Tyre review: Bridgestone Battlax SC2

Tyre: Bridgestone Battlax Scooter SC2 Rain £252.00 per pair (120/70 x 15 & 160/60 x 15)

Where was the test: 1200-miles commuting and touring in UK and France.

Modern day maxi scooters are virtually unrecognisable from big scoots of old. The latest Yamaha TMAX, for example, is packed with enough poke to sit at 120mph on autobahns, has an aluminium chassis, upside forks, radial brakes and superbike-inspired electronic ride aids.

Maxi scooters are fun, but they’re also practical workhorses, used in all weathers, so it’s only right you should have a tyre to match. And just like a ‘proper’ bike, choosing the right rubber is everything.

Bridgestone’s new radial Battlax Scooter SC2 is a tyre designed to go hand in hand with all a maxi-scooter’s best bits, providing all-season grip and fun in the corners. I’ve been testing them on my TMAX for the past 1200-miles, for general running about in all weathers (mostly dismal) and commuting. I also rode to northern France when the mini ‘Beast from the East’ came to town, which meant riding in rain, ice and snow. Perfect conditions for a tyre test, then.

The new tyres have a single, silica-rich front and rear compound and packed with technology taken from Bridgestone’s sports and sports touring range. There are two versions: the standard SC2, which features the tread pattern from the S21 and the Rain, version, which we’re testing here, with T31-aping grooves, to shift water faster.

With a much rounder profile than the OE Dunlop Roadsmart, the new Bridgestones transform the TMAX. Now it rolls more eagerly into corners, takes less effort to steer and there’s a heap more feel and grip and confidence at full lean.

Warm-up time is impressive and they’re good to go by the time you’ve swung out of your drive or left the office car park, even on freezing tarmac, which is reassuring.

They’re wearing well so far, but we’ll report back to later in the year to let you know how long they last.

There are cheaper tyres around, but then there are much more affordable scooters, too. You get what you pay for and the increase in fun and safety are worth every penny.