Bridgestone T30 now available with 140 rear

[Ulvetanna_imp]

Over the weekend I had my new set of tyres fitted.

I was not a fan of the stock Dunlop tyres, and decided to change them out before I got anywhere near the wear marks (10k kms / 6k miles on the odo). I was especially unhappy with the original front tyres as they had uneven wear, making handling somewhat awkward. (This might be due to the previous owner running too low pressures, but I read other members complaining about this issue.)

Anyway I narrowed down my options to Michelin PR3s and Bridgestone T30s, both of which were only available in 160 rears at the time. I decided for the T30s based on very positive reports here on the forum and Django's recommendation who went through a pair of sets. When I went to order the tyres I was surprised to find that they now had 140 rear available, although I had to wait a month to get them, I probably have the first pair in the country.

I went for a good 150km ride on Saturday to scrub in the new tyres, and I am very happy with them. There is a big improvement in the front feel and handling, as well as rear grip. After only 30-40 kms, I was turning with much more confidence than the stock Dunlops. The 140 size rears retained the same light and flickable turn in and handling that I was already used to. I know many here opine that the 160 suits the bike very well, and I might yet give them a try, but for now I'm happy to stay with the stock sizes. I rode in to work today in pouring rain and I had no loss of grip at any point, and felt confident, so my first impressions of wet performance are also good.

Overall I highly recommend these tyres, and I think it's a great development that Bridgestone decided to make them in our CB's stock sizes.

Use the correct sizes and you will get the best handling. Good that these are now available. Now I have found the Conti Road Attack 2 CR in the 150/65 (sized specifically for our bike) I won't be trying the T30 but that would be my second choice, a very close second.

Also should mention the 150/65 is slightly shorter, drops the gearing a noticeable tad, but allows for a more effective suspension setup for that spirited sort of riding. The T30 looks like the height is going to preserve the gearing and ride height with normal settings, also a plus.