P102
PRODUCT REVIEWI
BRIDGESTONE BATTLAX
T
he Endurance World
Championship is one of
the toughest sporting
events on Earth. Over 24 hours,
riders must lap within one
second of their fastest possible
pace, making this one of the
best series for developing new
products.
Bridgestone has been the tire
of choice for many years in the
EWC, going head-to-head with
Dunlop, while Pirelli has World-
SBK, and Michelin holds the
reins of MotoGP. For much of
the last five years, Bridgestone
has used the EWC to develop
the successor to the V02—but
the V03 is more than just a
replacement tire.
The V03 features a revised
tire shape with a five percent
larger contact-patch and slightly
larger shoulders on the front tire,
while the rear tire is up six per
-
cent in contact patch area with
an overall wider, taller profile.
A revised molecular com-
pound has given the V03
improved bite into the track
surface, with Bridgestone claim-
ing the rider gains more feel at
the handlebars and improved
all-important first touch of the
throttle while fully leaned over.
Other improvements com-
pared to the V02 include a faster
initial turn-in when the brakes
are first applied, more grip at
full lean, and greater agility in
places like chicanes.
Bridgestone claims the V03
reduces lap times by 1.3 percent
when the soft compound is
used, and the company also had
an ace up its sleeve: using the
world launch to debut its new
Sprint compound, designed for
short sessions where extreme
grip is required, and longevity is
a secondary consideration.
Very few things
scream "speed!" like a
fresh set of slicks. The
new V03 has upped
Bridgestone's game
substantially in the
hypersport race tire
market.
