A test report for V11 tyres

[motortouring]

Always a tricky topic but I wanted to share this interesting test report from Utac Ceram. A rather top end automotive technical service and independent/inpartial under ISO 17025 accreditation (I am not sure if this test was done under the accreditation).

https://grippingstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/210428_BRIDGESTONE-test-report-Motorcycle-tyre-comparison-V2_ENG2_sub.pdf

 

[footgoose]

interesting. For me it translates to - I likely could not tell the difference, and I'm pleased I got the Dunlops. Oddly enough I chose them for country of origin, and look of the tread pattern.

[80CX100]

Very interesting. It would've been nice to see the normal msrp in the comparison as well.

I noted that the number of timed laps was not consistent between all brands; a true blind test should eliminate all possibilities of partiality.

It would be nice to see a similar test on a bike not equipped with ABS,like all of mine are.

It was reassuring to read that the Conti RA3 didn't activate the ABS at all on the wet braking test. I interpret that as a higher degree of traction. fwiw idk

I can't recall if I've ever ridden on a set of Bridgestones. I "think" I may have removed a set from my V11 that still looked brand new, but the date code was 17 yrs old.

MT, tks very much for posting that link & report, good food for thought.

 

[Chuck]

I've been extolling the virtues of Contis for some time now. I have Road Attacks on the Skorpion in California, and they are awesome..

[Tomchri]

Tires will always be , storys,, new kwakker H2 in 72 with bridgestones, WHAT, think I did 70km before swapping to TT 100. Felt like 80% plastic, terrible. Used quite a few set of Conti Sport attack on a 10 K1300S, very good in dry with quite good km's. After  some set of Pirelly Angel GT on my V11, which I think is a great tire, but  when worn out my Dunlop Sport S handles much better when theyre goone. Plenty good tires today when new, but when worn, a prefer the type that behave all the way. So Dunlops for my V11's for now. 

Cheers Tom.

 

[motortouring]

I have Conti RA3 on my 2002 V11 Sport (rear a 170). This was because I could not get on terms with Dunlops. I spoke to a ex-Pirelly MC-tyre developer and he explained that this had probably to do with the first part of getting into the turn. A slightly different set-up of the compression damping could improve this. So this is something for the future to experiment with. Conti RA3 is known for the easy handling in this particular phase of steering.

I also recall endless stability when being in the curve with the Dunlops, dry and wet, both very good.

I bought the '99 V11 with T32 tyres. Very convincing and very good feedback. Since they where already used, I am not completely sure about the mileage. But that seems to me rather short for the Bridgestone T32. Somewhere between 7-10 thousand KM.

[mikev]

I put Michelin Road 5's on my V11 sport last Fall.  Did not have much time to test them before Winter.  A definite improvement on the rather bald tires bike had when I bought it, particularly after I rode them the a season.  Some here have said the Road 5s are overpriced and Dunlap are just as good for less money.  Will see if I get the # of KMs out of them some people are reporting.

[audiomick]

Mine has these on it:

 

https://www.bridgestone.de/motorrad-reifen/sport/battlax-s21

 

I can't say much about them, as I haven't ridden it much yet, and that in very cold conditions on a newly bought bike, i.e. I don't know the bike at all.

 

One of the blokes I share the garage with said they are more or less one grade short of race tires. Can anyone confirm that? I have a feeling that the previous owner might have chosen grip at all cost, and bugger the mileage. We'll see. I'll try and remember to report back when I have ridden a bit more in friendlier conditions, and got the suspension dialled in to my weight a bit. The previous owner is probably at least 20 Kg. heavier than me, and I have a feeling that he had it set up hard for his weight.

[GuzziMoto]

They call them "Hypersport" tires. Whatever that means. In my opinion, not a racing tire. But perhaps a trackday tire. I have only ridden a few times on Bridgestone tires, and I wasn't impressed. But I don't think they are bad tires, just not my preferred tires.

Also, what works best on the race track is often not what works best on the street. For race track use you want a tire that works well when hot. Cold performance doesn't factor into it. But for the street you want a tire that works well cold. Even when you are riding it hard, it is often given a chance to cool back down when you stop at a light or get caught behind a cage / car. Sometimes you will see racers crash because they backed off to build a gap between them and the guy in front of them. But then the tire looses temp and when they get back on it the grip isn't there. The window for temp in a true track tire is usually pretty small. Also, a track tire doesn't hold up to long term heat cycles. It is usually done after a dozen heat cycles or less. 

[audiomick]

3 hours ago, GuzziMoto said:

.. what works best on the race track is often not what works best on the street....

Yes. I learned that very early on, and coincidentally read an Article on the topic just recently.

In about 1986 I bought a '76 Z900. It had a Michelin on the back. Tread pattern M38, if I remember correctly, but it was a racing rain tyre. Shouldn't have been on a street bike at all, actually. When it was warm, it was fantastic. But it absolutely had to be warm. I nearly chucked it away one time coming out of the parking lot at the Uni. There was a roundabout on the way out, and I gave it a bit of stick coming out. I think that was the first time I got a bike seriously sideways. The tyre was still cold, and just let go.

[p6x]

On 10/29/2022 at 5:00 PM, motortouring said:

Always a tricky topic but I wanted to share this interesting test report from Utac Ceram. A rather top end automotive technical service and independent/inpartial under ISO 17025 accreditation (I am not sure if this test was done under the accreditation).

https://grippingstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/210428_BRIDGESTONE-test-report-Motorcycle-tyre-comparison-V2_ENG2_sub.pdf

 

Thanks for bringing up this topic;

UTAC used to based in Monthlery France, where I happened to do my High School. UTAC stands for Union Technique de l'Automobile et du Cycle. Monthlery has a racing track where Grand-Prix F1 and Motorcycle took place when I was a kid. While in Monthlery, we used to go to the track to watch cars while they were being tested, and spoke with the UTAC technicians.

UTAC has grown and has an international footprint today.

However, the headquarters are still based at the Monthlery racing track like they were in the 60's when I was there. The track is no longer certified for racing, but it is used for numerous events of all kinds for cars and motorcycles.

UTAC is the company you would use to do all your testing including certification.

They can be trusted for impartiality, even if the test was paid for by Bridgestone; UTAC is a private for profit company.

Glossary: the report mentions "on the ring"; the "RING" is an oval with banked curves. The Monthlery circuit is not where they did the test in the report. The test was conducted at Bridgestone Italian tracks.

As you can see in this very old diagram made by UTAC (look at the telephone numbers with only two and three digits), initially the track was long; 7.765 miles when you include what is described as "boucles des Biscornes (Biscornes Loop).

Look at the two videos herewith: the one on motorbike is done on the Biscornes Loop. The second video is shot on the oval. As pointed out in the second video, during tests, they run the oval counterclockwise.

For races, clockwise, and they omit the Biscornes loop. They take the short cut turn at "The two bridges".

I have driven on the Biscornes loop, not with a motorcycle though. The track is very representative of all you find on road. The oval is also very bumpy, because with time, it has degraded.

This is the reason why they have added so many chicanes to prevent drivers to go too fast.

 

 

[p6x]

After a quick read, some (slow) reflection, it seems the Battlax T32 Sport Touring aced it over almost all the other brands save for the Dunlop Roadsmart 3.

One parameter the test lacks, is longevity and autonomy. How do those tires retain the rated efficiency over time?

I am on my second set of Michelin Road 5 2CT, and I rode the whole of the Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas 2022 on them.

I wanted to check the Road 6 this year, but for lack of availability, I had to settle again for the Road 5.

When I read the specific report on the Michelin Road 5, I find some elements I concur with, others I don't have that experience of the lack of progressiveness in cornering. When I did the twisted sisters last year, which are a mix of tights and more opened corners, I did not have to fight to lean the bike. It also may come from how I approach curves. I tend to use the rear brake; I believe the tester did not.

I am going to have to check the Battlax T32 at some point... after I check the Michelin Road 6.

It is interesting how some of the rider's reviews for those tested tires do not reflect the data presented in this UTAC report.

I also noted the author of the report uses the word "subjective" several times.

[docc]

I have switched from my long-loved Pirelli to Battlax tires the last few changes and "like" the T32 very much.

I say "like" because motorcycle tire preferences are so much like music and ladies. It's a good thing we don't all "like" the same thing!

[LowRyter]

I'm sticking with cheap Dunlops.  The RS3 are $30-$50 cheaper than the 'stones.   

I've only had OEM Bridges, they didn't last and I never bought another set. That's not a fair assessment.   BTW- did you get the GT spec for heavy bikes?

[gstallons]

Oh no ! These are the first videos I have watched that I didn't lean in the turns .