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Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Bridgestone Battlax BT 012 vs Bridgestone Battlax BT 023 — Compared (May 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.

Tire A Bridgestone

Bridgestone Battlax BT 012

Summer High Performance tires

Bridgestone Battlax BT 012 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
48/100
10 owner reviews
Dry
68
Wet
46
Comfort
62
Treadwear
57
Handling
41
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Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Bridgestone

Bridgestone Battlax BT 023

Summer Premium Touring tires

Bridgestone Battlax BT 023 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
89/100
47 owner reviews
Dry
92
Wet
85
Comfort
91
Treadwear
88
Handling
90
Check price on Amazon

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Bridgestone Battlax BT 023 — 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) Battlax BT 023 leads by 24
A
68
B
92
Why this score
SourceBattlax BT 012Battlax BT 023
Tyre Reviews owners 68 92

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Battlax BT 023 leads by 39
A
46
B
85
Why this score
SourceBattlax BT 012Battlax BT 023
Tyre Reviews owners 46 85

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Battlax BT 023 leads by 29
A
62
B
91
Why this score
SourceBattlax BT 012Battlax BT 023
Tyre Reviews owners 62 91

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Battlax BT 023 leads by 31
A
57
B
88
Why this score
SourceBattlax BT 012Battlax BT 023
Tyre Reviews owners 57 88

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Battlax BT 023 leads by 49
A
41
B
90
Why this score
SourceBattlax BT 012Battlax BT 023
Tyre Reviews owners 41 90

Scores at a glance

CategoryBridgestone Battlax BT 012Bridgestone Battlax BT 023
Relative Score 54 89
Dry 68 92
Wet 46 85
Comfort 62 91
Treadwear 57 88
Handling 41 90

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 BT 012

The Bridgestone Battlax BT 012 is generally viewed as an underwhelming tire, frequently criticized for its poor wet-weather performance and lack of rider feedback. While some users find them acceptable for casual dry-weather riding, a significant number of owners report sudden loss of traction, leading to a lack of confidence and early replacement.

Pros

  • Acceptable grip levels in warm, dry conditions
  • Reasonable performance for light, everyday commuting
  • Predictable behavior when new and properly warmed

Cons

  • Abysmal traction and braking performance in wet or cold conditions
  • Lack of road feedback and communication to the rider
  • Sudden, unpredictable loss of grip leading to slides or high-sides
  • Rapid tread wear and performance drop-off

Observations

  • Users on Honda CBR600 series bikes frequently reported dissatisfaction with the tire as factory-standard equipment.
  • The tire struggles to manage the power delivery of full-power four-cylinder motorcycles, particularly during aggressive downshifting.
Tire B Bridgestone Battlax BT 023

The Bridgestone Battlax BT-023 is widely regarded as a highly capable and durable sport-touring tire that offers a significant performance upgrade over its predecessors. Users consistently praise its exceptional wet-weather confidence, longevity, and stability, making it a favorite for commuters and long-distance tourers alike.

Pros

  • Exceptional wet-weather grip and water dispersal
  • Impressive tread life and durability even on heavy motorcycles
  • High levels of stability and predictable handling
  • Quick warm-up times
  • Strong value proposition for high-mileage riders

Cons

  • Slower steering response compared to sportier alternatives
  • Tendency for the rear tire to square off under heavy touring loads
  • Occasional reports of instability or 'wobble' late in the tire's life cycle
  • Some users noted a lack of grip on specific road surfaces like painted lines

Observations

  • Heavy sport-touring bikes (e.g., K1300GT, FJR1300, ZZR1200) benefit significantly from the tire's stability and longevity.
  • Users noted that the tire can feel 'slower' or heavier in steering transitions when fitted to lighter, more agile sport bikes.
  • Heavily loaded bikes may experience uneven 'stepping' wear on the sides of the tire.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Battlax BT 012 B · Bridgestone Battlax BT 023
CategorySummer High Performance tiresSummer Premium Touring tires
Vehicle typeMotorcycleMotorcycle
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone

Bridgestone

Winner: Bridgestone Battlax BT 023 — better handling, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Bridgestone Battlax BT 023 scores 90 vs 41 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Bridgestone Battlax BT 023 scores 85 vs 46 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Bridgestone Battlax BT 023 scores 88 vs 57 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Bridgestone Battlax BT 023 scores 91 vs 62 on comfort.

Tire A · Bridgestone Battlax BT 012
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Tire B · Bridgestone Battlax BT 023
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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.