| Pirelli Angel ST vs Bridgestone Battlax BT-023 | | Print | |
| Written by Kenn Stamp | ||||||||
| Thursday, 09 December 2010 10:34 | ||||||||
 (Note: We apologize for the lack of pictures of our own making for the Bridgestone tires in this article. Technical issues caused the pictures we took to be erased and we had to rely on stock photos.)
Pirelli also used “EPT” (Enhanced Patch Technology) which is the latest patented design derived from Pirelli’s experience in World Superbike racing. This basically means that “To maximize the contact patch EPT technology brings forth an innovative concept for the tread, a new profile design, supported by the patented zero degree steel belt radial structure, and new materials.” I think that means that the tire is built to provide maximum grip at all lean angles….but I could be wrong. Pirelli also included a (neat?) little gimmick into the Angel ST tires. When new there is a clear outline of an angel, complete with halo, embedded in the tread design of the tire. After about 700 miles or so the outline goes away and the “demon” aspect of the tire comes out. Or so they tell me. No matter what angle I viewed the tires at or how much I squinted, I could not clearly see a “demon aspect” in the tread. Sure, I guess you can say that the two angled parts look like horns but it really is a stretch. The Pirelli Angel ST looks pretty impressive on paper but Bridgestone wasn’t lying down on the job either.
While the BT-020s and ‘21s were liked by some (shudder), the sport-touring spec tire race has heated-up over the past couple of years with owners demanding long-life and good wet weather performance without sacrificing dry-road handling. So the Bridgestone fires back at Pirelli in the spec department but what about where it really counts; feel? We decided to fit each set of tires to our kitted-up Project FJR and ride them on a variety of roads in both wet and dry conditions for 1000 miles each. At the end of 1000 miles hopefully I (as the main rider) would have a clear and decisive winner. Obviously this was not going to be a test of which tire had the longest life but rather which tire offered the best feel, dry grip, and wet weather traction; things that are honestly the most important things to me.
Wet weather performance was acceptable but not great. In a straight line at any speed the Angel STs felt stable and never once felt “floaty”. Under braking things got a little dicey but never to the point of feeling dangerous. Wet weather cornering fell along the same lines as dry weather cornering; stable but you had no clue how much more it would take before the tires let go. Let’s give them another 2.5 for wet weather ability. Overall I would give the Pirelli Angel ST Sport Touring tires a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars. Being a Pirelli fan (usually) I was a little surprised at my feelings toward the Angel ST’s.
Next up was the new Battlax BT-023 tires from Bridgestone. Having disliked the prior two offerings from Bridgestone in the sport-touring tire market, I wasn’t feeling very hopeful. First thing I noticed was that tip-in response was much faster than the Pirelli’s and almost on par with the Avon Storm STs we had on the bike previously (review here). After scuffing the tires in I went in search of the 3 corners we have here in Florida (OK it’s not that bad – there’s actually 4 corners) to see how the BT-023s held up under heavy braking and cornering. Turns out that they hold-up very, very well; I could tell exactly what the tires were doing and how much grip they had on a variety of road surface types and never once did the BT-023s feel loose. Holding a line when cranked over is easy and the level of grip and feedback is confidence inspiring. The only complaint I have is that they do transmit road irregularities a bit harshly when leaned over in a corner. I’d give the BT-023’s a solid 4 on the 1-5 scale for dry weather grip (about as high as you are going to get with a sport-touring tire). Rainy weather proved that Bridgestone did their homework concerning wet road riding as well. Other than the slower speeds I was traveling due to wet conditions, there was no difference in feel with the BT-023’s between wet and dry road conditions. No other tire we’ve had on the FJR has been able to claim this. Once again I’d give the BT-023 a 4 for wet weather ability. Conclusion And the winner is; Pirelli! No wait, I’m joking. The Bridgestone Battlax BT-023’s were definitely the surprise winner (to me anyway) in this comparison. I fully expected the Pirelli’s to just run away with my heart and we’d live happily ever after. Ratings: Bridgestone Battlax BT-023 GT:
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Comments (2)
Brett Rodgers
said:
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Be Careful! I love having motorcycles in my family and enjoy riding with them all. Its good fun but please remember to drive safely. |
L Coetzer
said:
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Mr I have a Kawasaki 1400GTR and I've fittted a BT023 on the rear. The tyre is great , their is however a problem, as Bridgestone replaced the 1st tyre after 1000kms. A thin line about 10mm offcentre of the tyre showed, the rep said that this was due to the compounds not blending. The existing tyre is doing the exact same thing. I can submit photos of the tyre. It looks as if you've cut it with a blade. Any comments? |
