As the world’s largest tyre manufacturer Bridgestone have a superb range of motorcycle and scooter products for all different types of application.
In the last couple of months some of their latest rubber and biggest sellers have been put under the microscope by magazines in the UK, and here is a round up of what their riders had to say!
Battlax T30 – Sport Touring
The Battlax T30 is the ultimate sport touring tyre, tested and approved by Valentino Rossi and offer riders excellent durability and grip levels on both wet and dry roads. They’re so grippy, Ron Haslam uses them on his race school bikes too!
Whilst taking a ride through the Trossachs to Glencoe in their June 2014 issue Practical Sportsbike commented “I appreciate the quiet competence of the Bridgestone T30 tyres. They let me hustle along in the wet with loads of grip in the corners and plenty of bite under heavy braking”.
In July 2014 Bike Buyers Guide took the Battlax T30 around the glorious roads available in Ireland and said “They are very definitely our favourite tyres ever. While they are billed as a touring tyre they are actually used on track on the Ron Haslam schools fleet of Hondas, and work a tread in the wet and have put up with everything our Irish roads have thrown at them”.
Speaking of Ron, the Superbike Magazine team went to the school in July 2014 to have a go on both the CBR600RR ABS and then the Fireblade available on the Elite course stating “Both bikes use the Bridgestone T30 sports-touring tyre which is surprisingly sticky and up to the job on track”.
Finally the July 2014 issue of Bike Magazine saw one rider make the switch to the Battlax T30 on his Yamaha XT1200Z commenting “in 36 years of riding, this change has made the single biggest improvement to a bike’s character that he’s ever experienced, with noticeable improvements in response and accuracy, wet grip and general confidence”.
Regylar readers of Fast Bikes magazine will also have seen Bruce Smart of Teapot One putting them through their paces on a 70,000 mile around the world ride on a wholly inappropriate (or so you’d think) GSX-R1000.
Check out the range of sizes and further information on the Battlax T30 here.
Battlax BT-023 – Sport Touring
The Battlax BT-023 is probably still the most popular sport touring tyre in the UK right now with its light handling, superb grip and excellent durability, and Classic Motorcycle Mechanics working on their Mille seem to agree in their June 2014 edition saying “With the Bridgestones finally on I could give her some welly – and what a difference. The motor was now matched by the handling as they tyres were actually round. More importantly it made me realise that the suspension and the brakes are actually pretty good – you need to be able to trust the tyres to be able to test either properly. I’ve now taken the bike to around 13,000 miles on the clocks and so added 300 or so miles and loved every one of them”.
Check out the full range of BT-023 sizes here.
Battlax S20 EVO – Hypersport
The new for 2014 Battlax S20 EVO delivers more mileage and more grip than the award winning Battlax S20, and was recently launched at Portimao circuit.
Motorcycle news recently put a pair through their paces on a KTM 1290 Super Duke R and had this to say:
“Perky. My Super Duke R long term test bike’s steering is surprisingly laid back – we are talking relative here – and the new Bridgestone S20 EVOs are just what it requires.
They have a smooth and noticeably quick turn-in, the extra response from the front enlivening the Super Duke, making it keener and sharper – a bit more up for it. I feel I can place the bike more accurately, too, pick out the dry bits, steer and brake with more confidence.
My S20 EVO experience so far has been entirely on the road, with many of the 200 or so miles completed in the damp or fully wet. Wet performance is reassuring, that light and precise turn in at the front matched by the sense of a large and compliant footprint at the back. The S20 EVOs also connect to the road from the off; it’s important that Super Duke riders leave home each morning at full noise – so quick tyre warm up is essential.
Some of the tyres in this crowded, sensible-sporty sector have a slightly dead or dull feel, but I don’t get this with the EVOs. The ride on the Super Duke’s WP suspension is pretty plush, so it’s suited to rubber that feeds lots of information to the rider.”
They have already come top of the highly regarded PS magazine hypersport test and you can see the full range of sizes here, which included H rated sizes for smaller bikes who want the highest levels of performance.
Battlax S20 – Hypersport
The original Battlax S20 was won the coveted Motorrad hypersport tyre test for two years running after being launched in 2012, and set the benchmark for all other manufacturers.
In their July 2014 edition Fast Bikes editor Rootsy fitted a pair to the Kawasaki ZX-6R 636 saying “They’ve created some awesome rubber, and in the form of the Bridgestone S20s fitted to the ZX-6R it takes enormous fists of unnatural throttle action to get anywhere close to losing rear traction. The front’s not bad, too, offering plenty of grip in damp and wet conditions.”
Still Battlax S20 is still a hugely popular fitment for high powered bikes, and you can check the full list of sizes here.
