“I had a pair of these in 2003 on my 2002 Yamaha R6, I developed my riding a lot on these tires to the point they were the first tires I ever ditched while they were still legal. I was annoyed at the time with the...”
Bridgestone Battlax BT 012
The Bridgestone Battlax BT 012 is a High Performance Summer tire designed to be fitted to Motorcycles.
The quick answer
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated June 2016.
- 10owner reviews
- 32,200miles driven
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Frequently Asked Questions
How comfortable and quiet are the Bridgestone Battlax BT 012?
How well do the Bridgestone Battlax BT 012 wear, according to owners?
Would owners buy the Bridgestone Battlax BT 012 again?
What do owners say about the Bridgestone Battlax BT 012's dry grip?
What do owners say about the Bridgestone Battlax BT 012's wet grip?
Owner Questions
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Bridgestone Battlax BT 012 Owner Reviews
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Across 10 owner ratings the Bridgestone Battlax BT 012 averages 48%. Owners rate Dry Grip highest at 6.8 out of 10 and Handling lowest at 4.1. 0% of owners score it 70% or better.
Owner ratings averaged from 10 ratings
- Owner score 48%
- Dry Grip 68%
- Comfort 62%
- Wear 57%
- Wet Grip 46%
- Road Feedback 45%
- Handling 41%
Featured reviews
“Not impressed! Make sure the tires are warmed before giving it some. The Rear tire slid out on a left hand sweeper and spat me off on the dual carriage-way. Bike was a right-off. You've been warned!”
All 10 Bridgestone Battlax BT 012 reviews
- Yamaha 2002 R6
- 180/55 R17 W
- 4,000 miles
- Mostly Country Roads
- Spirited
From new they were pretty awesome although they didn't quite have the comfort and feel of the Michelin Pilots Sports they replaced. They required the suspension to be adjusted but once dialled in they had superior grip, the soft edges would ripple even on the road which looked cool (I was young).
At around 3000 miles the shoulder on the front tire was wearing more than the center due to the dual compound and the grip was starting to go off a little on the rear. I nearly highsided in the wet on a track day at this mileage, and at 4000 miles the bike was a handful in wet or cold conditions. My mate managed to throw it down the road on them despite my warnings. I had new tires on mail order which came shortly afterwards.
The Michelins had done 5000 miles and only the rear was worn out, they still gripped as good more or less as when new so I hated Bridgestones and have barely used them since.
- Honda Honda CB600F Hornet
- 180/55 R17
- 6,000 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Average
- Honda CBR600FA
- 190/55 R17
- 4,000 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Average
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- Honda CB600F FA ABS
- 225/45 R17
- 1,000 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Spirited
I've not been thrown off yet (touch wood) as with some of the other reviews, but they have little to no feedback in any conditions, and are pretty slippery if there's any moisture on the roads. Braking distances are also abysmal in the wet. I've got no confidence in them and they're coming off ASAP.
When roads have been dry for a few days and the ambient temperature is 20+ degrees C, it's a totally different story, so I would probably consider these as a cheaper option for track day tires.
Finally, after ~1000 miles of mixed commuting/fun, they're already pretty badly worn... I'd probably only get another 2000 miles tops, although I do tend to ride pretty hard --- more careful riders will probably get 4000+. In short, not recommended; why they put these as stock on a sport tourer, I have no idea.
- Honda
- 180/45 R17
- 1,000 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Average
Do not buy and if you have these, only ride on hot summer dry days.
- Honda Cbr600fa
- 180/80 R17
- 200 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Average
This is my third bike and the first time i've come off. I think i'd hit some diesel on the road earlier, but the rear squirmed leaving lights, and then high-sided me on the first gentle left hand bend. The road was damp. The scary thing is how little notice i had before the rear slid out.
I found the feedback on the road to be non-existant on these tires - i was never comfortable.
I've used Bridgestone B-014s and B-016s before and found the feedback much better.
It appears other people have come off on these tires.
One word: AVOID.
- Honda Cbr600fa
- 225/45 R17
- 1,000 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Average
- Honda Cbr600fa
- 180/55 R17 W
- 7,000 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Spirited
- Honda CB600FA Hornet
- 180/55 R17
- 4,000 miles
- Mostly Town
- Spirited
Initially with a new bike I was cautious, but even so, and perhaps it was my own inexperience but within 100 miles I had touched the deck. Luckily the bike came out fairly unscaved.
Since then the tires have been fairly satisfactory, only loosing grip a couple of times in the wet, but quickly recovered. At 4000miles they are now down on the min wear marker.
I won't be buying these again, the feedback isn't great. In the dry they do grip well and you can really get your knee down, but they're really only a standard road tire and I would have liked them to have done another 1000 miles.
- Yamaha 2002 R6
- 180/55 R17 W
- 4,000 miles
- A Combination of Roads
- Spirited
They were plenty good enough for road use but the rear was especially nervous on a track day giving very little warning before highside ( I saved it that time).
I found the wear rate on these tires to be heavier than most, they were both well past their best within 3000 miles.
The rear would break free very easily unless really well warmed up, and the front had become mis-shaped like a 20 pence piece (as most dual compound fronts seem to do with me). Both tires seemed to lack feel at this point even though they were not on the tread wear limit, causing the handling to suffer.
I let my mate have a ride one day after he got fet up of my whining when I couldn't keep up. A few minutes later he threw the bike down the road as the rear came round on him on a roundabout (just as I told him).
By 4000 mile both tires were on the wear bars, the front was more in the sides than the middle, and the handling had become a joke.
I wouldn't buy these again, I wouldn't have got them in the first place as I have crashed on Bridgestones (BT50's) before. They were free though because my girlfriend at the time worked for a bike magazine and wanted someone to test them. Expensive test as my mate never paid for all the damage he did to my then 2 year old bike.
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