Tyre advice: What's the difference between aftermarket and OE tyres?

Q. Can you tell me what the difference is between a Bridgestone BT014F and a BT014FJ, and a BT014R and a BT014RN?

My dealer can’t give me an answer and there is a big difference in price.

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The bike is a GSX-R600 K7 and the items with the added suffix are the OEM fitment.

Andy Green, Liverpool
 
A. The FJ and RN tyres are the original front and rear tyres (OE), that the bike rolled out of the factory on.

These 014s are slightly harder in compound to the standard BT014F and BT014R tyres that are available as replacement rubber for your GSX-R.

Therefore, the F and R will offer better out-and-out grip, but you’re only likely to notice this if you push the tyres to their limits, which on the road, is highly unlikely.

They are, however, cheaper, so if your purchase is based on price, then go for the set of F and R.