Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T30, first impressions

In the tire field we have experienced revolutions which led to achieve results not even conceivable in the past. Just think of the angles of inclination when cornering in a MotoGP, with riders who place not only the bars of soap on the knees of their suits but also their elbows and shoulders on the curbs, which are now in fact protected by titanium sliders, similar to those used on boots. There multi-compound rubber technology, also born in the context of competitions, has for years been exported into products for the general public, you want to feel a bit like Valentino Rossi, but above all to have a soft compound where needed, on the side of the tire, and a hard one in the center so you get one longer duration. And here we come to the point: one of the eternal questions when choosing tires for our motorcycle is precisely this. Hold or durability? Because evolution is constant, but a hyper-sports tire fitted at the beginning of the season will hardly make it to autumn without having to be replaced. There are many factors that affect durability: riding style, power and type of motorcycle, and how it is used. Let's say that, on average, a good mileage for sports tires, is in the order of 4-5 thousand kilometres, but there are those who stop much earlier. The wear of the rear one is more evident to the less experienced eye. This is because the central part, which usually wears out more quickly, shows off the remaining tread thickness. However, it is often the front side that creates the first driving problems, with annoying problems steps that make you lose feeling when cornering and can even become dangerous. The cost and limited duration convince someone to opt for it a more "touristy" product, useful to higher mileages, even over ten thousand kilometres, which often has better grip in case of rain, but which forces you to pace, especially on fast curves, more touristy. It is not even conceivable to use the motorbike for a session on the track with covers of this type. The equation is simple: the softer the rubber, the more grip it will have and the shorter its life will be. At least until today.
When we were asked to test the Bridgestone T30 we wanted to do it with a touring motorbike. The available tire sizes instead they forced us to mount them on one old school sports car e without electronic controls, a Honda VTR SP2, not very suitable for covers like this, at least we thought. After some initial doubts we decide to give it a try. Already trying to find some information and asking our trusted tire dealer, with a past as a rider, we are told that we are faced with a big innovation, which could also be adapted to sports motorbikes.

Aesthetically the drawing offront is quite new, with straight grooves in the central part and curved on the sides. At the rear the tread groove depth, to the advantage of wet behavior and durability. The front it also differs from the rear in terms of the mix, unique, while dual-compound technology is used behind. There is a lot of curiosity but the rain and other commitments force us to wait a long time, over a month, before we can try them. Let's start with caution, new tires are also slippery due to the wax with which the surface is treated to preserve them. We head towards a mountain road and begin to appreciate the behavior of the bike with the T30, in terms of handling and precision. On restarts we try to test what was historically one of the major limits of this type of tire: traction during acceleration. However We don't find any big differences from the supersport tyre that the VTR SP2 was previously equipped with. The doubts are less and less and the first curves confirm it, Bridgestone in March 2013 has launched a Sport Touring that is well suited to the needs of even the most sporty public. THE'adherence is always excellent, no indecision, the kind that ruin a day on your motorbike because they leave you with the unpleasant sensation that sooner or later it could happen again. Asperities do not generate particular reactions, with one excellent stability both on the forehand and in the bend. You can feel it braking when entering a bend a limited self-righting effect, but this is more a characteristic of a tire than a defect, some people find it annoying and some people like it. We, specifically and given that it is not marked, did not mind. It compensates with driving and with the body, in a natural way. We have first impressions and we could end this first test of the Bridgestone T30 here. In the afternoon, however, there is a wonderful opportunity: a Lamborghini Aventador, a 700 horsepower bull, makes a nice presence outside the editorial office, which must be taken to the track for photos and tests.

We decide to join the motorbike expedition, to see how far the sporting qualities of these Battlax Sport Tourings reach. At the end of the day all doubts gave way to surprise. Even in extreme conditions, between the curbs, opening the throttle decisively and always earlier and braking more and more to the limit in an attempt to chase one of the fastest cars in the world, never any uncertainty, just a bounce at the front on the main braking section, but we were perhaps exaggerating. After a few laps we stop, we need photos of the car without the bike in the background and the purpose of our test was not to find the lap time. With a more in-depth test and comparing the behavior to that of more sporty tyres, obviously the differences would be more evident and, stopwatch in hand, the times would probably be different, but what leaves us amazed is the fact that a touring tire manages not to not disfigure at all on the track and the belief that even the most difficult audience, who use the bike for purely sporting purposes, will feel comfortable with the Bridgestone T30s.

The available sizes of the Bridgestone T30:
Front
120/60ZR17 (55W)
120/70ZR17 (58W)
120/70ZR18 (59W)
110/70ZR17 (54W)
110/80ZR18 (58W)
110/80ZR19 (59W)
posteriore
150/70ZR17 (69W)
160/60ZR17 (69W)
160/60ZR18 (70W)
160/70ZR17 (73W)
170/60ZR17 (72W)
180/55ZR17 (73W)
190/50ZR17 (73W)
190/55ZR17 (75W)