![]() Replacing the A40, the new A41 is a 90-percent on-road/10-percent off-road tire aimed at adventure riders who spend most or all of their time on pavement. Bridgestone’s Battlax press launch was a double feature, with a second day of testing devoted its new A41 adventure tires. CNĬlick here to read this in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.Ĭlick here for more New Products on Cycle News.Our July issue included my review of Bridgestone’s new Battlax T31 sport-touring tires based on a one-day test ride in Morocco. We’ll follow up with a long-term test after eight thousand miles-or less. Overall, we’re very impressed with the initial performance of the AX41s both on- and off-road. ![]() The noise, while there for sure, is minimal compared to the other aggressive ADV tires. Even in wet corners these tires are very grippy, but you still need to remember that you’re on knobbies. We kept telling ourselves “you’re on knobbies, you’re on knobbies,” but the speeds kept increasing and the smiles kept getting bigger. As advertised, the on-road performance was quite good. Back on the twisty tarmac after several hours of hard off-road riding, it was time to push the 40 percent on-road limits of the AX41s. We had to pound the front brake to get even a hint of traction loss. The off-road stopping control that the AX41 front offers is truly exceptional. Steering with the rear in or out of turns is predictable while the front continues to hold even in muddy turns. With ABS switched off and traction control set to minimum, the tires comply with your demands while holding traction even on terrain where you’re expecting them to slide. When hard braking is applied, the front tire shows its true capability. It tracks exactly where you tell it to and holds the line with ease. The rear tire hooks up as good as, if not better than, any of the DOT knobbies we’ve ridden before, but what’s more impressive is the confidence that the front tire inspires as you enter the turns. We quickly learned that our new shoes were gripping nicely.Īs the surface changed to dirt and mud, our speed and confidence increased. Entering the forest on a loose, freshly graded gravel section of road, we leaned back and kept the throttle steady. Remembering that we were on new, cold knobby tires, we checked our speed and continued on to the dirt. Our first impression as we made our way to the closest forest service road was how well these 40-60 on/off tires perform in the twisties. With the new knobs mounted, we were super excited to go try them. The sidewalls are stiff but not so stiff that they’re impossible to mount or remove by hand. We carry a front tube the same size as our front wheel because that tube can be mounted in either the front or rear in an emergency tire-repair situation. Yes, these tires are tubeless and you could stick a plug in it and hope it holds, but if it doesn’t, you’ve got to fix it. Why? Because when you ride off-road, you’re going to experience flat-tire repair sooner or later. When it comes to off-road riding, whether it’s enduro or adventure bikes, we start with mounting new tires by hand. Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41 Stand-Out Feature:Īggressive 40-60 on/off DOT-approved knobbies with excellent on-road manners Rider Analysis of the Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41: The company’s marketing brochure says that this 40-60 on/off tire “offers improved off-road traction from a new pattern design, compound, and high cross-sectional area.” Furthermore, they claim that this tire will have improved durability due to “block wall angle optimization” and improved performance on-road thanks to the “anti-irregular wear block design by reducing block deformation.” Specifically, the front tire should not cup-out nearly as quickly as many aggressive ADV tires do. Enter the new Bridgestone Adventurecross AX41. However, most of us don’t want that hassle instead, we shop and study and study and shop until we think we’ve found the perfect tire. ![]() Of course, the best solution would be to have an extra set of wheels, one mounted with 80-20 on/off and one with the most aggressive set of knobbies you can find-that are DOT legal, of course. Cycle News Staff | AugBridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41 Tires Product ReviewĬhoosing tires for a big adventure-touring machine is always a compromise, especially if you do a fair amount off-road riding.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |