A host of professional bike stars, motorcycle critics, celebrities and our very own Roosty have given Bridgestone’s new touring tyre a unanimous endorsement, after it was put through its paces at Ron Haslam’s Race School on Donington in a rather sneaky manner.
Bridgestone fitted its new BATTLAX SPORT TOURING T30 tyre to unsuspecting riders’ bikes including Samsung Honda BSB hopefuls Alex Lowes and Ryuichi Kiyonari, not to mention The Prodigy’s vocalist Keith Flint (who’s bloody quick) and actor Danny John-Jules.
After completing a succession of laps with Ron Haslam and his team of instructors, they were told that their Honda CBR600RRs were kitted with the touring tyre and not a hyper sport version as they had all presumed. Rootsy nearly shattered his specs in shock.
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Ron Haslam Race School instructor John Yates said: “The feedback from each group told its own story. If we had told them at the start of the day that they’d be on a touring tyre, they’d have been quite nervous. When we told them at the end of their sessions, they were gobsmacked. We didn’t change them once on any bike throughout the day either, which says a great deal about the T30’s durability. Everybody wants a tyre with exceptional grip that lasts a long time and Bridgestone is onto a phenomenal winner here.” Donington is notorious for shredding rubber with is harsh surface.
The SPORT TOURING T30 is the latest tyre to join the BATTLAX line-up with technology based on Bridgestone’s development of MotoGP racing tyres. The development concept of the new T30 is to give riders the real pleasure of touring, with improved handling and dry grip compared to the predecessor BT023 tyre. To achieve this, Bridgestone has developed a new compound, construction and tread pattern, all optimized for better rigidity and contact patch grip.
Bridgestone’s motorcycle business development manager Steve Watts said: “This was the first time we took the T30 onto the track and it performed brilliantly in all conditions. Riders want quick responsive handling that lets them hold the line they want while giving them the confidence to lean. Many of the guests rode pillion with Ron Haslam and could see how it performed under real pressure.”
Supersport Championship rider Jason O’Halloran, who currently rides for the Samsung Honda team, said: “The tyres felt really good. They were fresh on from the pits and I was riding in the damp. They inspired a great deal of confidence and were enjoyable to ride on.”
Check out the new issue for more on Rootsy’s day at the Ron Haslam Race School
