From Racetrack to Road
There are clear distinctions between the motorcycle tyres used on track and on the road, but lessons learned in the heat of competition help Bridgestone improve tyre technology for all riders.
If you’ve ever wondered why Bridgestone invests so much time and money in MotoGP, and what the return is, then the answer is simple. Of course it works very well as a marketing and product promotion tool, but the biggest return is in the form of technology transfer.
Working with the best riders, teams and engineers in the world, Bridgestone gains an enormous amount of tyre data and feedback that is incredibly precise. When improvements are made, these are proven in the heat of competition, in the form of lap records for example, so we know the technology works.
In the current situation of Official Tyre Supply, MotoGP tyres share more desirable characteristics with road tyres than ever before. They must be high performance and incredibly reliable of course, but with fewer compounds available each must work across a wider range of temperatures and track conditions, and wear life must be good so that each riders’ allocation will last him the whole Grand Prix weekend.
This technical expertise and understanding is a great asset to Bridgestone, and filters directly into the design and production of road motorcycle tyres, allowing consumers to benefit directly from Bridgestone’s MotoGP successes.
The latest Bridgestone road tyre, the Battlax BT-016 PRO, is the most complete yet at incorporating true MotoGP technology, as it is the first to benefit from a new approach to racetrack to road technology transfer.
By adopting a modular approach to adopting MotoGP technology into road tyres, Bridgestone have clearly defined three sections of technology transfer: Grip Evolution, Riding Comfort Evolution and Tyre Life Evolution, all of which come together in Bridgestone’s most advanced supersport road tyre yet.
A new compound has been developed for the BT-016 PRO incorporating Bridgestone’s road-going Silica Rich EX and RC Polymer technologies that provides greatly enhanced wet grip whilst not sacrificing any dry-weather performance, and improves warm-up performance meaning that the tyre produces a safe level of grip right from cold.
The BT-016 PRO also benefits from Bridgestone’s HTSPC and MS Belt construction technologies that were developed specifically for this road tyre using lessons learned in MotoGP to aid bump absorption and stability at high speed and under braking, and prevent premature wear and performance reduction by deformation of the tyre with age.
In short, in the shape of the Battlax BT-016 PRO road tyre, Bridgestone’s participation in MotoGP means consumers can benefit from a marked improvement in practical performance: greater tyre life, improved cornering grip and stability, better wet grip and better performance from cold.
