2WF.com - Online and on the Gas - Bridgestone Battlax BT-016

Bridgestone Battlax BT-016

Posted by Mirage

Saturday, 17 May 2008

BRIDGESTONE BATTLAX BT-016

Words by Mirage, Photos by Mirage

It’s no secret that I’ve been a loyal customer to Michelin over the years but times change as does technology. Tire construction has come a long way in a relatively short period of time so when Bridgestone gave me the opportunity to try out their latest sport bike tire I was ready.

First things first; out with the old (Michelin Pilots) and in with the new (the BT-016’s). After mounting and balancing the new rubber (thanks to LI Kawasaki) it was time to break this set of tires in, which for me is usually 100 miles of easy riding. I’m extremely careful when I get a new set of tires since coming from the factory they’re always slippery. This is a good practice for all riders to do since more times than none I’ve heard of stories about riders becoming too aggressive before adequately breaking in their new “shoes”.

During this 100 mile period I kept to open and newly paved roads before arriving at some of the local twisties. The temperature during the day was around 70 degrees for a high and in the low 50’s at night. Since it wasn’t freezing out there was little fear that I’d break the tire loose from a red light or coming off an exit ramp stop sign. On the highway there was little vibration and they felt great.

The forecast called for clear skies and a high of 74 but there were some parts of the roads that were wet due to some prior late night thunderstorms. Combine that with water coming off of the trees and it was a good idea to take it easy but also a perfect opportunity to test out how these tires would react in semi-wet conditions. Riding over the wet spots, the 16’s kept their traction just fine and only when I blipped the throttle with my overzealous right hand did I notice the tires slipping ever so slightly but not to a degree of losing overall traction.

Bridgestone has combined its MotoGP construction technology with its latest multi-compound technology to manufacture a sport tire that produces a high-level of grip for performance in braking, cornering and acceleration.

Bridgestone’s 3D C.T.D.M. (Comprehensive Tire Design Methodology) should also be mentioned. This sophisticated tire design methodology enables dynamic, three-dimensional simulations of tire performance to find optimum design at all lean angles. Using this methodology, the front tire features a new 3-Layer Compound (3LC) to provide grip in all riding conditions. The center compound offers linear handling while the shoulder compound secures high grip and solid contact feeling. The rear tire features a new 5-Layer Compound (5LC) where the center compound offers good stability, the shoulder compound transfers power to the road with strong traction while the edge compound offers strong side grip and solid contact feeling at extreme lean angles.

The 16’s also utilize steel MS-BELT (mono-spiral belt) construction applied to both the front and rear tires which absorb sudden impact from bumps and offers high stability and tremendous line-holding in corners. MS-BELT and CTDM in their simplest terms allow the tires to maintain contact pressure at all lean angles to improve handling and cornering performance. Comparing the old 14’s to the new 16’s it does appear that the tread design has been altered. You can also see the differences between the Pilots and the 16’s. I would definitely say that this new tread design improves traction, shock absorption, wet performance and noise reduction as I’ve yet to experience any of these traits in their negative form.

As the day progressed I pulled in to refuel and glanced down at my odometer and saw that 125 miles had passed. I did a pretty good job scrubbing in these tires if I do say so myself. It was now time to grab a Powerbar and Propel since I was about to see how well the Bridgestone engineers did on their homework assignments. A full tank of gas was pumped and I was out on the roads once more.

I started a route that I knew very well that featured plenty of s-curves, elevation changes and different types of road surfaces (newly paved asphalt like the highway but also one’s that were old with tar strips and made from crushed stone and concrete) to sample how these tires faired on different surfaces.

These tires did feel a little tall compared to my old Pilots so I did have to adjust my lean angle in a few spots. This was because I had been running a 190/50 rear versus the new 190/55 rear I received. I saw no ill-effects from this slight ratio change and the grip seemed to continually improve as more heat got built up in the tires and never once did I feel uncomfortable. I can imagine that in the dog days of summer when the temperatures reach 100+ degrees that these tires will stick to the road like a fly on flypaper.

Late afternoon arrived and going through some switchbacks I was really impressed with the stability and feedback that these tires provided. Tossing “The One” from side to side was an easy chore and coming out of the apex to setup the next corner felt very natural and not forced. I’ll attribute this to not just the tires but also my suspension settings as well. Just for reference I was running 32 psi in the front and 36 psi in the rear (cold tire pressure readings).

I consistently use the back brake in conjunction with the front brake (many riders don’t do this) but I find that it aids in my riding style. Some call it “backing it in” others call it “corner carving” but whatever the name you hear it called by these tires won’t miss a beat if this technique is applied.

I was curious about how these 16’s would handle in a severe brake test so I grabbed a handful of front brake (making sure not to lock-up the front) and these tires passed with flying colors. Stopping distances were short and not one sign of rear end swagger or front end push was felt. Again, I found these tires to be stable and confidence inspiring even under hard braking.

Surely something must be rotten in Demark, no? One issue that may arise is that the mileage you may receive might not be what you anticipated. If you’re expecting 5,000 miles and ride like Nicky Hayden look elsewhere. Of course since I only have a few hundred miles on this set of tires only time will tell.

I’ll admit that I was skeptical at first about changing tires from Michelin to Bridgestone as I’ve yet to find a tire that “completes me” as well as the Pilots have. Thankfully Bridgestone has created a tire that not only meets my expectations but easily surpasses them. At the end of the day Bridgestone has made a tire that can easily be used for aggressive street riding and/or track days, which is not an easy task with the horsepower that liter bikes pump out now a days or even 600cc class motorcycles.

So as always I ask the question: “Would I buy a set of these tires?” My response (because I constantly talk to myself): “Absolutely!” Bridgestone’s research and development team not only helps the professional racers (not that Rossi or Stoner need any help mind you) but also us average enthusiasts who pretend to be their favorite MotoGP or WSBK star during a Sunday ride.

The Bridgestone BT-016 price range from:
Front: $95.99 - $105.95 | Rear: $124.99-$160.95

For more info: Bridgestone Motorsports

Discuss this article in our forums.

< Prev		Next >