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Bridgestone BT-023 tyre tested

Replacing the BT-021, the 023 has a uniform carcass construction but has two different compounds of rubber to alter its performance. The inner rubber is harder for increased life while the rubber on the tyre’s edges is softer for outright grip. On the brief dry sections of our ride the 023 seemed to get up to working temperature rapidly and delivered good dry grip, certainly more than enough for most road riders if you are honest about your riding ability.

Tested: Metzeler Sportec M5 Interact

With its clever Interact technology Metzeler has created a tyre that has a varying carcass construction to alter how the rubber performs. Without going too deeply the M5 consists of five bands of belting that vary in stiffness. At the outer edges of the tyre the carcass is quite flexible, allowing the rubber to move around and generate more heat and therefore grip, while nearer the tyre’s centre the carcass is stiffer, reducing the rubber’s movement and decreasing its wear.

Aren't motorcycles brilliant?

WE'RE not saying MCN's verdicts lack variation but here's a few of the weekly paper's recent headlines on just-ridden bikes: ‘Simply brilliant’ On the Kawasaki Z1000, November 27, 2013 ‘Brilliant’ On the BMW S1000R, December 4, 2013 ‘We thought it might be good. It's not: it's bloody brilliant!’ On the BMW R nineT, January 29, 2014 ‘Simply brilliant’ On the Yamaha MT-07, February 19, 2014