New Bridgestone Battlewings

[Andy Mitchell]

I've been told by Burnout in Claycross there is a new Battlewing tyre to fit 1150 GS Adventures. Quoted £184 a pair fitted. Anyone know if they are any good. Currently use tried and tested TKC80s but wondering about a change. Currently get up to 4.5K miles out of a rear. That about the norm?

 

[Steve]

They'd need to prove themselves quite a bit before I'd put them on my bike.

Their forerunners, Trailwings, were possibly the worst tyre I've ever ridden on in my life...

 

[ELIMINATOR]

Put my two penneth in here.

Original Trailwings, I had no problems with these. They were original fitment on my 1150. However, the rear lasted 7,500 miles. Rear Tourance lasted 12,500 miles.

Perhaps if the allegedly crap Trailwing was fitted after the Tourance instead of before, I may have been more critical of them?

 

[west coast traveller]

I tried the Battlewings about 6 months ago when I think they first came out..........no problems with all weather grip and rear lasted about 4500 miles. Sounds like a fair price. Currently I'm using a Tourance rear to see if I can get any more mileage but would go back to the Battlewing quite happily. Trailwings may not have suited GS but good on XTZ 750 (which doesn't help here!!!)

 

[Shep]

I've been told by Burnout in Claycross there is a new Battlewing tyre to fit 1150 GS Adventures. Quoted £184 a pair fitted. Anyone know if they are any good. Currently use tried and tested TKC80s but wondering about a change. Currently get up to 4.5K miles out of a rear. That about the norm?

I've got Battlewings fitted, but they are more a road tyre than the TKC's, a bit like Tourances or Anakees.

I've only done 1200mls on the Battlewings, but they certainly inspire confidence on the road, and are more stable than the Anakees that were fitted from new.
£184 fitted seems a very good price, I paid £204 from Micheldever a couple of weeks back

Muddy trails may be a bit more interesting on the Bridgstones but they seem OK on hard rough gravely green lane type trails, but then again so do most dual purpose tyres

Shep

 

[Flipfly]

I use Tourances andlove em to bits. Had a bit of a moment the other night (very cold and just a bit slippy ) but they slid very slowly and controllably. Let you know with a very vague feeling well before they let go. Anything after the TCK's will be a step up in handling. I've ridden on TCK's and liked em for their looks and the dry grip is actually very very good (had a few fine ride outs with em and suprised a few people I'm sure ). However, in the wet they can step out very early and very quickly, got rid of mine after a couple of "oh b*llocks" moments and a "This is gonna.................ooooh ya B'stard" moment. My life flashed before me and I realized I hadn't done enough yet. Next day had Tourances fitted and life is groovy once more.
Try em. If ya don't like em and they slide around everywhere, bin em and try again. Unlikely that they'll be bad and most of us would struggle to tell much of a difference in grip. Most tyres now are ok it's just some give an individual confidence. I love Tourances and would be loathed to change but I may try the Pirelli tyre that is a bit more off road than the Tourance but more on road than the TCK's.
Give em a go, if you don't off road they'll be better than TCK's.

 

[Shep]

I use Tourances andlove em to bits. Had a bit of a moment the other night (very cold and just a bit slippy ) but they slid very slowly and controllably. Let you know with a very vague feeling well before they let go. Anything after the TCK's will be a step up in handling. I've ridden on TCK's and liked em for their looks and the dry grip is actually very very good (had a few fine ride outs with em and suprised a few people I'm sure ). However, in the wet they can step out very early and very quickly, got rid of mine after a couple of "oh b*llocks" moments and a "This is gonna.................ooooh ya B'stard" moment. My life flashed before me and I realized I hadn't done enough yet. Next day had Tourances fitted and life is groovy once more.
Try em. If ya don't like em and they slide around everywhere, bin em and try again. Unlikely that they'll be bad and most of us would struggle to tell much of a difference in grip. Most tyres now are ok it's just some give an individual confidence. I love Tourances and would be loathed to change but I may try the Pirelli tyre that is a bit more off road than the Tourance but more on road than the TCK's.
Give em a go, if you don't off road they'll be better than TCK's.

I agree coming from TKC's the Tourances will feel great, plus you will get good milage as a bonus

Shep

 

[longdog]

I ran Tourances for almost 9000 miles and thought they were really good. I fitted Anakees 3000 miles ago and I think the Anakees tend to tip into a corner quicker than the Tourances, but grip at least as well as them, but with Tourances, it was easier to alter your line through a corner.

Next time, I'm going to follow Tarka's recommendation and go for Pirellis

 

[Andy Mitchell]

Thanks everyone for the advice. Really helpful. This site does it again! I can see I'm probably going to have to have a go at a set of Tourances (even at £215 per pair). Guess teh other advantage is I can et to find out what a GSis like over 100mph - above which the TKC80s are supposed to start disintegrating! Cheers.

 

[Steve]

Thanks everyone for the advice. Really helpful. This site does it again! I can see I'm probably going to have to have a go at a set of Tourances (even at £215 per pair).

Or try Pirelli MT90 Scorpions - usually cheaper than Tourances and, in my opinion, better.

 

[GS TRV]

They'd need to prove themselves quite a bit before I'd put them on my bike.

Their forerunners, Trailwings, were possibly the worst tyre I've ever ridden on in my life...

Me too they are

I have them on my Strom - it's good for rear - wheel steering though

 

[GSAde]

Put my two penneth in here.

Rear Tourance lasted 12,500 miles.

HOW MANY MILES Your bike got a twistgrip

Usually get about 6K miles out of my Tourances which are the best of the bunch mentioned in my opinion (appart from the Pirelli's which I haven't tried so can't comment on yet)

Cheers

Ade

 

[Mick_rw]

I have ....

HOW MANY MILES Your bike got a twistgrip

Usually get about 6K miles out of my Tourances which are the best of the bunch mentioned in my opinion (appart from the Pirelli's which I haven't tried so can't comment on yet)

Cheers

Ade

only ever used Tourances and always get round 12000 miles out of them...great tyres....

 

[Garryc]

I ran with Tourances for 3 yrs and 80K miles. Put them onto my 12GS and did about 4k before I sold it.

Easily on par with the tourances, less flighty, plenty of grip in the dry in the wet. Makes the bike turn a bit quicker, little running in, were impressive on the first da, as it lashing down, but they are more expensive the Tourances.

I liked them but For me the key difference would have been what milage I could have got out of them.