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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A40 vs Dunlop RoadSmart III — Compared (September 2026)

Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.

VS
Tire B Dunlop

Dunlop RoadSmart III

Summer Premium Touring tires

Dunlop RoadSmart III tread pattern
Objective (60%)
74/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
89/100
16 owner reviews
Dry
95
Wet
89
Comfort
88
Treadwear
89
Handling
89

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Dunlop RoadSmart III — better handling, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.
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Category breakdown

5 categories, side by side

Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.

Dry

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) RoadSmart III leads by 5
A — Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A40
90
B — Dunlop RoadSmart III
95
Why this score
SourceBattlax Adventure A40RoadSmart III
Professional tests (TWG score) – 97
Tyre Reviews owners 90 91

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) RoadSmart III leads by 16
A — Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A40
73
B — Dunlop RoadSmart III
89
Why this score
SourceBattlax Adventure A40RoadSmart III
Tyre Reviews owners 73 89

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) RoadSmart III leads by 5
A — Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A40
83
B — Dunlop RoadSmart III
88
Why this score
SourceBattlax Adventure A40RoadSmart III
Tyre Reviews owners 83 88

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) RoadSmart III leads by 9
A — Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A40
80
B — Dunlop RoadSmart III
89
Why this score
SourceBattlax Adventure A40RoadSmart III
Tyre Reviews owners 80 89

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) RoadSmart III leads by 21
A — Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A40
68
B — Dunlop RoadSmart III
89
Why this score
SourceBattlax Adventure A40RoadSmart III
Tyre Reviews owners 68 89

Scores at a glance

Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A40 vs Dunlop RoadSmart III: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryBridgestone Battlax Adventure A40Dunlop RoadSmart III
Relative Score 78 90
Dry 90 95
Wet 73 89
Comfort 83 88
Treadwear 80 89
Handling 68 89

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A40

The Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A40 receives a mixed reception, characterized by a divide between users praising its longevity and dry-weather performance and those expressing significant concerns regarding wet-weather confidence. While some riders report exceptional tread life exceeding 30,000 km, others find the tire's performance lacking in challenging conditions, leading to inconsistent user satisfaction.

Pros

  • Impressive tread longevity for long-distance touring
  • Strong grip performance on dry road surfaces
  • High levels of ride comfort and low noise output

Cons

  • Inconsistent wet-weather traction and confidence
  • Rapid tread wear reported by some high-performance motorcycle users
  • Perceived lack of safety compared to dedicated road-biased alternatives

Observations

  • Riders of heavy adventure bikes like the R 1200 GS report significantly faster tread wear compared to general touring users.
  • Users seeking a dual-purpose tire for commuting find the A40's wet-weather performance insufficient for daily reliability.
Tire B Dunlop RoadSmart III

The Dunlop RoadSmart III is highly regarded as a durable, high-performance sport-touring tire that excels in longevity without sacrificing significant grip. Users consistently praise its stability and confidence-inspiring handling across a variety of motorcycles, particularly heavy touring bikes and sportbikes used for long-distance travel.

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and mileage compared to dedicated sport tires.
  • Sharp, responsive steering and handling characteristics.
  • Consistent and reliable grip in both dry and wet road conditions.
  • Stable performance under heavy loads, including luggage and pillion passengers.

Cons

  • Occasional reports of rear-end slippage during aggressive cornering with power input.
  • Front tire wear can be uneven or faster than expected depending on suspension setup.
  • Some users noted a firm ride quality due to the stiff carcass construction.

Observations

  • BMW K1600GTL owners report the tire is an excellent match for the bike's weight and touring demands.
  • Sportbike riders (e.g., GSXR1000) appreciate the tire as a long-lasting alternative to pure sport rubber without losing agility.
  • The stiff carcass design is noted to sharpen steering response, which is particularly beneficial for heavier touring motorcycles.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A40 B · Dunlop RoadSmart III
CategorySummer Premium Touring tiresSummer Premium Touring tires
Vehicle typeMotorcycleMotorcycle
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone

Dunlop

Winner: Dunlop RoadSmart III — better handling, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop RoadSmart III scores 89 vs 68 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop RoadSmart III scores 89 vs 73 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Dunlop RoadSmart III scores 89 vs 80 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop RoadSmart III scores 95 vs 90 on dry.

Tire A · Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A40
Tire B · Dunlop RoadSmart III

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.