do it, we do not approve the mixing of patterns on the YZF600R.
There are a lot of urban myths about the mixing of tyres and
unfortunately it is nearly all myth. There is logic behind why people
suggest it though, as a front tyre does need a specific compound
(softer) to offer the grip needed when cornering. When we develop a new
pattern we take this into account so the best fitment you can have if
you have a BT020 on the rear is the matching BT020 on the front as they
are designed to work together (front and rear specific).

The BT020 will offer more than enough grip for road riding, in fact in
the correct conditions you'll run out of road before you run out of
grip. If your bike is used only on the road then you need to get the
following:

Front: 120/60 ZR17 BT020 (running 36 PSI)

Rear: 160/60 ZR17 BT020NT (U) (running 42 PSI)

The BT020 will have ample grip for your Thundercat, if you feel you want
something even grippier then opt for a set of the brand new BT014's.

You did the right thing by asking us, its always best to check as the
mixing of patterns can cause stability problems on certain bikes and the
difference with grip would almost certainly be physiological.

If you need any further advice please let me know.

Best Regards

Tom Davey

Bridgestone UK Ltd"

So, there you have it.

HTH

 

Posting private email to a newsgroup? What kind of ****...

 

ogden says...

It's not private email, it's advice given on behalf of a major tyre
manufacturing company. As the man is giving the kind of information that
may or may not be a key factor in keeping someone alive, I think it's
only right that his name should be made public. Personally I agree with
everything he says.

 

I know people have differing views on mixing 020 rears with 010 fronts,
but even a slow bastard like me could tell that it's not an ideal
combination <on certain bikes>.

I always thought my TRX was an OK-handling bike, but it was absolutely
horrible to ride on the 020/010 combination.

 

SteveH says...

I've used the 010/020 combo, it worked fine on the ZZR1100. However, on
reading up on this and other factors, it's not necessary as the front
compound on a matched pair is always that little bit softer anyway.

 

You had an 020 front and an 010 rear? Hmm...

 

<snip>

Interesting. Shame it was all model-specific and he didn't extrapolate
as to whether this advice would apply to all bikes. I certainly had no
stability issues when I used this mix on the Triumph.

 

Mmmm I've just collected the Gixxer wheels with a pair of lovely new BT014's
fitted. Shall bolt them in this afternoon. Just as well they are hyped as a
great wet weather tyre mind.

 

What does he know eh?

 

The 800 miles I got out of mine were pretty good.

They also seem to grip 206 bodywork very nicely.

 

Bridgestone have just informed they do not recommend the Bt014 front and 206
rear combo.

 

LoL
The owner of the tyre shop had a laugh with me talking over the number of
people who completely ignore the advice on new tyres and bin it before the
junction at the road end, particularly in the wet. It would be worth opening
a body panel repair business at the junction!

Actually I'm surprised the tyre manufacturers haven't been sued to **** by
some sorry ambulance chaser by now.

 

Indeed, you would think in this day and age they could make a tyre that
wasn't dangerously slippy from new.

 

Especially that literacy standards are slipping so that people can't read
the warning label.

I guess deafness must be on the up too.

 

Is it ok to make a potentially dangerous product as long as you label it
accordingly? People sue when they cut themsleves with chainsaws no they not?
As Hog says, it's surprising no one has sued yet.

 

Quite. DWB doesn't need silicon on his tyres though IIRC )

*Apparently* it prolongs the storage life of tyres too, they can be left on
the shelf for 4 years, but there are products to remove the gunk so why
isn't it done as a matter of course? all a bit stupid really.

 

And what are you implying?

 

Oh sorry I must have you confused with someone else )

 

Not *you* too! Ah you must have been younger then.

I interpreted some advice I found from a tyre fitter on the Net (eek!) and
went round the new 014's with neat Autoglym bike cleaner and a green
scotchbrite pad. It busted the glaze of the tyre and removed all the silicon
with a few moments work. Took Gixxer out for a highly illegal test run to
Tullyhubbert's gaff last night under cover of darkness, no problems at all.
10 miles seemed to have them working well enough. No excuse for bike shops
not to do this for punters really.

 

'Hog wrote

I'll be fucked if I'd let some **** of a tyre fitter have the fun of
improving the grip of a new set of rubber where I could, and have, done
it myself.


There is something fundamentally wrong with you fucking people there
really is.

You claim you can fucking ride your bikes but **** me fucking not one of
you is fucking prepared to explore the fucking envelope for it's own
sake when you get the chance and you don't get much of a fucking chance.

You get a couple of miles once every few months at best to find out what
a different edge is like and you all fucking run away from it. A bunch
of fucking wannabe fucking wusses the fucking lot of you, you are. And
to make matters worse you are all fucking happy to find other solutions
when it is you and your big girls blouse mates that are frightened of
finding out what it takes to ride your bikes fucking safely.


Some fucking experience you fucking lot are out to gain. Yeah right.