At the end of the 2013 MotoGP season, Bridgestone’s motorsport manager Hiroshi Yamada let slip that the Japanese manufacturer would be introducing a new Battlax product derived from it’s “Racetrack to Road” approach but could give us no further details.
Well, we can finally reveal the details of this brand new product, along with three other new tyres which will arrive in the UK this year!
Battlax S20 EVO Hypersport Tyre
As last year’s winner of the Motorrad test, billed as some of the highest praise a tyre can receive, the Battlax S20 was already a fantastic tyre! However that hasn’t stopped Bridgestone making it even better.
The new tyre promises increased durability, along with improved handling and grip in the corners at high camber angles. Engineers have fine tuned the belt in the front tyre in order to increase stiffness, and have combined this with their NanoPro-Tech™ technology in order to improve rolling resistance and tyre life.
Bridgestone’s in house testing has shown that the new S20 EVO gives 22% longer wear on the rear tyre, with noticeable improvements in cornering stability, rear traction and front grip on both the track and the street.
It will initially be available in the following sizes:
• 120/70 ZR 17 M/C (58W) TL – Front
• 180/55 ZR 17 M/C (73W) TL – Rear
• 190/50 ZR 17 M/C (73W) TL – Rear
• 190/55 ZR 17 M/C (75W) TL – Rear
• 200/55 ZR 17 M/C (78W) TL – Rear
Battlax R10 EVO Racing Tyre
Bridgestone have worked hard in order to upgrade the original R10 tyres, in order to provide riders with faster lap times. The new R10 EVO delivers faster cornering through the front tyre, whilst adding further traction to the rear.
The front tyre now features a 10% larger contact patch, which provides addiditional grip in the corners. It allows the rider to have greater flexibility in terms of their choice of line, and also provides an earlier clipping point for faster exits and quicker cornering.
The upgraded rear tyre compound gives a noticeable improvement in side and traction grip across the whole temperature range, as well as longer tyre life and a more consistent level of performance when compared with the original R10.
It will be available in the following sizes:
• 120/70 ZR 17 M/C R10 (58W) TL – Front
• 180/55 ZR 17 M/C R10 EVO (73W) TL – Rear
• 180/55 ZR 17 M/C R10 EVO (73W) TL – Rear
Battlax V02 Race Slick
An evolution of the V01, the Battlax V02 from Bridgestone is a real podium contender. It promises to deliver faster lap times and longer tyre life for superbike riders, and is derived directly from their MotoGP experience using the latest construction and compound technologies.
The rear tyre”s new GP-belt construction takes grip and stability to an all new level by optimising the contact patch and increasing contact pressure. The new soft compound provides additional grip across the entire temperature range, increasing warm-up performance and giving riders a safe and confident feeling. During testing the Battlax V02’s consistency and improved grip delivered lap times which were over 1 second faster than the current V01.
It will be available in the following sizes:
• 120/600 R 17 TL – Soft Front
• 120/600 R 17 TL – Medium Front
• 200/655 R 17 TL – Soft Rear
• 200/655 R 17 TL – Medium Rear
Battlecross X30 & X40
The new X30 (medium terrain) and X40 (medium-hard terrain) Battlecross tyres are part of Bridgestone’s move to further strengthen it’s position in the motocross market.
Both of the new products use Bridgestone’s advanced MX tread and block design technology, which have been developed and proven at the very highest level of motocross competition.
Both front tyres feature tread blocks which have been molded asymemetrically from left to right, in order to provide high stability during both braking and acceleration. This helps to deliver confident cornering at all camber angles. In testing the new products were shown to provide greater levels of grip than their predecessors, the M403 and M603.
The rear tyre’s utilise brand new Castle Block technology which features molded convex blocks. This helps to improve acceleration, cornering and lap times by giving the tyre more edge effect. A first in motocross, Bridgestone is also using it’s Cooling Fin technology on both rear tyres, which reduces the amount of heat generated when sidewalls are bent repeatedly. This helps to maintain consistent performance.
They will be available in the following sizes from April:
• 80/100 -21 51M TT – X30 Front
• 110/90 -19 62M TT – X30 Rear
• 110/100 -18 64M TT – X30 Rear
• 100/90 -19 57M TT – X30 Rear
• 80/100 -21 51M TT – X40 Front
• 110/100 -18 64M TT – X40 Rear
• 100/90 -19 57M TT – X40 Rear
• 110/90 -19 62M TT – X40 Rear
