In the same way that there are tires manufactured specifically for off-road riding, ADV and long haul highway cruises, the confidence required to push a top-shelf sport bike to its limit out on the twisties – or at a track day – requires purpose built tires created with industry-leading design, materials and technology.
Over the last five years the Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22 tire has developed a solid following of sport bike riders looking for a tire that can handle weekend highway rips with friends, commuting to work on busy city streets and days on the racetrack. The added ability to run on the track without tire warmers and accommodate wet conditions made it a favoured DOT choice among track day enthusiasts.
Bridgestone’s announcement of the all-new Battlax Hypersport S23 was immediately met with the question of how does one improve upon a quality sport bike tire like the S22? Well, according to Bridgestone marketing materials, the combination of new compounds, tread design and improvements to overall construction will yield gains in both wet and dry grip, handling, performance and tire life.
As a frequent track day rider, Bridgestone’s claims held particular interest for me and when the company offered up a set for a product review, I quickly accepted. With the new tires mounted on my track-prepped KTM 790 Duke (120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear), first stop for this tire test was British Columbia’s Area 27 road course. At nearly five kilometres in length with 16 corners, the Jacques Villeneuve designed circuit has a reputation as a high-speed track and offered a great environment to put these tires through their paces. Add in forecasted precipitation and temperatures barley reaching into the mid-teens and the stage was set to see if the advertised benefits of these new tires would translate into the real world.
Arriving at the track with the temperature barley above 10 degrees Celsius and pooling water from the overnight rains still on track, any other day I would have gladly sat out the first couple of rotations, but it was also a great opportunity to take the S23s out for wet ride and I am glad that I did. Updated tread patterns on both tires, including Bridgestone’s Pulse Groove technology on the rear, speed up the disbursement of water and ensure that the tire tread retains its grip on the asphalt, which was definitely evident out on the track.
As the day progressed and speeds picked up, on the track’s main 800 metre straight with my bike wound out in top gear before a couple quick downshifts and braking during the entry to the high-speed left-hand sweeper provided the opportunity to assess the tires’ stability during hard braking and transition. Once again, the S23s did not disappoint.
Previously with other tires, two days on the Area 27 course on my bike would represent the end of useful track life for a set of tires (including a set of S22s I had used the previous season), so I was pleasantly surprised to see that these new tires looked to have at least another track day (maybe two?) of life left in them at the end of the two days in BC.
Back home in Calgary, a quick session at Rocky Mountain Motorsports this weekend, allowed for another chance to assess the same set of S23 tires which were still on my bike following the two days at Area 27. Rolling the bike off the truck, a quick inspection of the tires by some of my colleagues noted the same impressive lack of tire wear, not only with the amount of tread remaining but also the overall stickiness that remained all the way to the edge of tire.
Where the temperatures at Area 27 had been cool, the thermometer at RMM was downright cold, struggling to break out of single digits, and by the time we went out on track, it was only 7 degrees Celsius. Given the tight technical nature of this track, I had already decided not to push the envelope and just spin a few casual laps, but with every completed lap I couldn’t help but be impressed (and honestly a little surprised) with the grip that the compounds on the front tire shoulder and edge of the rear tire provided. After just a few laps, my knee pucks were dragging along the asphalt with the bike achieving lean angles that defied the cool conditions, leaving me a fan of all-new Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S23 tires.
Visit www.bridgestonemotorcycletires.com for complete details of the Battlax Hypersport S23 along the complete lineup of motorcycle tires from Bridgestone and the location of a dealer near you.
Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S23 Tire
MSRP:
Front: $203.99
Rear: Starting at $236.99
Available Sizes:
Front: 120/70 ZR17
Rear: 160/60 ZR17, 180/55 ZR17, 190/50 ZR17, 190/55 ZR17, 200/55 ZR17
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