Bridgestone Battlax BT 021 looks discontinued: no new owner reviews or road tests in five years and no current EU tyre label.

Head-to-head Updated

Bridgestone Battlax BT 021 vs Dunlop RoadSmart III — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 1 road tests and 10 + 16 owner reviews. How we score

RoadSmart III is ahead, 80–67

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Dunlop RoadSmart III
Tire BDunlop

RoadSmart III

Summer

± 7Provisional

Tests 72 · 1 test Owners 85 · 16 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 6 in 2020 Motorcycle Sports Touring Tyre Test (dry braking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 68

    Dry

    RoadSmart III +9
    77
    Why this score
    SourceBattlax BT 021RoadSmart III
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 68 (est.)72
    Reviews found online6885

    Battlax BT 021: 60% × 67.9 (est.) + 40% × 67.9 = 68

    RoadSmart III: 60% × 72.1 + 40% × 85.3 = 77

    No road tests of dry for Battlax BT 021. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 67

    Wet

    RoadSmart III +16
    83
    Why this score
    SourceBattlax BT 021RoadSmart III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 80 (est.)
    Reviews found online6687

    Battlax BT 021: 60% × 68.1 (est.) + 40% × 65.9 = 67

    RoadSmart III: 60% × 79.8 (est.) + 40% × 87.4 = 83

    No road tests of wet for Battlax BT 021. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for RoadSmart III. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 66

    Comfort

    RoadSmart III +12
    78
    Why this score
    SourceBattlax BT 021RoadSmart III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online6482

    Battlax BT 021: 40% × 67.8 (est.) + 60% × 64.4 = 66

    RoadSmart III: 40% × 71.3 (est.) + 60% × 81.9 = 78

    No road tests of comfort for Battlax BT 021. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for RoadSmart III. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  4. 66

    Treadwear

    RoadSmart III +10
    76
    Why this score
    SourceBattlax BT 021RoadSmart III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online6683

    Battlax BT 021: 60% × 66.3 (est.) + 40% × 65.8 = 66

    RoadSmart III: 60% × 72.3 (est.) + 40% × 82.5 = 76

    No road tests of treadwear for Battlax BT 021. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    No road tests of treadwear for RoadSmart III. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  5. 65

    Handling (owners)

    RoadSmart III +21
    86
    Why this score
    SourceBattlax BT 021RoadSmart III
    Reviews found online6586
Scores at a glance
Bridgestone Battlax BT 021 vs Dunlop RoadSmart III: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryBridgestone Battlax BT 021Dunlop RoadSmart III
Relative Score 67 80
Dry 68 77
Wet 67 83
Comfort 66 78
Treadwear 66 76
Handling (owners) 65 86

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

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
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Less important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Battlax BT 021

± 7

RoadSmart III

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Battlax BT 021

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and durability for high-mileage commuters
  • Reliable performance for motorway and long-distance riding
  • Strong grip characteristics when tire pressures are correctly calibrated

Cons

  • Handling characteristics can feel unpredictable or heavy if pressures are not perfectly matched to the bike
  • Reports of poor wet-weather grip and lack of rider feedback
  • Tendency for the center of the tire to flatten out significantly during high-mileage motorway use
All owner themes in the Battlax BT 021 review

Tire B RoadSmart III

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.

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.
All owner themes in the RoadSmart III review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Bridgestone Battlax BT 021 B · Dunlop RoadSmart III
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typeMotorcycleMotorcycle

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Battlax BT 021

Dunlop RoadSmart III

Winner: Dunlop RoadSmart III — better handling, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score. Bridgestone Battlax BT 021 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 10 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Dunlop RoadSmart III rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 16 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop RoadSmart III scores 86 vs 65 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop RoadSmart III scores 83 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop RoadSmart III scores 78 vs 66 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Dunlop RoadSmart III scores 76 vs 66 on treadwear.

Tire A · Bridgestone Battlax BT 021
Tire B · Dunlop RoadSmart III

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Battlax BT 021 or RoadSmart III?

Which is better in the wet, Battlax BT 021 or RoadSmart III?

Dunlop RoadSmart III, 83 vs 67 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, Battlax BT 021 or RoadSmart III?

Dunlop RoadSmart III, 77 vs 68 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Battlax BT 021 or RoadSmart III?

Dunlop RoadSmart III, 78 vs 66 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Battlax BT 021 or RoadSmart III?

Dunlop RoadSmart III, 76 vs 66 on our treadwear score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

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