Bridgestone Announces BATTLAX A42 Adventure Touring Tire

With improved wet-weather traction, longer tread life, and more responsive handling, Bridgestone’s latest adventure touring tire targets riders who favor pavement over trails.

Bridgestone has introduced the BATTLAX ADVENTURE A42, a new motorcycle tire developed for adventure touring riders who primarily travel on paved roads. Scheduled for a global rollout beginning January 1, 2027, the A42 succeeds the BATTLAX ADVENTURE A41 with improvements in wet-weather performance, tread life, handling, and riding comfort.

The new tire targets adventure motorcycle owners who use their machines for highway touring, commuting, and spirited riding on winding roads rather than primarily for off-road travel. Its development reflects the increasing popularity of adventure motorcycles as versatile road touring platforms.

Improved Traction, Longevity, and Comfort

Compared with the outgoing A41, Bridgestone reports several measurable performance improvements:

• Wet-weather performance: A 14% reduction in rear-wheel slip during straight-line acceleration on wet pavement, accompanied by a 9% improvement in wet acceleration.
• Tread life: An 18% improvement in front tire longevity and a 25% improvement at the rear.
• Riding comfort: A 15% reduction in tire noise, contributing to quieter highway travel.

Bridgestone also reports improvements in dry-road grip, contact feel, and handling based on evaluations by its test riders. The company attributes these gains partly to a larger contact patch, expanding the area providing grip while reducing the area experiencing slip. These characteristics are particularly relevant to touring riders who value predictable handling on winding roads.

The performance figures come from Bridgestone’s internal comparisons with the A41. Actual results may vary according to motorcycle, road conditions, riding style, and tire maintenance.

New Compounds and Tread Design

To achieve these improvements, Bridgestone developed new rubber compounds for the front and rear tires. The front compound incorporates a flexible polymer to enhance road-surface grip and compliance, while the rear emphasizes wear resistance. Both use optimized silica and carbon content to balance wet traction and tire longevity.

The A42 also introduces a revised tread pattern incorporating Bridgestone’s Pulse Groove water drainage technology. Changes to groove placement and tread stiffness are intended to improve handling, road contact feel, wear resistance, and noise characteristics.

Designed for Road-Oriented Adventure Motorcycles

The A42’s initial size range emphasizes adventure touring motorcycles equipped with 19- or 21-inch front wheels and 17- or 18-inch rear wheels. Six sizes are scheduled for introduction during 2027, with nine additional sizes following in 2028.

The second phase includes a 120/70ZR17 front tire and additional rear sizes, expanding the range of applications.

The A42 complements Bridgestone’s existing BATTLAX SPORT TOURING T33, which serves the mainstream sport touring market. Although both emphasize road performance and tire longevity, the A42 is specifically developed for the characteristics and wheel configurations common to adventure touring motorcycles.

While global rollout begins in January 2027, Bridgestone has not yet announced U.S. retail pricing or a specific U.S. availability date. The company plans to introduce the tire progressively in markets worldwide beginning in January 2027.

Additional technical information, performance comparisons, and the complete tire size schedule are available in Bridgestone’s official announcement.