Bridgestone Launches BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S22 Sports Radial Motorcycle Tyre

Bridgestone’s premier tyre for the modern street sport bike rider with uncompromising performance

Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) announced the launch of the BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S22, a new sports radial motorcycle tyre for street use that will be part of its BATTLAX line of motorcycle tyres. BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S22 tyres will be available in one front tyre size and five rear tyre sizes when released in the U.S. and Canada in January 2019 and in other regions in February 2019.

The BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S22 tyre is the successor to the BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S21 tyre, which is featured as original equipment on numerous sports motorcycles and is a top replacement tyre choice for countless riders. Compared to the BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S21 tyre, the BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S22 tyre boasts improved dry grip and lightness coupled with sufficient wet performance. These features provide sport bike riders peace of mind when the weather suddenly deteriorates or when driving on wet surfaces.

Technological Highlights

1. New Tread Pattern

To enhance cornering on rainy days, the BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S22 tyre features an increased land-sea ratio on the tyre’s shoulder in comparison to the BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S21 tyre, and pattern rigidity has been optimised. These features contribute to improved wet performance and handling lightness.

2. New Compound

(1) Optimised Resin Component

In designing the BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S22 tyre, steps were taken to optimise the resin component in order to develop a new compound that can function across a wide range of temperature conditions, including lower temperatures. This allows the tyre to deliver higher grip on dry surfaces.

(2) Fine Particle Silica

The center compound of BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S22 rear tyres utilises silica comprised of particles that are smaller than those found in conventional tyres to increase the area of the silica in the contact patch, the portion of a tyre that makes contact with road surfaces. This composition enables the BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S22 tyre to better grip the road in wet conditions.

3. Optimised Contact Area

In the development of the BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S22 tyre, Bridgestone employed its proprietary ULTIMAT EYE™ technology,*1 to measure and visualise the behavior of tyre contact patches. This technology has also been used for developing tyres for the FIM Endurance World Championship. Bridgestone has reduced the slippage area in the rear part of the tyre’s contact patch in comparison to the BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S21 tyre. These changes contribute to improved grip and light handling of the BATTLAX HYPERSPORT S22 tyre while preventing declines in lifespan.

*1. ULTIMAT EYE™ is Bridgestone’s proprietary tyre development technology for measuring and visualising the behavior of tyre contact patches. Conventional tyre development consists of running simulations, building prototypes, and using laboratory measurements as well as actual vehicle tests to verify performance. ULTIMAT EYE™, meanwhile, makes it possible to reproduce high-speed riding conditions that are equivalent to those of an actual vehicle in the laboratory, enabling tyre contact patch behavior to be visualised. Together with conventional vehicle tests, this technology can contribute to improved tyre performance through high-precision analyses and performance verifications with a solid scientific basis.