Supersport tires - Michelin 2CT, Pirelli Corsa III, Bridgestone BT-016

Redline Motorsports Guest Review, Brad Gavey of BGPR Race Schools talks about 3 popular Supersport tires - Michelin 2CT, Pirelli Corsa III, Bridgestone BT-016 from an aggressive rider point of view

[@17405pop]

Very informative, thanks. I'll be fitting Mitchelin 2CT's this weekend after this advice.

[@oddball04]

thanks a million answered all my questions.

[@anthonymillard30]

Cracking review. Thanks

[@dinosofmajaputra357]

nice review thanks...

[@JHa77am]

youre right maN, youre totally right. i feel exactly the same about my bt016, ill have pirelli corsa next week come on!!

[@justaguy4real]

Great review, very candid. I'm a not very experienced rider on 1st bike an 2002 Honda Siperhawk VtR1000 with Battlax BT023's and they weren't very confidence inspiring. That bike stolen after riding about 4k miles, FF few years later to 2nd bike an 2007 CBR1000RR with relatively new set Pilot Power 2's and they were very confidence inspiring with about 6k miles experience now. I got bike with 16k miles and at 22k+ miles now. But not sure if it was the bike/suspension or the tires that made me feel confident. Now needing new tires, I've been leaning to Pilot Power 2CT's but their old tech and thinking about maybe going with Battlax Hypersport S22's. Either way, I'm looking for long life as here in Houston it's mostly long straights. Plus I only care about dry performance traction as I avoid rain and wet conditions. So only longevity and cornering, and I ride very aggressive. Suggestions or advice, from anyone?

[@RedlineMS501]

Check your pressures, warm up time, (10 minutes) rear suspension settings, you may have it too stiff and check your chain tension. The BT-016's do take longer to warm up - 10 minutes is a good guide. Check your chain tension, that will also make your tire tire slip. As you compress your rear suspension, your chain tightens and when it can't tighten any further, and you get on the throttle, your tire will try to break loose

[@RedlineMS501]

If you are dragging knee on the street, I would recommend the Pirelli Rosso Corsa. The BT-016's and Q2's are a good tire but for the really aggressive rider the Pirelli will work better.

[@TooAbsurd]

@techboy2009 Very late response, but the stock Bridgestone's that came on my Gixxer also felt really bad. I did a ride up to Mt. Rainer and I could feel the front and rear tire all over the place with the varying road surfaces. Switched to Q2's today, and even without scrubbing them in, they feel much better. Pressure in the BT's was a bit over 30 cold, suspension professionally setup for my weight.

[@DrInsane76]

Nice review. :-D I use the 2CT's and its good but you have to warm them up right and they have a "softer" wall so keep the pressure high otherwise you will feel it when cornering. Mabe i go for the Corsa's next time becouse i like to go hard in turns on the road.

[@jp929rr1]

Rider preference is a weird thing sometimes, the diablos had a lot of grip but I never felt confident in the corners, exactly because they had this soft planted feel but didn't give a feel for the limit. I like the continental contisport attacks I run now even though they are a bit lower in outright grip.

[@RedlineMS501]

It could be the tires but it also could be your grip on the bars that is causing your trouble. Make sure you are not fighting the bike - loose grip = faster corner speeds. You are right though, the 2CT may be the difference between a quick corner and a lowside.

[@RedlineMS501]

@VividStream2012 you will like the michelin 2CT or Pure. They will wear out faster though.

[@Mr.saxobeat210]

@RedlineMS501 Thanks for the info! I think i concluded that my suspension isn't set up correctly...

[@RedlineMS501]

The Q2 wasn't out when we did the video. The Q2 is a comparible tire that we also like.

[@Mr.saxobeat210]

@beartubeyou1234 Your right they do feel different! It seems that the "aftermarkets" have more grip to them...

[@lukebond431]

I'm stuck between the pilot power 2ct and battlax s22

[@Mr.saxobeat210]

Bridgestone BT-016 came on stock on my 2009 ZX-6R. I've had the bike for 6 months now with the same tires and they feel horrible... My tires feel super slick compared to my friends gripy Dunlop Q2's. Whenever I hit the twisties i feel like my rear slips up alot and I cant go into a full lean without my having alot of confidence. Does anybody have any tire suggestions???

[@RedlineMS501]

It's hard to say, could be anything. May even be your tire pressures. Best thing to do is try to get a local expert/instructor at the track to follow you and see what they see. Good luck and have fun!

[@RedlineMS501]

You can't go wrong with any of the tires in this video. It all comes down to how the tires feel to you. Some people like a softer feel and some like a stiffer feel. Another tire to try is the Dunlop Q2. Good luck and let us know which tire you go with and what you think about it.