Tire Reviews Tire Tests

As motorcycle enthusiasts, we all know that choosing the right set of tires is crucial for a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable ride. Sadly, I'm not a good enough rider to do motorbike testing myself, so that's where the annual Motorrad motorcycle touring tire test comes in.

For the 2024 edition, Motorrad has put six of the most popular touring tires in the 120/70 ZR 17 front and 180/55 ZR 17 rear sizes to the test. The contenders are the Bridgestone Battlax T 32, Continental RoadAttack 4 GT, Dunlop Roadsmart IV GT, Metzeler Roadtec 02, Michelin Road 6 GT, and Pirelli Angel GT II.

Motorcycle tire testing is the most difficult type the tire testing available, and as such we don't get a many good motorbike tire comparison tests as we do for car and SUV.

Fortunately in 2020 the UK motorcycle magazine MCN managed to test six of the best sports touring motorbike tires using a BMW R1250RS.

The only objective test included was a 70-0 mph dry braking (below), the rest of the results were taken from a 22 mile road route over many different surfaces, which two riders tested blind and rated the tires for steering, confidence, stability, ride quality and feel.

Tire Reviews is a big fan of two wheels, and we gladly cover new motorbike tire launches whenever we're invited to them. Sadly, our driving is better than our riding, which is why we leave the high risk motorcycle tire testing to people who aren't highly likely to destroy the bikes and themselves trying to do a fast lap.

Luckily for us riders, the excellent British magazine Fast Bikes has tested five of the very fastest extreme performance / track tires, using a Suzuki GSX-R1000R, wearing 120/70 R17 and 200/60 R17 "hoops".

Unlike the average car driver, motorbike riders have an intimate relationship with their tires, and fully understand the need to fit the right tire for your riding style and intended use. Sometimes lasting less than 2,000 miles, the right tire can literally mean the difference between a safe ride home in the wet, or a nasty highside resulting in a damaged bike, and potentially worse, a damaged body. 

Read on for the full results