81
/ 100
Objective (60%)
72/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
80/100
2 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T31 vs Michelin Road 5 — 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
85
/ 100
Objective (60%)
72/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
84/100
24 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Michelin Road 5 — better wet, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made via links on this page.
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
Score (0–100)
Road 5 leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | Battlax Sport Touring T31 | Road 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 83 | 88 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 85 | 87 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) | 96% | 97% |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Road 5 leads by 12
Why this score
| Source | Battlax Sport Touring T31 | Road 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 75 | 87 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Road 5 leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | Battlax Sport Touring T31 | Road 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 89 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Battlax Sport Touring T31 leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | Battlax Sport Touring T31 | Road 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 85 | 83 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Battlax Sport Touring T31 | Road 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 80 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T31 | Michelin Road 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 81 | 85 |
| Dry | 84 | 88 |
| Wet | 75 | 87 |
| Comfort | 80 | 89 |
| Treadwear | 85 | 83 |
| Handling | 80 | 80 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Personalize
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score
81
/ 100
Tire A
85
/ 100
Tire B
Test data
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | Tire A | Tire B | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 96% #6/6 · 2020 Motorcycle Sports Touring Tyre Test | 97% #4/6 · 2020 Motorcycle Sports Touring Tyre Test | -1.3 | Same test |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 17% #6/6 · 2020 Motorcycle Sports Touring Tyre Test | 20% #5/6 · 2020 Motorcycle Sports Touring Tyre Test | -3.3 | Same test |
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T31 is viewed as a capable and communicative tire that performs well in spirited riding conditions. While it offers reliable grip, some users report a tendency for the tire to feel overly sensitive or skittish on uneven road surfaces.
Pros
- Strong dry grip on smooth road surfaces
- High level of road feedback and communication
- Capable of maintaining pace with sport-oriented motorcycles
- Improved wet weather performance compared to previous generations
Cons
- Tendency to skip or feel unsettled on rough, uneven road surfaces
- Feedback can occasionally be misleading, creating a false sensation of slipping
- Wet grip performance is considered good but not class-leading compared to dedicated sport tires
Observations
- Users of the GT-spec variant on heavy sport-touring motorcycles like the ST1300 report a generally positive experience with handling and feedback.
The Michelin Road 5 is widely regarded as a benchmark sport-touring tire, praised for its exceptional wet-weather performance and impressive longevity. While most riders report high confidence in both dry and wet conditions, a significant subset of users has expressed frustration regarding the tire's susceptibility to punctures, which some attribute to its soft carcass and siping design.
Pros
- Class-leading wet weather grip and rider confidence
- Excellent tread life and durability for touring applications
- Dual-compound construction provides a balance of stability and cornering grip
- Strong performance across diverse riding styles, including occasional track use
Cons
- High susceptibility to punctures from road debris
- Soft carcass construction can be prone to structural damage from impacts
- Some users report a lack of feedback compared to dedicated sport tires
- Premium price point compared to competitors
Observations
- Users on torquey middleweight bikes (e.g., 650cc-765cc) report excellent traction and longevity, even under aggressive riding.
- Heavier sport-touring machines (e.g., K1300R, VFR800) benefit from the tire's stability, though some note unique wear patterns on the front tire compared to the rear.
- Commuters on poor-quality tarmac report high mileage but note that the tire's grip can be tested by extreme road surface conditions.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T31 | B · Michelin Road 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Premium Touring tires | Summer Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Motorcycle | Motorcycle |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
81
/ 100
Bridgestone
85
/ 100
Michelin
Winner: Michelin Road 5 — better wet, comfort and dry. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Road 5 scores 87 vs 75 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Road 5 scores 89 vs 80 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Road 5 scores 88 vs 84 on dry.
Tire A · Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T31
Tire B · Michelin Road 5
More comparisons
Also compared with
Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T31 also compared with
Michelin Road 5 also compared with
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.