4 takeaways from the Bridgestone Battlax T33 sport touring tyre launch

There’s no better way to see the world than on two wheels, and every major tyre company burns the midnight oil to come up with the best rubber for touring bikers to help us do just that.

Bridgestone, for example, has been making top-shelf rubber for years, and its new Battlax T33 sport touring tyre has been designed to work well across a range of big and small touring bikes, and deliver sharper handling, increased wet and dry grip, and overall higher performance than its predecessor, the T32.

When Bridgestone invited ABR founder Alun Davies to test the new T33, he headed to the Adriatic Coastline of Croatia to put the tyre through its paces and give his verdict. Here are his four main takeaways from the launch in his own words.

It’s more durable than the Battlax T32

The new T33 boasts a significant increase in longevity compared to the T32

“Mileage is probably the most notable feature of a tyre and those that don’t last long when compared to the competition are passed by when the time comes to re-shoe the machine. This goes without saying when it comes to long distance touring tyres. And this is where the T33s score big time with a near 50% increase in longevity when compared to the T32s.

“We had only two days of riding but we were shown a set of T33s that had completed a 10,000km test (6,213 miles) and I have to say they still had shape and lots of legal tread left. I’ve no reason to doubt the claims by Bridgestone and look forward to testing their lasting power over the coming year. This extra durability is achieved through a combination of using three different compounds, plus advanced and clever construction techniques.”

The T33 delivers superb handling and stability

With the traction control off, and the throttle on, Alun didn’t have a single tricky moment on the ‘Adriatic TT’ with the Battlax T33

“When it comes to judging the handling and stability of a tyre, it pays to have previous knowledge of the characteristics of the bike. So, having had substantial experience of both the GS and Versys I can say that the handling on the GS, in particular, was truly superb. I felt I was riding a far nimbler and lighter machine, and the same can be said of the Versys. The Suzuki GSX-S1000GT, which was a first for me, handled like a dream too.”

The T33 is confidence inspiring

The T33 is designed to perform on big, heavy sports tourers as well as smaller, lighter bikes

“The Croatian police had agreed to close off a section of the twisty coastal road for our sole use. Wow, that meant we were going to have our own spectacular Adriatic racetrack and the T33s were going to get a hell of a test.

For the ‘racetrack’ section, it was traction control off (we were testing rubber not electronics) and full on the throttle, and not once did I experience a tricky moment. I was riding fast and others riding faster still (including the TT riders in our group) and we all had nothing to report other than what a fantastic and privileged experience it was. Full marks T33s.

“If I’ve survived a tyre launch, then the rubber is good. If I’ve survived a tyre launch during which the police closed roads for us and left us to ride like bejesus without the fear of oncoming traffic or hazards, then I can trust them with my life and highly recommend them.

The T33 offers great value for money

The twisty roads of the Adriatic Coast were ideal for testing the new Bridgestone Battlax T33

“The T33 is a quality product from a respected manufacturer and, with prices at around £257 for a set, I’d call that great value for money. Overall, Bridgestone’s new tyre provides great performance in a top-quality product and should see you OK for multiple European long-distance adventures.”