Tyres, Brakes and Suspension » Bridgestone T31 and S22 Comparison

For the last 2 years I have been using the Bridgestone T31 that have now been changed out for a set of S22, so now a comparison of the 2 Bridgestone versions that I will update as I get chance to add miles.
The T31 have performed faultlessly in terms of dry and wet weather performance combined with feedback and general feeling through the bars topped off with good wear characteristics.
Mileage covered on the T31 was around the 7000 mile mark and they were still approximately 1mm from wear bar limit and although now squared off handling had not deteriorated too badly and the edgy feeling you get with squared worn tyres although present did not introduce any handling issues.
The front and rear tyres have worn at an even rate and anybody considering these should keep this in mind that they will need replacing as a matched pair, if anything the front had probably worn a little worse than the rear as its a soft grippy compound. To sum up my opinion of the T31 a good all round tyre with a constant performance wet or dry throughout their useful life.

S22 I thought I would give this tyre a try because I like the feel and feed back Bridgestone's give and although marketed as a performance tyre it comes as standard on the Kawasaki 1000SX a bike in the same mould as the RS and if you don't try you wont know and with no long touring trips planned for a while it would be a good time to change. The S22 is not an upgrade but a new tyre version using the latest technology of compound mixes etc or so the sales guys want you believe but technology moves on and its good to experiment.
So my impressions after the first 150 miles are - definitely lighter steering than the T31 with an improved feeling while braking in to the turn. No tipping feeling you get with some sport orientated tyres just a light continuous roll, all tests available praise the front tyre for the feed back provided and with my limited use this would also be my first impression.
The rear tyre just feels planted and one notable difference over the T31 is a more compliant ride with small bumps and ridges in the road soaked up with less vibration from road surface felt, best way I can describe it is it feels like the tyres are running at a softer pressure and perhaps this is due to a different carcase stiffness ? The rear tyre has 3 compounds starting with a hard centre medium sides and soft edges so with luck wear rates should be acceptable but only time will tell, the front on the other hand makes do with 2 compounds a hard centre and soft sides.

With ongoing lock down in UK for the foreseeable future the chance to add miles and provide updates will be limited but as soon as we are allowed out to play and a few thousand or so miles are covered in order to provide a more meaningful report then will do.

IMG_0049.JPG - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)IMG_0050.JPG - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

Zitat von Ady im Beitrag #1

---

For the last 2 years I have been using the Bridgestone T31 that have now been changed out for a set of S22, so now a comparison of the 2 Bridgestone versions that I will update as I get chance to add miles.

---

Hi all. :) It is a good idea to try different tires. I can see that there are several who think it is important that the tires last long. I didn't think so important. The difference between a touring tire and a more sporty tire is exactly how it manages and provides feedback from the road. Where a touring tire can feel heavy and tedious, a more sporty tire can feel inspiring and easy on the steering. Most tires also change their character when worn. You may well be able to run 12,000 km on a tire, but if the tire is not controlling as well as when it was new, it might be time to change it.

According to Bridgestone's category chart (<-- Link), the S22 seems to be a good fit...
2020_04_13_Tire_Category.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)
I had a pair of S22's on my former S1000R, and I have nothing bad to say about them.

Update, 2020/4/14. I contacted Bridgestone USA, and they said that for my riding style (dry twisty roads) best to go with S22 instead of T31.

I got my set of S22 today, taking advantage of a $60 refund when purchasing a set before April 30.

Putting them to immediate use...
2020_04_20_CA_SanJacinto_BridgestoneS22_Jerome.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

Zitat von jdr im Beitrag #6

---

I got my set of S22 today, taking advantage of a $60 refund when purchasing a set before April 30.

Putting them to immediate use...

---

I had both S22's installed today, and this was the biggest improvement from swapping tires I have felt in 40 years of riding...
I'm sure a lot had to do with going from a completely worn (steel belt showing on the rear) pair of OEM Metzeler Roadtec Z8 Interact, that at the end required extra muscle to initiate and stay into turns, to almost "drop in" turn entry and then smooth constant turn carving.
I look forward to the extra peace of mind from grippier tires when at high bank angles.

Glad you like the S22 I was trying to keep my impression in perspective when I wrote my first report because so many times you see feed back that is based around a new tyre replacing a shot existing. The original Z8 I had fitted was never a tyre to give me confidence I just had a lack of feeling and the change to T31 was a major improvement for me and yet another step up with the S22.

During lock down I have only made short trips and can only report on how quickly these tyres warm up and the confidence they provide with feedback and great steering response.

Now having covered 3500 miles on the S22 I can now provide a little more meaningful feed back.

1 Front tyre feels neutral and inspires confidence

2 Rear tyre is compliant and provides comfortable ride both solo and 2 up with luggage

3 Warm up and dry grip more than I could ever expect to benefit from

4 Now for the down side, I was riding wet roads at 8deg c and had zero feed back from front or back tyre to the point I stopped and checked to see if rear was punctured - not a nice feeling. I recently took bike for spin to charge battery and warm engine again in about 8deg c but with dry roads and tyres felt fine.

To sum up a vey nice tyre to use on warm dry roads but for us in UK the temp will often drop in spring and fall to the temps I experienced so a tyre that will continue to perform on cold wet roads is required for a 3 season rider and goes without saying for those hardened 4 season tough nuts.
Point of interest on returning cold wet ride the surface of the tyre appeared to have a hard gloss effect perhaps due to lack of temp and it felt slippery to the touch probably due to being operated under temp for prolonged period.
Great summer fun tyre for warmer climates and ok in warm summer rain but be careful if weather cools.