I'm looking at tires and I see that some sellers list the same tire as A spec, B spec and so forth. Seems like the spec means the tire is an OEM replacement. Is an OEM replacement Bridgestone BT016 the same tire as a Bridgestone BT016 listed and sold without the spec?

OE is a lighter carcass. So you buy from a jobber, no, not OE. You buy the kawi part number tire, yes, back to the lightweight OE again if that's what came on the bike was a Brsto BT016.

A may mean aspect ratio
B may mean bias ply
C may mean speed rating

Notice here we have a 180/55 ZR17 AA, a 180/55 ZR17 G and a 180/55 ZR17 L

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/14773/i/bridgestone-battlax-bt-016-rear-tire

Are these different tires, or are they all the same regardless of which one you select.

Also notice there is a 190/55ZR/17 C. I'd consider buying it but Going by the OE tire Replacement codes guide at the bottom of the page, that tire is for a ZX-10.

Is it different than any other 190/55/17 BT016?

Not really sure. I've only bought 1 set of motorcycle tires, and I don't remember choosing anything like that, but maybe the shop knew the code to use when they ordered them if there was such a thing.

http://www.bridgestone.com/products/motorcycle_tires/products/option/index.html is a breakdown of their products codes and etc. I don't see anything corresponding to motorcycle_superstores codes.

It might be that's an OE tire for those bikes and the manufacturer specified some specific type of construction. About the only codes I've seen that look similar the the ply codes for automotive tires, like L means 20 plies, M means 22. It could just be a code that motorcycle_superstore uses for their own purpose (mainly confusing the customer?)

IDK??? I think I asked this question the last time I bought BT016s. Whatever I bought then, it worked. I really liked that tire and it is not too expensive. Since then I have bought POwer ones, BT003s and Q2s. They're street legal tires that are more track oriented and they are pretty spendy. To tell you the truth, I think I liked the BT016s the best. ...but that was so long ago, it's really not possible to draw a fair comparison. The BT016 was the only tire I ever wor to the edge on the street. I was going fast ALL the time back then. That's when I got my BIG ticket for 30+ over the posted limit. 6 points. All erased now, I think.

Maybe I'll go back to BT016s until I'm good enough to need a street / race tire. but I see we have a very nice deal on Pirelli Supercorsas so I think I'll get those. One more set of track oriented tires and if they don't make me a better rider, I'm back to BT016s

Sure would LOVE to have a set of those SICK Power cup slicks. OMG, would that look cool! But outrageously expensive and possibly deadly on the street.

I've only seen these letters on car tires where they are a tracton rating, with AA being best and C worst.

huh!

Because the ads list the exact bike that the letter code reffers to, I'm guessing it simply indicates which size tire in that model you should buy if you want to get the same thing as OEM. It does not mean that the tire will not work on another bike. If a 190/55/17 BT016 works on your 14, a 190/55/17 Supercorsa will also work. Just that some bikes have those tires as OEM so they want to indicate which size to buy so you don't get a 180 instead of a 190.

They're all the same tire. It's just extraneous info. Everyone knows what size they should get before they order, hopefully.

I'm getting the Pirelli Supercoursa SP V2. Pannigale tires. There's a great deal at Rocky Mountain ATV and MC. Do a price match at Revzilla and they'll prolly throw in RevZilla bucks. so you're $20 ahead toward your next order + you get the lowest price on the Supercoursas. ...but not going to last long, I hear and they DO need hot weather to take advantage of the stickyness on the street.

SEND PIC PLS

sure. when i get them on the busa.

BTW, I did get $15 in TeamZilla bucks + the price match guarantee. $367 for the tires (saved $60 off the Revzilla price) + $15 off my next order.

Looks like Rocky Mtn ATV?Cycle has raised their price a bit since then but still better than Revzilla's price. IDK if there is anywhere else offering a better price than RMATV/C but Revzilla will do a price match and TeamZilla cash.

* Last updated by: Rook on 8/10/2014 @ 4:34 PM *

Looking for tires and also realized that RMATV has the best prices. Thanks Rook now I know that Revzilla will price match. Love the zilla cash. Also they ship from Vegas, so normally get my order in 1 day.

I've only seen it on car tires too.
"Traction: Tire traction is rated AA, A, B or C, with AA at the top of the scale. This rating is based on the tire's ability to stop a car on wet concrete and asphalt. It does not indicate the tire's cornering ability. "

sure. when i get them on the busa.

almost a whole friggin month since I rode the bike. The supercorsas feel so good compared to the old stockers. Those tires were toast a long time ago. I'm not afraid to throw the big old busa over into a hard corner. Yep, I got a little quick drift one time but it was a sticky, controlled feeling drift. It didn't scare me at all. I have 100% confidence in these tires. True, anything would have been a vast improvement over the 5 year old stockers but I'm happy. I think next time I'll try a set of inexpensive BT-016s just to compare but for now, the Pirellis are the sh!tZ!

