Tyre Test | Bridgestone BATTLAX BT46 Touring

I’ve been running BATTLAX BT46 tyres on my everyday ride, a 2021 Street Twin. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I love this bike. It is reliable, enjoyable and cheap to run. It is also a looker with its classical silhouette. I get a buzz just from looking at it. 

Pete’s 2021 Triumph Street Twin was due for a set of hoops and he wanted to try something other than the Pirellis fitted.

What it isn’t is a performance bike. It does the job very satisfactorily in traffic and even on the open road, but on mountain curves it is more reminiscent of a cup of tea than a shot of firewater. That’s fine; that’s what I want. But to bring out the best in the bike under all of these circumstances, it needs the right tyres. Not too fast – sports tyres are wasted on it – and not too slow – any number of random tyres can let us down.

Read our Bridgestone tyre reviews here…

So when the Street Twin needed new rubber, I asked around. Interestingly, although many of my motorcycling friends are hard riders on the road and even on the track, the suggestions zeroed in on the Bridgestone BATTLAX BT46. It turns out that this is the tyre of choice even for some quick riders I spoke to, when they’re fitting rubber to their everyday road or commuting machines. I don’t mean “everyday” to denigrate this – for me, it’s more important than anything else. And I think it is for most others, too. It’s what keeps you alive day to day.

Here’s a bit of a list of the things people told me. “It’s a good tyre in all sorts of conditions including gravel, in both the dry and the wet.” Couldn’t agree more. I do a fair bit of gravel, and the BT46s have not show any tendency to slip. The same is true on wet roads, and that it probably the most important comment in this review. They’re a good wet weather tyre.

“They warm up quickly and the sidewalls are a bit soft for a good, plush ride.” Who says plush? Well, somebody does and he’s right, too. The BT46s’ ride is very pleasant, without sacrificing grip and lean angle in corners.

“Feedback is good, especially when you’re pushing it a bit. Not that you’re likely to be pushing it all that much.” Geez, thanks. Next time we go out for a weekend ride together you’re getting the motel room next to the generator. It’s true, though. The tyres give you plenty of warning.

“They don’t give you all that much tread life.” I’m not sure about that; I’ve had the BT46s on the Triumph for just over 3600 kilometres, and the front tyre is a bit lass than half worn. That’s good for my style of riding; I mostly use the front bake and make that tyre work hard. The rear tyre has a lot more wear in it; it’s hard to estimate. But the tyres are good value at under $400 a set for the 100/80 – 18 and 150/70 – 17. Check sizes and pricing here…

So wherever and whenever I go out for a ride, I’m pretty sure that the Triumph’s Bridgestone Battlax BT46s are going to help me have fun and see me happily back home.

Tech Talk Bridgestone BATTLAX BT46

The Bridgestone‑BT46‑Battlax‑Sport/Touring‑(Bias) tyre, commonly referred to as the Bridgestone Battlax BT46, is a motorcycle tyre designed for sport-touring and classic motorcycle applications. It is a bias-ply construction tyre that succeeds the BT45 model in Bridgestone’s touring range. The BT46 is engineered for use on a broad variety of road surfaces, including urban streets and long touring routes, and incorporates technologies such as RC Polymer and silica-rich compounds to balance wear characteristics and wet performance.