Launched in 2014, the new Battlax V02 slick utilises the latest in MotoGP technologies from official tyre supplier Bridgestone, and makes them available for superbikes everywhere!
The new Bridgestone Battlax V02 slick incorporates the manufacturer’s GP-Belt technology which has been especially developed to limit tyre deformation, which in turn ensures an optimum contact patch size when out on track to generate higher levels of grip. A Mono Spiral Belt also works to reduce the amount of heat generated in the tyre, giving you greater levels of stability.
The optimised contact patch has also allowed Bridgestone to introduce a new, softer compound which further improves grip levels, ideal for driving out of corners when you are running against the clock. During an internal test at Sachsenring, the new Battlax V02 was pitted against the Battlax V01. The results spoke for themselves as lap times on the the Battlax V02 were about 1.5% faster on average. A 1% drop in lap times equated to 0.6s per minute quicker, compared with the Battlax V01.
As part of a feature in their September 2014 Performance Bikes had former GP racer Jeremy McWilliams out on track on a 2013 Kawasaki ZX-10R and he got the chance to thrash the bike around Rockingham Raceway. The bike belongs to PB test rider John McAvony, and gave his thoughts:
“It was interesting to see what Jeremy thought of the bike. His pace was stunning – on Bridgestone slicks with Jezza on board it was within 1.5s of the outright circuit lap record for a bike, but he reckons that a secon of that could come with shorter gearing, as on a few of the corners the bike hung between second and third gears. So with this in mind, I’ll be playing the gearing next month to see if I can improve things. We already know the ZX-10R is over-geared as stock.”
Bridgestone’s aim when developing the new Battlax V02 was to create a competitive race tyre that can be used by beginners to experts. With times like that, it sounds like it’s mission accomplished…