* Last updated by: Rook on 9/5/2014 @ 8:21 PM *

Rain...wtf that sucks. You can't get out and give them a spin.

No, no rain tonight. That's just the water from washing them off. Yeah, looks like rain but it was just humid. the water didn't dry up.

Those look almost too sweet to ride on Rook.

are they a,aa,b,c or street tires

Those look almost too sweet to ride on Rook.

I haven't ridden for 5 weeks so I may be a little rusty... but the chicken strips are huge. I'll see what I can do about that this weekend. If I can't wear a SuperCorsa tread up to a little less than 1/2" from the edge, I won't be getting race tires again for a while. They look cool but I think I'm better off replacing tires more frequently and having fresh rubber. If the Pirelli lasts me a year, It probably won't stick as good as a new Bt-016 would.

are they a,aa,b,c or street tires

I'm not sure what the code was. I think the code that I saw had something to do with the OEM Super Corsa that goes on certain bikes. I still have no idea what the dif is between an OEM Super Corsa on an S1000 and any other Super Corsa. The tire is a DOT approved race tire. I guess that means a race tire that narrowly passes the test for braking and grip on wet or dusty surfaces.

* Last updated by: Rook on 9/6/2014 @ 7:27 AM *

ok, thanks.....oh wait....isn't that a ...... motocycle on a zx forum

yup. The 14 has so much work to do. I have to ride something.

OH, but just wait until the 14 is back. It will be badder and sicker than ever.

Hope our buddy rspauldi is feeling ok today. We wish you great success with the back surgery so you can get back to your two wheel passion. Until then, look what fun I had this weekend. The 14 gets Ohlined this week. Hopefully back on it's wheels before end of Fall.

NICE

It was a great weekend but notice that all of those clips but for one cut at the top of second gear. That's because I usually use third and fourth to slow down. A 600 would be more fun for this kind of riding. Either that or don't slow down but that gets insane with traffic and hills and trees you can't see through.

WELL, HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM

OH, the tires! It's probably difficult to be objective since the last set was so bad, any new set of tires would prolly seem like a huge improvement. Also, I don't change tires very often. Once/year if I'm lucky. If I at least changed tires on the 14 often, that would help to make a good critique.

All I can say is that the Pirellis are at the very least, as good as the Power Ones and BT-003 I had on the 14. I don't recall wearing either of those out as far to the edge on the street like I have with the Pirellis. I think the Pirellis are very soft. They squeak when you rub your hand over them. They make me confident to test the throttle in a corner. I've felt the tire slip two times but it did not feel like the tire was going to slide out uncontrollably. It felt very predictable. I like that a lot even though I am very careful with the throttle in a corner.

The busa feel s razor sharp in handling. It's very hard to say if that is the Pirellis or just because the old tires were so hard and flattened off at the center. Also, the rear is a 190/55 instead of the stock 190/50. I think that makes a great deal of difference.

I think I'm going to try to change tires ever year from now on even if the old ones have some tread left.

OK, THATS GREAT...WHAT YOU HAVE ON THE ZX

The 14 has some Sportmax Q2s. 190/55 rear on that as well. I rode the Q2s all last season. The chicken strips are about the same as the Pirellis on the busa after two days. I usually take a few days to get used to a nice round tire before I lean hard but the Pirellis are very confidence inspiring.

I don't recall being so impressed with the Q2s. I think the Pirelli Super Corsas feel better. The Q2s also slipped a few times on me which was a surprise because I never tried to test them for grip under throttle like I have the Super Corsas. The Super Corsa will spin in a lean but it is a secure feeling slip.

I remember really liking the Bridgestone BT-016. It's been years since I had those tires though.

As much as I love to talk about this stuff, I have probably about the least reliable input on tires. I've never used tires up fast enough to compare one to the next. It's always "compare this old tire to this brand new one." That being said, I don't think I was as impressed with the brand new Q2 as I have been with some other tires. The Michelin Power ones were nice for the track but I'm not sure they were much more of an advantage for the street than a street oriented tire. These Pirellis have me excited for a change. At least I think it is the tires. It could just be the busa feels better to me and now it is apparent with round tires on it after 4 years. I'll give the Super Corsas another couple weeks and if those chicken strips whittle down over the molded letters on the tread, I think that will be conclusive evidence of one of two things: either the busa handles better for me OR the Super Corsas are an exceptional tire. I may go with them on the 14 next year and that will tell the whole tale.

One negative with the Super Corsa SP, it is one of the heavier rear tires among the competition. (actually, the Q2 is over a pound and a half heavier)

I got the Bridgestone BT-003 down to a quarter inch chicken strip rear on the street with 14 and also melted that over the edge at the track. Same with BT-016. Maybe I just like Bridgestone tires. Some people don't care for them at all.

* Last updated by: Rook on 9/8/2014 @ 8:49 PM *