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Video: We tested the Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22: MotoGP heritage with surprising performance in dry and wet
2024 Author: Nicholas Abramson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-10 16:41
If a few days ago we told you all about the new Dunlop SportSmart Mk3 as sports tires with a clear sporty vocation but on the road, today we bring you something similar but very different: the new Bridgestone Hypersport Battlax S22 that we have been able to test thoroughly at the Jerez Circuit.
These Japanese tires are, with the permission of the competition, one of the best options for those fans who want to fit some on their motorcycle. street tires but with a performance beyond doubt to ride hard on the circuit.
Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22: Evolution
Taking as a starting point the fantastic Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S21 footwear on many of the motorcycles that we have been able to test in recent years, Japanese engineers have set to work to create a generational change that was a step further and that would allow give sports bikes their best face on the road and a great stride on the circuit.
Specifically, the positioning of the Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22 It is that of a tire that, although it is still street, is positioned very, very close to the circuit range, ranking above the S21s as it is more oriented to liter Superbikes and just behind the sticky Battlax RS10s.
With these premises in Bridgestone they have proposed four fundamental objectives When it comes to designing the new S22s: get a better grip both in dry and wet, smoother handling, better cornering and not sacrificing service life. A wish list without a doubt more than ambitious.
Starting with the exterior and always comparing with respect to the S21, the Battlax Hypersport S22 have reduced the pattern in the central area and of medium inclination but increasing the grooves on the sides to improve grip on the most common support points and promote water drainage when cornering.
But today we will not get lost in theory because far from having been a day on the perfect track, the Andalusian weather blessed us early in the morning with a copious rain with intermittent tail flicks that kept the Jerez track soaked during the first two runs of the day.. Perfect for test the S22 in water.
Bridgestone claims the new Battlax Hypersport S22s are 5% faster on a lap in the wet than the S21s and have 15% better cornering.
We did the first two outings on the track with the BMW S 1000 RR and the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, two motorcycles with around 200 hp and on them a clear premise: try not to fall. While caution was the main guideline, the S22s soon began to show us a friendly face. The tread of the tires on the new Jerez asphalt is fantastic and we quickly began to gain confidence.
The front end step firmly and its progressivity when leaning made things easy for us in a difficult situation, far exceeding the traction capacity of the rear tire on the water that continuously lost grip, making the traction control work excessively. In any case and despite the initial fear, we must confess that we have fun like dwarves (a la Kiyonari) and without perceiving a sense of danger at any time.
Well, we do get a little heartbroken when we get too excited and went long several times on patches of water. We lift the bike a little, release the brakes and nothing has happened here. Back to the line and to continue giving gas.
As the day progressed and the rain respected our working day, the track dried up although not completely, but allowing us to continue exploring the capabilities of these Bridgestone Battlax S22s. The drier, the more we were encouraged on the track and the tires responded with extreme solvency.
Another of the determining factors in these new sports tires is the construction with double compound on the front tire and triple on the rear. The 3LC (front) and 5LC (rear) compounds have been developed to generate more adherence in all circumstances, both dry (especially) and wet, and also achieve a better response throughout the entire temperature range of use.
The front end was the one that we were most concerned about initially during the track session, as always. Although the asphalt began to dry relatively early, the conditions were quite cold and windy, something that did not prevent us from gradually picking up the pace. Guilty? Precisely the front end.
The front rubber of the S22 has a fantastic behavior for those of us who like neutral tires. It is not a pointed rubber, the kind that makes the bike fall into corners, nor is it stable at high speed but lazy. It's about a perfect and balanced compendium as its predecessors already were and therefore the outer shape of the casing has not been touched.
On agile bikes like the BMW S 1000 RR with M package (carbon fiber wheels) the ability to start the incline is magnificent but without perceiving lack of control, while on others like the Kawasaki ZX-10R SE that require a little more force to make them fold we do not miss a more aggressive profile. Precision and poise are flawless, the motorcycle does not tend to fall towards the inside but does exactly what we want and where we want it.
On the Ducati Panigale V4 S we did notice that the tires suffer more, but not because of the tires themselves but because the Italian bike is much more physical, rigid and nervous than the other two. It was the only mount with which we perceived true slip on the front axle entering a corner with the brake applied and forcing the ABS with corner assistance to act, and it was by touching a white line in contact with the apex.
However, this neutrality is not suitable for all user profiles. There will be pilots, the most aggressive, who miss a bit more agility but at the same time we have to remember that we are talking about a road tire and on open roads at least from our point of view a more neutral tire is a safer tire.
On Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22 lifespan We cannot draw any conclusions, we do not know whether or not they last as long as S21s as claimed by Japanese engineers, but we can tell you about how they behave towards the end of their useful life.
Deliberately, most of the tires we started the day with were not changed all day. The three groups among whom we were divided did six runs of 20 minutes each, which could translate into a total of three days of runs for each bike condensed in a single day.
The front tire endured with solvency and leaving room to have further explored its limits, without problems, while the rear rubber did suffer the rigors of modern Superbike. Towards the end of the day we notice how the rear wheel flanks began to call for help and the adhesion losses were common opening gas on the sides.
Even with the overexertion of the whole day wearing out without hesitation, the S22 held out until the end of the day and they kept up the performance. Yes, it is true that you had to be a little more careful with the right fist, but the feeling of confidence was the same, as was the progressivity when leaning with a homogeneous and non-staggered wear.
In short, the Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22 are street tires, yes, but they implement the technology that the Japanese manufacturer harvested during its time in MotoGP to achieve a amazing performance on track and more than enough for a high percentage of motorists who have not yet taken the step to ride with slick.
The Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22 are available from the month of January 2019 in the most popular sizes, but for the less common we will have to wait until January of next year 2020. Here is the list of planned measures:
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