Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T33 Tire
Your shoe choice is important for the health of your feet. It’s the same with your motorcycle—the weight of the bike and rider all rests on a relatively small contact patch. Therefore, the better that area where rubber meets road performs, the happier and safer you’re going to be.
Addressing that vital contact patch is Bridgestone’s new Battlax T33, the company’s next-generation sport touring tire. It introduces a host of advancements over its T32 predecessor in compounds, construction, and pattern design to deliver a tire that is squarely focused on performance riding. The T33 is a single-spec tire designed for a wide range of motorcycles regardless of weight, and I tested them on the serpentine roads of Croatia. It’s easy to see why the country is quickly becoming a popular riding destination, as it offers seemingly endless winding roads, excellent pavement, and beautiful scenery.
Bridgestone had the new T33 mounted on a broad mix of motorcycles, from small naked uprights to large sport tourers, to showcase its effectiveness over a range of motorcycle types. The results were impressive. The front tire uses a cross-belt construction, while the rear utilizes a mono-spiral (MS) belt. Employing a new wear-resistant polymer compound that is less likely to break down, the T33 has less slippage in the critical contact patch area than the T32 tire. It’s also augmented by a redesigned tread pattern. Retaining the T32’s shape, the T33 provides effortless roll when initiating turn-in, delivering an organic, second-nature feel when changing direction and executing rapid transitions.
Despite a stiff carcass, the T33 doesn’t produce a hard ride. Instead, the tire’s flexible construction adds a degree of plushness to augment suspension, absorbing a good amount of road irregularities. The grip is solid and consistent, with a generous amount of feedback sans any vibration. There was virtually no steering shake under hard straight-line or aggressive trail braking on turn-in. The tires’ cornering stability was solid, granting confidence with a predictable feel at all lean angles. Additionally, the rear tire tracked impressively under hard throttle application and acceleration. The tire was smooth and stable on both light or heavy machines on Croatia’s highways. Unfortunately, the country’s beautiful weather did away with any hope of testing the tires in the wet.
The new Battlax provides an exceptional feel while being surprisingly compliant over a host of riding conditions and road surfaces. The most impressive bullet point with the new T33 is the manufacturer’s claim of a 47% increase in mileage. This figure would greatly enhance the cost-effectiveness of the new Battlax by adding such a significant amount of tire life. That said, I couldn’t verify this claim over the test ride.
The Battlax T33 delivers on performance in terms of handling. As a long-distance touring tire, it has smooth habits on the open highway, while exhibiting equal aplomb in tackling twisting roads, whether riding casually or aggressively.
The Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T33 is available in four sizes for the front and six for the rear. Look for five additional sizes to become available in 2026.
Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T33 Tire
Front: $182-$200
Rear: $221-$260