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Bridgestone Battlax BT 023 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 47 + 16 owner reviews. How we score

Battlax BT 023 leads, 82–80 Narrow edge

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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. 81

    Dry

    Battlax BT 023 +4
    77
    Why this score
    SourceBattlax BT 023RoadSmart III
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 77 (est.)72
    Reviews found online8985

    Battlax BT 023: 60% × 76.5 (est.) + 40% × 88.8 = 81

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

    No road tests of dry for Battlax BT 023. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

  2. 83

    Wet

    Level
    83
    Why this score
    SourceBattlax BT 023RoadSmart III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 80 (est.)≈ 80 (est.)
    Reviews found online8787

    Battlax BT 023: 60% × 79.6 (est.) + 40% × 87 = 83

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

    No road tests of wet for Battlax BT 023. 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. 81

    Comfort

    Battlax BT 023 +3
    78
    Why this score
    SourceBattlax BT 023RoadSmart III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online8682

    Battlax BT 023: 40% × 72.2 (est.) + 60% × 86.2 = 81

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

    No road tests of comfort for Battlax BT 023. 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. 77

    Treadwear

    Battlax BT 023 +1
    76
    Why this score
    SourceBattlax BT 023RoadSmart III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online8483

    Battlax BT 023: 60% × 72.8 (est.) + 40% × 83.9 = 77

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

    No road tests of treadwear for Battlax BT 023. 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. 90

    Handling (owners)

    Battlax BT 023 +4
    86
    Why this score
    SourceBattlax BT 023RoadSmart III
    Reviews found online9086
Scores at a glance
CategoryBridgestone Battlax BT 023Dunlop RoadSmart III
Relative Score 82 80
Dry 81 77
Wet 83 83
Comfort 81 78
Treadwear 77 76
Handling (owners) 90 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 023

± 7

RoadSmart III

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Battlax BT 023

Pros

  • Exceptional wet-weather grip and water dispersal
  • Impressive tread life and durability even on heavy motorcycles
  • High levels of stability and predictable handling

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
All owner themes in the Battlax BT 023 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 023 B · Dunlop RoadSmart III
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typeMotorcycleMotorcycle

Which one should you actually buy?

Bridgestone Battlax BT 023

Dunlop RoadSmart III

Narrow edge: Bridgestone Battlax BT 023 — better dry and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score. Dunlop RoadSmart III rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 16 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Bridgestone Battlax BT 023 scores 81 vs 77 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Bridgestone Battlax BT 023 scores 81 vs 78 on comfort.

Tire A · Bridgestone Battlax BT 023
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Tire B · Dunlop RoadSmart III
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Battlax BT 023 or RoadSmart III?

Which is better in the wet, Battlax BT 023 or RoadSmart III?

Neither, by our numbers: 83 vs 83 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, Battlax BT 023 or RoadSmart III?

Bridgestone Battlax BT 023, 81 vs 77 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Battlax BT 023 or RoadSmart III?

Bridgestone Battlax BT 023, 81 vs 78 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, Battlax BT 023 or RoadSmart III?

Neither, by our numbers: 77 vs 76 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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