Some concluding observations on some amazing tires

We ask everything of motorcycle sport touring tires.  Unlike narrow focus tires dedicated to track-only performance or mud-slinging off-road roost chuckers, we expect sport touring tires to be a jack-of-all-trades and master of everything.  They need to stick like sap, munch massive miles, conquer Colorado heavy rain showers and handle like MotoAmerica track refugees.  Oh, and they need to last forever.  Tire manufacturers attempt to work miracles with modern tires by engineering ways to expand a tire’s envelope in all these directions at once.  A rare few sport touring tires do this, succeeding in all areas at once. 

Others fall short.  Some fall way, way short.

Bridgestone’s Battlax T33 is a tire that succeeds.  Out of the box handling is solid.  While not as snappy as an off-the-shelf Dunlop Roadsmart IV, our performance benchmark for sport touring tires, the T33’s handling is on par with Michelin’s Road 6.  It does all the low speed twisty stuff like a good tire should, while on-edge performance is excellent.  The T33 has an on-edge stableness that exudes confidence, compared to a Dunlop RSIV that responds to your every slight input.  As speeds increase, the Bridgestone feels just as planted as it did at low speeds.  Laying the Bridgestone on its side at speed actually made me giggle.  Whereas the RSIV requires and rewards total focus with ridiculous handling and speed, the T33 can achieve most of the same pace with less effort.  An 8/10th pace on other tires feels like a 7/10th pace on the Bridgestone.

I prefer a small groove that nears the center of the tire for easy checks on mileage remaining.  The Bridgestones have that.  Running out of tire far from home can be problematic.  Been there, done that.

Personally, I like the instant responsiveness of the Dunlop, even while on edge, and many other riders will as well.  Yet that quick tire reaction is not for everyone as it requires a deft touch on your bar input.  If you tend towards being a bit more heavy handed on the bars you not only should improve your riding technique but you should also steer clear of a hyper responsive tire like the RSIV.  The Dunlops and their “right-the-heck now” handling are not for heavy handed riders.

Which is where the Bridgestone comes into its own.  The T33 is reactive while not being too quick, stable while not boring, confidence inspiring but not lazy.  More experienced riders can make the most of the super reactive RSIV and it’s MotoAmerica DNA and will be spoiled for life, but in some situations, more riders may prefer the less intense T33.  It requires less concentration in a straight line, accepts inputs gradually and feels ridiculously well planted on its side.

Unfortunately, we did not have a chance to run the T33s down to cord this year.  As I write this in late October, my testing road is under a few inches of fresh snowfall.  Such is the tradeoff of riding in the Pacific Northwest.  Riding is spectacular, but the window is brief.  However, I can say this-

Heeled over in a corner is where the T33 feels at home.

The more I test tires the more finicky I get.  As my standards become higher I grow less tolerant of flowery advertising that pushes mediocre or poor performing rubber. The list of tires I am willing to mount on my bike and trust as I set off across the west for weeks at a time has become very short.

Bridgestone’s T33s are among the few brands I would trust on my bike.  First place still goes to Dunlop’s Roadsmart IV.  It fits my aggressive style and has the grip and high mileage capability to stay with me for at least four months of high mileage touring.  How Dunlop has engineered this tire to be a master of everything I have no idea, but I love it.  Dave loves it.  Every rider in our group that has bought a set after talking to us have loved it.  Both of the readers of this article that have mounted the RSIV love it.  It is the best tire I have ever ridden.

Second is a choice between Bridgestone’s T33 and Michelin’s Road 6.  Both handle extremely similarly and I would have a hard time telling them apart if you blindfolded me.  And I would probably crash.  Mileage of the Michelin is excellent, dead even with the Dunlop, wheres mileage with the Bridgestone is yet to be completed.

The Bridgestone Battlax T33 has taken a place among the very short list of tires I would mount on my bike for the season.  And that is quite an accomplishment.

I would happily take the T33 on tour, but mileage is still to be determined as weather cut our testing short.  As I type this, the road in the picture above is covered in snow.

So, what are your thoughts on our 2025 summer sport touring tire shootout? Are you a Dunlop RSIV aficionado? Or are you a new fan of the Bridgestone T33? Any testimonials? Any questions, comments, criticisms? Let’s talk about it in the comment section below.

Ted