[bcrdukes]

Had a set of Bridgestone BT-45 tires on my cafe racer. I quite liked them. Lots of grip and are supposedly long lasting. I bought them partly because a lot of the guys on BC Sport Bikes rode on them for several seasons and reported great results. And at the time, the tires were on sale and significantly cheaper than the Michelin Pilot Power equivalent. Can't speak for wet roads because I never took my bike out in the rain but again, they seemed to have been favoured by the guys who toured on their Honda VFRs, BMW K-series and Suzuki V-Stroms.

My first choice would have been the Michelin Pilot Power 3 but what it boiled down to was cost and the Bridgestone's fit the bill (almost half in savings!) I believe Bridgestone may have changed the rubber compound since I bought them in 2010. (?) (Maybe somebody else can confirm.)

As for shops, I'd most likely point you to Bayside or M Speed Performance. I've been helped by a Revscene member who worked (works?) at Bayside and was well taken care of. Marbod at M Speed was also great (despite his haunting reputation/history.)