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 Sportsmart — 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 + 0 road tests and 10 + 11 owner reviews. How we score

Sportsmart is ahead, 76–67

Add your size for an exact match
/R

Both Amazon links then search this exact size.

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Dunlop Sportsmart
Tire BDunlop

Sportsmart

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 78 · 11 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 68

    Dry

    Sportsmart +10
    78
    Why this score
    SourceBattlax BT 021Sportsmart
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online6884

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

    Sportsmart: 60% × 74.6 (est.) + 40% × 84.1 = 78

    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).

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

  2. 67

    Wet

    Sportsmart +9
    76
    Why this score
    SourceBattlax BT 021Sportsmart
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 75 (est.)
    Reviews found online6678

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

    Sportsmart: 60% × 74.6 (est.) + 40% × 77.8 = 76

    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 Sportsmart. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 66

    Comfort

    Sportsmart +9
    75
    Why this score
    SourceBattlax BT 021Sportsmart
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online6477

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

    Sportsmart: 40% × 70.4 (est.) + 60% × 77.3 = 75

    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 Sportsmart. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  4. 66

    Treadwear

    Sportsmart +3
    69
    Why this score
    SourceBattlax BT 021Sportsmart
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 66 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online6671

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

    Sportsmart: 60% × 68.1 (est.) + 40% × 70.8 = 69

    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 Sportsmart. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  5. 65

    Handling (owners)

    Sportsmart +19
    84
    Why this score
    SourceBattlax BT 021Sportsmart
    Reviews found online6584
Scores at a glance
Bridgestone Battlax BT 021 vs Dunlop Sportsmart: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryBridgestone Battlax BT 021Dunlop Sportsmart
Relative Score 67 76
Dry 68 78
Wet 67 76
Comfort 66 75
Treadwear 66 69
Handling (owners) 65 84

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
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 8

Battlax BT 021

± 8

Sportsmart

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 Sportsmart

Pros

  • Exceptional dry and wet grip that inspires rider confidence
  • Predictable feedback and handling, especially when approaching the limit
  • Fast warm-up times suitable for both road and occasional track use

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread life, ranging from 3,000 to 8,000 miles depending on usage
  • Stiff N-TEC construction can feel harsh over road imperfections
  • Occasional reports of air pressure retention issues on specific rear units
All owner themes in the Sportsmart review

Specs side by side

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

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Battlax BT 021

Dunlop Sportsmart

Winner: Dunlop Sportsmart — better handling, dry and wet. 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 Sportsmart rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 11 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop Sportsmart scores 84 vs 65 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop Sportsmart scores 78 vs 68 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop Sportsmart scores 76 vs 67 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop Sportsmart scores 75 vs 66 on comfort.

Tire A · Bridgestone Battlax BT 021
Tire B · Dunlop Sportsmart

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.

Battlax BT 021 or Sportsmart?

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

Dunlop Sportsmart, 76 vs 67 on our wet score.

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

Dunlop Sportsmart, 78 vs 68 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Battlax BT 021 or Sportsmart?

Dunlop Sportsmart, 75 vs 66 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Battlax BT 021 or Sportsmart?

Dunlop Sportsmart, 69 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