Aggressive Fun in the Wet Road! Bridgestone’s New T32 Tires Force to be Reckoned With [WMS2021]

There's not a tire in the world that makes me feel this way.

BATTLAX series, sport-touring model evolved. The most important feature of the new generation T is its emphasis on wet performance.

Inherited the qualities of the previous generation, but with an emphasis on enhanced wet performance

BATTLAX SPORT TOURING T32

In recent years, Bridgestone has made the RS for racing street, the S for hypersports, and the T for sport touring the pillars of its on-road radial tires. The biggest feature of the new generation T, which evolved from 31 to 32 in '21, is its focus on wet performance. Specifically, the ingenious pulse grooves and deflectors add a significant amount of polish to the drainage.

Innovative pulse grooves and deflectors

The distinctive feature of the pulse groove, which is different from the general straight groove, is that the width of the groove is intermittently varied and a protrusion is provided in the center of the wide part in order to increase the flow velocity.

By adopting this structure, drainage is greatly improved. In the dry or wet, the T32's straightforward handling remains unchanged.

The test vehicle was the MT-09.

For an aggressive ride, Bridgestone's S22 would seem to be the best choice, but it was also a perfect match for the T32.

Outstanding drainage that makes driving in the rain a pleasure

In fact, the wet performance of the T32 was impressive.

Even in situations where grip isn't expected, braking is easy, traction is straightforward, and there's little fear when banking the vehicle. With these characteristics, it may be an exaggeration to say that it feels the same as in the dry, but you will be able to enjoy sport riding and touring without feeling the rain as a major negative factor.

While I admire that fact, what I find interesting about the T32 is the absence of excessive claims. Today's radial tires tend to have some sort of statement, no matter what genre they are in, but the T32 is a good black tire and doesn't force you to ride the way you want to. Of course, the aforementioned drainage, stability in all situations, and quick warm-up in cold weather help in many ways, but it's up to the rider to decide how to enjoy the motorcycle.

Perhaps that's why, unlike most test rides where we tend to focus on confirming the motorcycle's performance, we were able to take our time during the T32 test, enjoying the changes in the scenery that unfolded before us and enjoying the feeling of touring. Thinking about it again, it's hard to find a tire in the world that can make you feel that way.

The product name is engraved on the edge of the tread.

Dry performance is also improved, although not as dramatically as in the wet.

Bridgestone's graph comparing the performance of the T31 and T32 shows no significant difference except in wet performance.

However, I personally think that the T32 also outperforms the T31 in terms of grip and stability on dry roads.

Super wide range of sizes to fit a wide variety of models

The size setting is the same as the previous generation T31, with not only the modern standard 17-inch front and rear, but also 19 and 18-inch sizes to fit adventure tourers, neo-classics, and old motorcycles.

In addition, the enhanced GT specs, which were exclusive to large tourers equipped with cases in the T31, were developed for the T32 with vehicles weighing 250 kg in mind.

Tire Size

Tire Size (GT)

Products featured in this issue

BATTLAX SPORT TOURING T32

Recommended for the following riders
●Touring motorcycle/I want to enjoy winding down with tires.
●I want to ride a supersport motorcycle with touring tires and have fun.
●High wet performance is required.
●I want to ride with a sense of security even in sudden rain on the road or while touring.
●Reference price: 18,480 yen and up (tax included)

View products at Webike

 

Products featured in this issue

BATTLAX SPORT TOURING T32 GT

●It provides comfortable handling, ride comfort, and load stability for medium to ●heavyweight vehicles weighing 250 kg or more.
●Reference price: 22,990 yen and up (tax included)

View products at Webike

 

See Accessories of BRIDGESTONE
See YAMAHA Moto Index Page
See Accessories for YAMAHA MT-09 (FZ-09)