MotorBikes:Bridgestone BT-021 tyres
It's amazing the pace that tyre manufactures are designing and making new tyres. Unquestionably, we have come a long way from the days of narrow cross-ply tyres with tubes inside.
Back then, tyres for normal road going motorcycles were designed to allow motorcycles move from A to B.
The tread pattern was irrelevant, tyre composite and how it interacted with the road surface was not really understood.
The phenomenal development in the capabilities of the modern motorcycle has provided a huge impetus to motorcycle tyre manufacturers to become increasingly focused on performance.
Bridgestone has launched the new Battlax BT-021 Luxury Sport touring tyre. It's claimed to be even better than its predecessor, the BT-020, first introduced in 2000.
Bridgestone figures from the Europool chart suggest sales are good throughout western Europe.
In the UK, their market-share accounts for about 50 per cent of motorcycle tyres.
In Bridgestone talk, they say the new BT-021 has been engineered with HTSPC in both front and rear tyres. HTSPC (high tensile super penetrated cord) provides appropriate stiffness to MSB (mono spiral belt) construction, providing both shock absorption and stability at its highest level.
Another feature is the SACT + Cap and Base. Straight and cornering technology (SACT) gives centre mileage and shoulder grip.
The Cap and Base layer enhances tread stiffness for better grip, shock absorption and all-weather performance.
For the launch of the BT-021, Costa Smeralda in Sardinia was the chosen venue.
We flew into Olbia airport and were taken to Porto Cervo, located on the sunny northeast coast.
This corner of the world is renowned for its affluence and excess. Here, size matters, particularly when it comes to the proportions of your yacht.
The BT-021 is a sport touring tyre with a difference and it has taken Bridgestone engineers three years from drawing board to manufacturing. "The BT-021 tyre is designed to target every rider of the latest naked and touring bike who wants to enjoy sports riding as well as comfort," claims a Bridgestone spokesman.
Motors was allowed access to some 20 motorbikes, all fitted with Bridgestone's new BT-021 sport touring tyre.
The selection included BMW R1200RT, Bandit 1250, Triumph tiger 1050, Yamaha FJR 1300, Ducati Monster and Honda Hornet to name a few.
Sardinia has some very well maintained roads. The roads we used had phenomenal grip and were very good most of the time, allowing us to push the new BT-021 tyre to its - and our - limits.
There are one or two long motorway-style roads as well some really twisty roads.
On many of these roads, one goes into a bend that appears long and gentle, but often has a tendency to decrease.
As you come out of one twisty bend there is a second and then a third. These bends ascend up into the hills and descend back down to towns and coast.
Unfortunately it did not stay sunny for long in Sardinia. Dark clouds arrived, and with them plenty of rain.
This created an opportunity to try and find the limit of this new tyre in the wet.
I felt confident in the front tyre and the ability to grip with ease as I changed direction and lean angle.
My bike felt smooth and provided good feedback.
Some tyres as you lean them over get to a point and then give the sensation of falling into the bend.
Leaning the BT-021 from upright to left or right was smooth.
The rear was equally good and when riding hard out of bends, it never skipped a beat.
I could feel that sure grip and knew what the back end was doing at all times.
Bridgestone has a chart that defines the function of its tyres.
On it there is an overlap between the BT-021 (sports touring) and the BT-014, the true sports tyre. This overlap suggests that this tyre has been engineered with good sport characteristics.
The BT-021 is on sale in Ireland from your local suppliers, at a further 5 per cent than the old BT-020.
So, is this tyre worth the extra charge? All things considered, I really do think so.