Timing is everything, and not just in comedy. When the editor calls and asks if I would have time to test a new set of tires on my 2012 Honda ST1300 my answer is invariably “Yes”, but in this case it was accompanied by a little laugh. The tires he wanted to send me were Bridgestone’s new Battlax Sport Touring T33s and it just so happened I would soon be ready to swap out the Battlax Sport Touring T32 GTs I had put on in August 2024. The T32s had easily handled a couple 1,640 km Iron Butt Interstate rides in the scorching California and Utah heat last fall, a few really good rain days, plus my favorite ‘local’ curvy roads in BC, and were turning out to be among the highest-mileage sets of tires I’ve ever used.
The T33s are available in six rear 17-inch profiles and four profiles in 17-, 18-, and 19-inch front tires, with more sizes promised in 2026. While some manufacturers have stopped making tires to fit my aging bike (170/60ZR17 rear and 120/70ZR18 front), Bridgestone is not one of those, but I was a little concerned that the T33s did not come in a GT version for heavier bikes like the T32s did. My fears were allayed upon reading the literature and learning that the “one spec fits a wide range of vehicles regardless of vehicle weight.”
The marketing material states the T33 tires promise up to 47 percent longer life in a comparison with the regular T32s so I imagine the T33s may last as long as the T32 GTs did. Part of the reason for this may be the addition of HTSPC (High Tensile Super Penetrated Cord) and MS-Belt (Mono Spiral Belt) technologies that the T32 tires don’t have. Both of these innovations are to deal with heat transfer, stability, smooth grip, and high-speed performance, plus more. The weather here in Edmonton was spectacular in September, we had no rain, which means I didn’t get to test the wet weather performance of the T33s, but the tread patterns are similar enough to those on the T32 to make me think these new tires will perform comparably. My usual test circuit of clover leafs and traffic circles reinforced the cornering effectiveness of Bridgestone’s 3LC (3 Layer Compound) technology and both tires recovered grip nicely when I encountered a warm, wide, longitudinal tar snake at full lean.
So far, the T33 tires have provided a comfortable ride no matter the speed or condition of the pavement, and they maintain even pressures throughout the day after warming up quickly. I’m looking forward to testing the extended wear claims next summer.
Check https://www.bridgestone.com/products/motorcycle_tires/ for specific sizing, dealers, and pricing.
