Battlewings

[Stevie73]

UTTER SHITE!!

As far as road tyres go....you'd be better off with TKC 80's!! SERIOUSLY! I'm not joking!! i can probably ride faster on the road on TKC's. Counter steering with these tyres is more like a wrestling match. They're slow to turn in the twisties and make your front end feel like a sleepy elephant!

Tourance II's do it for me. Responsive, quick to turn, warm up easily, grippy as hell dry or wet, and they wear OK too....Yes, they do! I did 7000 miles in April over two trips fully loaded with camping gear and they did pretty damn good!! Be careful when they're cold though

As for original tourances go, they're somewhere in between the two, but I'll be getting my faves back on pretty damn quick!!!

That's all!

 

[Bones]

UTTER SHITE!!

I love 'em. Better than Tourance mk1 IMHO (haven't tried the new tourance. I doubt they would be standard fitment if they were bad.

Can't beleive I have been drawn in to another feckin' tyre thread

 

[GSmonkey]

I took 'em off my bike straight away, a few scary moments in the dry, never mind wet. Sgt Bilco snapped 'em straight up, so not everybody thinks they're shite.

 

[Stevie73]

so not everybody thinks they're shite.

True, there are gonna be lots of people that like them. Guess it depends on your riding style....

First time I rode a bike with them on, it was a loaner from a dealer while mine was in. I thought they were OK. The reason for that though, was that mine had TKC's on, and the Battlewings didn't feel much different in the cornering department...

Went out yesterday, and rode on em for the first time in anger, and can honestly say I thought they were utter shite.......

 

[tunnie]

UTTER SHITE!!

As far as road tyres go....you'd be better off with TKC 80's!! SERIOUSLY! I'm not joking!! i can probably ride faster on the road on TKC's. Counter steering with these tyres is more like a wrestling match. They're slow to turn in the twisties and make your front end feel like a sleepy elephant!

Tourance II's do it for me. Responsive, quick to turn, warm up easily, grippy as hell dry or wet, and they wear OK too....Yes, they do! I did 7000 miles in April over two trips fully loaded with camping gear and they did pretty damn good!! Be careful when they're cold though

As for original tourances go, they're somewhere in between the two, but I'll be getting my faves back on pretty damn quick!!!

That's all!

+1

Exactly same thoughts had Battlewings on when i bought it, leathal in the wet, zero front end grip.

Tourances fitted by Essential rubber...bloody brilliant, feels smoother, so much more grip its un-true! It feels like it corners itself, much less 'input' required if that makes sense, much much better all around.

 

[BeemerBaz]

I like the Battlewings too, never had anything else so cant really compare but with my riding style it doesnt matter what tyres I have on as I never ride to the limits of the tyres and if i did I would probably be a riding god !

 

[fennel]

Not the best tires I've used but not the worst either.

Istanbul Park, CSS training, last weekend. Battlewings were on the bike:

It was rainy half of the day and they also performed very well

 

[GSmonkey]

To be fair, virtually all tyres will do that on a track.

 

[John Armstrong]

To be fair, virtually all tyres will do that on a track.

Including the predecessor to the Battlewing, the renowned Trailwing

 

[OldCroc]

I've got 'wings - 2nd set. I find that with the pressure at 36/42 they are very hard and skittish. Drop the pressure to 32-33/38-39 and its a different bike - much smoother and planted and deals with the bumps much better. I also find when I ride with the suspension setting on rider + luggage the ride (turn-in) is much improved and the bike sits up quicker coming out of a corner rather than having to be dragged up. I regularly scrape the sliders on my boots with this set-up and that's enough for me....Fwiw

OldCroc

 

[Deleted account AWRT]

UTTER SHITE!!

As far as road tyres go....you'd be better off with TKC 80's!! SERIOUSLY! I'm not joking!! i can probably ride faster on the road on TKC's. Counter steering with these tyres is more like a wrestling match. They're slow to turn in the twisties and make your front end feel like a sleepy elephant!

Tourance II's do it for me. Responsive, quick to turn, warm up easily, grippy as hell dry or wet, and they wear OK too....Yes, they do! I did 7000 miles in April over two trips fully loaded with camping gear and they did pretty damn good!! Be careful when they're cold though

As for original tourances go, they're somewhere in between the two, but I'll be getting my faves back on pretty damn quick!!!

That's all!

I've got wings on mine and I find them ace. Each to their own I suppose. I had Tourances before and found them, as you describe the battle wings

 

[Balders1450]

Everybody to their own, me... I love em in the dry, not so good in the wet. We don't all ride the same way, but when these 'pro testers" review tyres I think they know more than most!.....waiting for backlash now, no doubt someone will post ...


MCN - “The average rider will never get close to the tyres’ limit on the road.”
Bertie Simmons -"The Battle Wings gave me more confidence than I’ve had in the front end of a big Trail Bike for ages. , we all concurred that these tyres were a good step forward from what these bikes are normally shod with."
Superbike - "The Battle Wing feels like a road tyre and grips like a good sport touring tyre should, but also has the looks to satisfy the Adventurists."
T.W.O - "Having the confidence to simply chuck a big trailie into a corner isn't something I'm used to and the BW501/02 transformed all of the bikes."
Ride - “The Battle Wing makes a big trail bike handle like a decent road bike.”

This is my third set, but trying a pair if Conti Trail attacks next, but somebody will disagree, thats why this forum is soooo much fun!

According to Motorrad Magazine........German.......

http://www.conti-online.com/generat...ycle/general/links/news/cta_testwinner_en.pdf