Bridgestone Battlecruise H50 Tires Review
When it comes to replacement tires for your V-twin motorcycle, there haven’t been a lot of choices. When looking to increase performance, it always seemed to be followed with a decline in mileage. Enter the Battlecruise H50. The Battlecruise tire line is the first motorcycle tire from Bridgestone designed exclusively for the unique characteristics of the American V-twin market.
Bridgestone tires has been making the round rubber since 1931. In 1988 they purchased Firestone who has been making tires since 1900. Point being, with more than a century of being combined business it’s safe to say Bridgestone knows a thing or two when it comes to making tires.
Photos: Nelson and Riles
We headed out to Orlando, Florida, to try the latest rubbers out for ourselves. After a brief presentation, it was obvious that Bridgestone came to play with the Battlecruise H50s. They are claiming better tread life, higher cornering power, more precise handling, and superior grip in both dry and wet surfaces than their unnamed closest competitor. Time to put up or shut up.
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Using some fancy technology called the Ultimat Eye, this allowed Bridgestone to push the Battlecruise to its virtual limits before ever making the first unit. Both the rear and front tire profiles were optimized to optimize the slip and adhesion and maximize the cornering power.
Photos: Nelson and Riles
We headed out first thing in the morning in the blistering 60-degree Florida air atop a line of Indian Scouts.
Photos: Nelson and Riles
While hardly a cold start, right off the bat the tires felt firm and grippy. As the rolling resistance heated up the tires, they became increasingly more pliable. The best way to describe the feeling is walking on a foam mat versus a carpeted floor. There was a definite feeling of increased grip that was only reconfirmed when I hopped on the same Indian Scout with factory tires. As we rode around our few-hundred-mile route through the back roads of Florida, I attempted several panic stops, and it also proved to have the same extra stopping power.
As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is testing mileage on a tire. I’d like to add the Battlecruise H50 on a long-term to see how they perform over the long haul.
Photos: Nelson and Riles
If you’re looking for an alternative replacement for your motorcycle, make sure to put the Battlecruise H50s on your list. Smaller V-twins sizes are available now, while touring models will come in January of 2018 in the most popular sizes.
