Tag Archives: BT020

Motorcycle Tyres – Should you be able to see the canvas?

Bit of a surprise this afternoon when I was cleaning my bike (first time since Christmas). I knew that my rear tyre was down to the wear marks and had been asking around for prices on a set of Michelin Pilot Road 2s as I’ve heard good things about them. I’ve had BT020, BT021 and BT023 up to now.

Fancy a change.

Soon.

Rear BT020

This is what they call "Part Worn" on eBay...

BT020 Rear

Is that canvas? Do they have canvas nowadays?

Silver Wheels now fitted with Black Tyres (!)

I have blogged about the “gold” wheels on my Triumph Sprint ST. I have now reached the stage where I have fitted a BT020 front tyre as I prefer the older compound to the softer BT021. The rear came fitted with a BT021. Both wheels have been checked out and balanced (and cleaned…)

Next I have to swap the front disks from my current bike and fit the wheels…

Silver Wheels (Sprint ST) – Updated 12th April 2010

The “So What Should I Do With These Wheels?” project continues apace. Well, as “apace” as can be expected when you have very little spare cash and are holding out for a bargain.

The front wheel came up first and I secured it for £30 – bargain!

The rear wheel was £90 but came with a part-worn Bridgestone 021; again a bargain in my view when they are £400-odd new and £200+ from most breakers.

A call to my mate Gary Beresford who has agreed to run them up on his machine to check integrity, bearings and rebalance. He will also fit a part-worn Bridgestone 021 front that I picked up from a mate (swapped for a bedside cabinet!)

Fitting pictures coming soon.

Update 12th April 2010

Here they are fitted:

So What Should I Do With These Wheels? (Updated 12-Apr-10)

Not a rhetorical question; I really don’t know what to do with these wheels!

When I bought my latest Sprint ST (the one that I dropped in a previous post), I was told that the previous owner had the wheel powder coated gold because he didn’t like the standard black colour scheme.

Here they are:

Gold Wheels: Front

Gold Wheels: Rear

Now don’t get me wrong – it’s a beautiful job, but gold? I don’t think so… more like dirty custard.

Options:
1. Put up with it (cheapest)
2. Swap black wheels from my old ST (wrong tyres)
3. Get them re-coated (off the road)
4. Buy some on eBay, get them coated in a proper gold.

Update 9th March 2010

This has taken a while but “all things come to those who wait – especially on eBay!

The front wheel came up first and I secured it for £30 – bargain!

The rear wheel was £90 but came with a part-worn Bridgestone 021; again a bargain in my view when they are £400-odd new and £200+ from most breakers.

A call to my mate Gary Beresford who has agreed to run them up on his machine to check integrity, bearings and rebalance. He will also fit a part-worn Bridgestone 021 front that I picked up from a mate (swapped for a bedside cabinet!)

Update 7th April 2010

I have fitted a BT020 front tyre as I prefer the older compound to the softer BT021.

Next I have to swap the front disks from my current bike and fit the wheels…

Update 12th April 2010

Here they are fitted:

Job done…      Next.