VOLUME ISSUE DECEMBER , P161
S23 HYPERSPORT TIRE
cornering speed, a one percent
faster dry lap time, a three
percent shorter wet braking
distance, and a four percent
faster wet lap time. Whether
any of the lap time stuff really
matters is up to you as this is
a sports tire that can go to the
track, not a race tire designed
for ultimate lap times. How
-
ever, the braking distances and
cornering speeds should be
something worth noting.
The S23 runs a new com-
pound in both the front and
rear using Bridgestone's MS-
Belt construction. Both ends
are stiffer in the sidewalls than
in S22 guise, allowing for more
stability and increased grip
at high lean angles, while a
harder center compound in the
rear allows for a claimed eight
percent increase in mileage.
The KTM 890 SMT is the
near-perfect bike for the
S23—plenty of power to have
fun but not enough to stress
the rear over many laps.
KTM's 1290 Super Duke
R will give an S23 a real
thrashing, but the tire
held up very well over
the day with a myriad of
different riders.
Its look is fairly different, too.
The S23 front runs a new tread
pattern with fewer longer center
grooves, doing away with the more
plentiful shorter center grooves of
the S22, giving the S23 a superior
Land-Sea ratio and allowing for
greater water dispersion.
On the rear tire, Bridgestone
is debuting what it calls Pulse
