Bridgestone Battlax T31 sport-touring tires on the KTM 1290 Super Duke GT. (Photos courtesy of Bridgestone)
With many sport-touring and adventure-touring bikes producing upwards of 130-150 rear-wheel horsepower and featuring electronics that manage engine output, chassis dynamics, suspension action and braking, the demands we place on our tires have never been higher, nor have our expectations for grip and tread life. That?s where Bridgestone?s latest sport-touring radial tire, the Battlax T31, comes in.
We?ve tested, and been impressed by, Battlax T30s as OE tires on test bikes and as replacement tires on personal bikes. Compared to the T30 Evo, Bridgestone says the T31 offers better feel and feedback, superior wet grip (especially at low temperatures), improved handling in all conditions and comparable wear resistance. A new tread design has more grooves on the shoulder for increased water drainage and fewer grooves in the center for increased stability. Depending on lean angle, the contact patch is up to 7 percent larger, helping the T31s generate more camber thrust (which helps a bike turn), and the coefficient of friction on wet surfaces has increased by 3 percent. The front tire uses a single compound with improved silica dispersion for enhanced flexibility and feel. The rear tire uses a dual compound, with a softer, grippier compound that forms the base of the entire tire as well as the tread on the shoulders and a harder, longer-lasting compound that forms a cap on ...