rob1964bike
Guest
Fitted as OE on new 1200 GS I'm very impressed with them.
Well I thought they were fine for a 1,000 miles. They were evil after that. Done after 3,000 miles.
Long live the long lived Tourance
Long live the long lived Tourance
Johnny Davies
Registered user
Battlewings
IMHO, 100% pants!!! After Tourances fitted them and regreted it, they were just sooo bad in the wet and not that great in the dry.
Switch to some proper road rubber like conti attacks or Bridgey 02's and seriously you won't regret it.
JD
IMHO, 100% pants!!! After Tourances fitted them and regreted it, they were just sooo bad in the wet and not that great in the dry.
Switch to some proper road rubber like conti attacks or Bridgey 02's and seriously you won't regret it.
JD
Mine have 2200 on them now and I'm still impressed with them so far.....however, I've no experience of other types to make a comparison...
I may well try the tourances next time
Me to, will try something different next time though.
Nowt wrong with the 'wings. Well suited to the bike.
I have a set on, after having Tourances.......Not sure if I like them yet. I think there is less grip in the wet with them
I did 7K on a set and they still look strong, after the Trailwings they were a lot better, still not happy in the wet, but they don't hold a candle to the Conti Trail Attacks I have now 
BMW Club journal
If you are a member you will have read the report 'German Jottings' by John Bentall. This month 'Motorrad' did a a verycomprehensive comparison test on 8 different tyres fitted on the 1200GS.Top were the Continental Trail Attack. The Bridgestones were 4th equal( with DunlopTrail max) & were also 4th in the wet. Best in the wet were Tourance (the latest EXP's) but they were bottom in the wear test.
I always used Tourances (2nd overall) on my own bike and it is true they were excellent on wet roads - The fronts wore out at about 7,000 kms and the back about 10,000km.
If you are a member you will have read the report 'German Jottings' by John Bentall. This month 'Motorrad' did a a verycomprehensive comparison test on 8 different tyres fitted on the 1200GS.Top were the Continental Trail Attack. The Bridgestones were 4th equal( with DunlopTrail max) & were also 4th in the wet. Best in the wet were Tourance (the latest EXP's) but they were bottom in the wear test.
I always used Tourances (2nd overall) on my own bike and it is true they were excellent on wet roads - The fronts wore out at about 7,000 kms and the back about 10,000km.
Battlewings came as standard on my GS but hated them!! Had Tourance's fitted at first service and they are 100% better in both wet and try so they get my vote
So ze germans like ze german tyres. And the surprise is?
Bones
Registered user
Well I thought they were fine for a 1,000 miles. They were evil after that. Done after 3,000 miles.
Long live the long lived Tourance
Your preasures must have been off. I think they are much better than the tourance and I got 9000 miles from them
Tartanleathers
Guest
Don't know nowt about the Trailie type tyres yet, as I don't pick the bike up until Thursday (Which I've no doubt will be rainin).
I've had Bridgestone 020 + 021's on my Triumph Sprint, which I would rate as ok. Crap grip in the wet and they give no confidence. Tread life was shocking. 020's lasted 2000 miles, and the 021's about 2500.
Recently fitted Michelin Pilot Road 2 which are fantastic. Great grip wet or dry. They've been on the bike for 1000 miles now and show very little sign of wear. (The bridgestones had started to square by this time)
Whenever the Bridgestones on the new bike wear out, I fancy tryin out the new Michelin Anakee 2's. Seen press photo fitted to 12GS with BIG lean angles on!! Looked fun.
I've had Bridgestone 020 + 021's on my Triumph Sprint, which I would rate as ok. Crap grip in the wet and they give no confidence. Tread life was shocking. 020's lasted 2000 miles, and the 021's about 2500.
Recently fitted Michelin Pilot Road 2 which are fantastic. Great grip wet or dry. They've been on the bike for 1000 miles now and show very little sign of wear. (The bridgestones had started to square by this time)
Whenever the Bridgestones on the new bike wear out, I fancy tryin out the new Michelin Anakee 2's. Seen press photo fitted to 12GS with BIG lean angles on!! Looked fun.
rob1964bike
Guest
Not really used in wet except slow ride over country lanes. I am am a metzeler fan however I didn't like tourances on my F650 GS. I thought they were too trail like. Although I don't like the sound of bridestones being crap in wet as living in Scotland I need a good wet weather tyre. Are Conti Trail Attacks good in wet as well as dry?
Deleted account 211025001
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It's funny isn't it, of all the comments I've read on here re tyres Battlewings seem to give the widest range of opinions.
