Tests 63 · 1 test Owners 65 · 3 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T31 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 1 + 1 road tests and 3 + 16 owner reviews. How we score
RoadSmart III is ahead, 80–66
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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.
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65
Dry
RoadSmart III +1277Why this score
Source Battlax Sport Touring T31 RoadSmart III Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / 1 tests 63 72 Reviews found online 68 85 Dry Braking (% of best) · 1 shared test · wins 0–1 96% 99% Battlax Sport Touring T31: 60% × 62.9 + 40% × 68.1 = 65
RoadSmart III: 60% × 72.1 + 40% × 85.3 = 77
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69
Wet
RoadSmart III +1483Why this score
Source Battlax Sport Touring T31 RoadSmart III Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 80 (est.) Reviews found online 69 87 Battlax Sport Touring T31: 60% × 69.5 (est.) + 40% × 68.5 = 69
RoadSmart III: 60% × 79.9 (est.) + 40% × 87.4 = 83
No road tests of wet for Battlax Sport Touring T31. 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).
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65
Comfort
RoadSmart III +1378Why this score
Source Battlax Sport Touring T31 RoadSmart III Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 63 82 Battlax Sport Touring T31: 40% × 67.6 (est.) + 60% × 63.3 = 65
RoadSmart III: 40% × 71.4 (est.) + 60% × 81.8 = 78
No road tests of comfort for Battlax Sport Touring T31. 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).
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62
Treadwear
RoadSmart III +1476Why this score
Source Battlax Sport Touring T31 RoadSmart III Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 64 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 60 83 Battlax Sport Touring T31: 60% × 64.1 (est.) + 40% × 59.8 = 62
RoadSmart III: 60% × 72.3 (est.) + 40% × 82.5 = 76
No road tests of treadwear for Battlax Sport Touring T31. 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).
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68
Handling (owners)
RoadSmart III +1886Why this score
Source Battlax Sport Touring T31 RoadSmart III Reviews found online 68 86
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T31 | Dunlop RoadSmart III |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 66 | 80 |
| Dry | 65 | 77 |
| Wet | 69 | 83 |
| Comfort | 65 | 78 |
| Treadwear | 62 | 76 |
| Handling (owners) | 68 | 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
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
66
/ 100
Battlax Sport Touring T31
80
/ 100
RoadSmart III
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
In the overall rankings of 1 tests that ran both, Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T31 finished ahead 0 times and Dunlop RoadSmart III 1 times.
| Discipline | Category | Battlax Sport Touring T31 | RoadSmart III | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 96% | 99% | −3.3 | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Motorcycle Sports Touring Tyre Test · 180/55 R17 |
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #6/6 | #2/6 | – | 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2020 Motorcycle Sports Touring Tyre Test · 180/55 R17 |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Battlax Sport Touring T31
Pros
- Strong dry grip on smooth road surfaces
- High level of road feedback and communication
- Capable of maintaining pace with sport-oriented motorcycles
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
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.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T31 | B · Dunlop RoadSmart III |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Motorcycle | Motorcycle |
Which one should you actually buy?
66
/ 100
Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T31
80
/ 100
Dunlop RoadSmart III
Winner: Dunlop RoadSmart III — better handling, wet and treadwear. It leads or ties in every category we score. Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T31 rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 3 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 68 on handling.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Dunlop RoadSmart III scores 83 vs 69 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Dunlop RoadSmart III scores 76 vs 62 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Dunlop RoadSmart III scores 78 vs 65 on comfort.
Tire A · Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T31
Tire B · Dunlop RoadSmart III
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Battlax Sport Touring T31 or RoadSmart III?
Which is better in the wet, Battlax Sport Touring T31 or RoadSmart III?
Dunlop RoadSmart III, 83 vs 69 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Battlax Sport Touring T31 or RoadSmart III?
Dunlop RoadSmart III, 77 vs 65 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Battlax Sport Touring T31 or RoadSmart III?
Dunlop RoadSmart III, 78 vs 65 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Battlax Sport Touring T31 or RoadSmart III?
Dunlop RoadSmart III, 76 vs 62 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