Peeps seem fairly agreed on what they think of other tyres but not Battlewings
FWIW I thought they were fine, very similar to the 020's they are based on. I never had any moments on them in the wet and found them to be quite neutral with no unpleasant surprises.
Two points though that always baffle me re GS tyres:
1) Why do people fit 'trail type' tyres to a GS that never goes off road - is it just for the looks, as although they are decent enough road tyres they can not compare to pure road rubber, (and yes, I know I had a pair of Battlewings but I tried them in the mistaken belief that they would be any good off road for a trip to Morocco
)
2) Why are people concerned with wear rates (within reason) on a bike that cost £10k - surely handling/grip comes first, and an extra couple of thousand miles is neither here nor there in the great scheme of this
Andres
Peeps seem fairly agreed on what they think of other tyres but not Battlewings
FWIW I thought they were fine, very similar to the 020's they are based on. I never had any moments on them in the wet and found them to be quite neutral with no unpleasant surprises.
Two points though that always baffle me re GS tyres:
1) Why do people fit 'trail type' tyres to a GS that never goes off road - is it just for the looks, as although they are decent enough road tyres they can not compare to pure road rubber, (and yes, I know I had a pair of Battlewings but I tried them in the mistaken belief that they would be any good off road for a trip to Morocco
)2) Why are people concerned with wear rates (within reason) on a bike that cost £10k - surely handling/grip comes first, and an extra couple of thousand miles is neither here nor there in the great scheme of this
Andres
It's funny isn't it, of all the comments I've read on here re tyres Battlewings seems to give the widest range of opinions.
Peeps seem fairly agreed on what they think of other tyres but not Battlewings
FWIW I thought they were fine, very similar to the 020's they are based on. I never had any moments on them in the wet and found them to be quite neutral with no unpleasant surprises.
Two points though that always baffle me re GS tyres:
1) Why do people fit 'trail type' tyres to a GS that never goes off road - is it just for the looks, as although they are decent enough road tyres they can not compare to pure road rubber, (and yes, I know I had a pair of Battlewings but I tried them in the mistaken belief that they would be any good off road for a trip to Morocco
2) Why are people concerned with wear rates (within reason) on a bike that cost £10k - surely handling/grip comes first, and an extra couple of thousand miles is neither here nor there in the great scheme of this
Andres
Well said that man
Bones
Registered user
1) Why do people fit 'trail type' tyres to a GS that never goes off road - is it just for the looks, as although they are decent enough road tyres they can not compare to pure road rubber, (and yes, I know I had a pair of Battlewings but I tried them in the mistaken belief that they would be any good off road for a trip to Morocco
2) Why are people concerned with wear rates (within reason) on a bike that cost £10k - surely handling/grip comes first, and an extra couple of thousand miles is neither here nor there in the great scheme of this
Andres
I fitted Battlewings because of the 9mm tread depth and this must be the main reason they lasy 9000 miles (for me anyway). I am clocking up 2500 mile a month ay the mo so tread life is important not just in terms of cost but I don't want to lose half a Saturday getting new tyres fitted any more often than I possibly can.
I wouldn't fit a long lasting tyre if it didn't grip handle well though, false economy as you say.
I like them
I put them on 7,000kms ago as I fancied a change after the Conti Road Attacks which were superb, but the front went off far too quickly for my liking. I will most likely buy another pair of Battlewings once these go, but they've got plenty life in them yet. Tourances would have been well squared off after 7,000kms. They feel fine to me, and give plenty confidence whatever the weather. No problems in the wet with them, and yes it does rain here now and again...
I put them on 7,000kms ago as I fancied a change after the Conti Road Attacks which were superb, but the front went off far too quickly for my liking. I will most likely buy another pair of Battlewings once these go, but they've got plenty life in them yet. Tourances would have been well squared off after 7,000kms. They feel fine to me, and give plenty confidence whatever the weather. No problems in the wet with them, and yes it does rain here now and again...
twisticles
Registered user
Forget your trail attacks and battlewings and other klingon sounding tyres.
This is what you need:
Doesn't matter how they respond in the wet when you look *that* cool.
This is what you need:
Doesn't matter how they respond in the wet when you look *that* cool.
Deleted account 211025001
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Forget your trail attacks and battlewings and other klingon sounding tyres.
This is what you need:
Doesn't matter how they respond in the wet when you look *that* cool.
Fantastic
Do you have any more details on those - I'd love to bung some on my DRZ for a laugh
They remind me of the Tomahawk remoulds I used to run on my old CCM supermoto - they also came in silly colours too.
Which remionds me, for those interested in wear rates, the rear Tomahawk used to last between 1800 and 2000 miles and that was on a 130kg single
- mind you, they used to grip like nothing else and only cost £40 a pop Andres
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