Best sports-touring tyres for your motorbike as tested by the experts at MCN

Tyres are a crucial part of any motorcycle, they are what connects you to the road. Poor tyre choice can have catastrophic consequences, not enough grip and you could find yourself in at best a sketchy situation or worse, having a painful accident.

Therefore it is important to get the right tyre for you and your bike, a sporty tyre if you like to ride fast or on track, an off-road tyre if you like to head away from the tarmac and on to the dirt. Or the popular middle ground of a sports-touring tyre, with a good level off general performance and capabilities.

Related article: Bridgestone claim 47% improvement with the latest Battlax Sport Touring T33

What is a sports-touring tyre?

The best sports-touring motorbike tyres have evolved almost magical abilities. They have reserves of dry grip you’ll never use on the road, warm up in a flash, and load you with confidence in the rain. The result is that they last longer than any other type of tyre.

There versatility also means they can be used on sports tourers, naked bikes, touring bikes, adventure bikes, sportsbikes and everything in between. Unless you ride off-road, do lots of trackdays, or are a dedicated Sunday morning headbanger, using any anything else is just burning rubber (and cash) for nothing more than pub bragging rights.

Best Deals at a Glance

Save 30% on Michelin Road 6 Motorcycle Tyre – £104.00 (was £144.29)
Save 30% on Metzeler Roadtec 01 SE Motorcycle Tyre Package – £286.00 (was £412.86)
Save 31% on Bridgestone Battlax BT-023 Motorcycle Tyre – £81.00 (was £115.72)
Save 31% on Dunlop Sportmax Roadsmart IV Motorcycle Tyre – £117.20 (was £167.15)
Save 41% on Pirelli Diablo Motorcycle Tyre Package – £161.00 (was £263.33)
Save 31% on Metzeler Sportec M9 RR Motorcycle Tyre Package – £286.00 (was £408.58)

The best sports-touring tyres at a glance:

But what are the best sports-touring tyres? To find out, we’ve assembled the latest generation from each of the major brands for a back-to-back test on a typical sports-tourer, represented here by the wildly popular Suzuki GSX-S1000GT.

The weather for our test remained consistently cold and wet all day – the perfect hunting ground for this type of tyre.

Best sports-touring tyres

Best in the test

Price: £286 (was £408.56)
Tested by Michael Neeves in our test

The Metzeler Roadtec SE 01 tyres have been around for a while now and they won our sports-touring test back in 2020... and they've done it again! The best tyre in the conditions we tested, they hugely improved the performance, safety and enjoyment of the GSX-S1000GT. Both our testers were staggered by their abilities and we know dry-weather performance is excellent, too.

Read our full Metzeler Roadtec SE 01 review.

Pros

  • Grip from cold
  • Incredible wet weather performance

Cons

  • Slightly unsettled by bumpy, fast corners
  • Steering
    5.0
  • Confidence/Grip
    5.0
  • Stability
    5.0
  • Ride Quality
    5.0
  • Feel
    5.0
Composition full-silica compound 
Type Sporty touring
Sizes 120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 160/60 ZR17 (69W)<br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 170/60 ZR17 (72W)<br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 180/55 ZR17 (73W)<br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 190/50 ZR17 (73W)<br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 190/55 ZR17 (75W)<br>120/70 ZR19 (60W) - 200/60 ZR17 (72W)
  • The higher land/sea ratio on the shoulders of the tyre increases sportiness
  • Slick rubber in these areas ensures more rubber contact with the road during lean, enhancing cornering thrust and directionality
  • Central grooves provide mechanical grip, efficient water drainage, and safety
  • Rear endless centre stripe and a mix of steep and short grooves work together to minimise slip

Best for feedback

Price: £237.01 (was £338.59) per pair
Tested by Michael Neeves in our test

The Pirelli Angel GT2s are the oldest tyre on test, dating back to 2019. We were impressed and inspired by these. A very usable tyre that gives loads of confidence at normal road-riding speeds and would improve ride quality on any bike. They complement a bike’s pre-existing abilities.

Read our full Pirelli Angel GT2 review.

Pros

  • Improves handling
  • Good in the wet

Cons

  • Old tyre, possibly due an update
  • Steering
    5.0
  • Confidence/Grip
    5.0
  • Stability
    5.0
  • Ride Quality
    5.0
  • Feel
    5.0
Construction Bi-compound construction
Type Sport touring
Sizes 120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 160/60 ZR17 (69W)<br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 160/60 ZR17 (70W)<br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 170/60 ZR17 (72W)<br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 180/55 ZR17 (73W)<br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 190/50 ZR17 (73W)<br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 190/55 ZR17 (75W)
  • Specific Multi-Radius Contour Design
  • Iconic design from ANGEL™ ST ensures efficient water drainage
  • Pirelli's signature handling traits
  • Maintains its high performance until the end of its life

Best for neutrality

Price: £233 (was £332.86)
Tested by Michael Neeves in our test

The Michelin Road 6 is the latest in a long line of well-regarded sports-touring tyres from the French firm. Good performance from a much-loved tyre. They make bikes feel nimble and lighter than they are and have decent ride. If you’re cautious in deep water they have a lot to offer and promise excellent dry-road performance, too.

Pros

  • Make bikes feel nimble and light
  • Great in damp conditions

Cons

  • Don't warm up quickly in the wet
  • Steering
    5.0
  • Confidence/Grip
    5.0
  • Stability
    5.0
  • Ride Quality
    5.0
  • Feel
    5.0
Composition 100% Silica Technology
Type Sport touring
Sizes 110/70 ZR17 (54W) - 140/70 ZR17 (66W)  11070 ZR17 (54W) - 150/60 ZR17 (66W)  11070 ZR17 (54W) - 150/70 ZR17 (69W)  110/70 ZR17 (54W) - 160/60 ZR17 (69W)  110/80 ZR19 (59W) - 150/70 ZR17 (69W)  120/60 ZR17 (55w) -150/70 ZR17 (69W)  120/60 ZR17 (55W) -160/60 ZR17 (69W)  120/60 ZR17 (55W) - 170/60 ZR17 (72W)  120/60 ZR17 (55W) - 180/55 ZR17 (73W)  120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 150/60 ZR17 (66W)  120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 150/70 ZR17 (69W)  120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 160/60 ZR17 (69W)  120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 170/60 ZR17 (72W)  120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 180/55 ZR17 (73W)  120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 190/50 ZR17 (73W)  120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 190/55 ZR17 (75W)  120/70 ZR19 (60W) - 170/60 ZR17 (72W)   
  • 15% more grip than the Road 5
  • 10% increased longevity
  • Designed for superior water evacuation for wet weather grip

Joint 4th with Dunlop Roadsmart IV

Price: £282 (was £402.85)
Tested by Michael Neeves in our test

The Bridgestone T32 is standard equipment on a lot of middleweight motorcycles due to its all-round versatility. The T32 is a very decent tyre with great wet grip, especially from the front. A decent all-rounder, it scores well for confidence and should work really well on a wide variety of machines. We’re impressed.

Pros

  • Great in the wet
  • Inspires confidence

Cons

  • Not particularly sporty
  • Steering
    5.0
  • Confidence/Grip
    5.0
  • Stability
    5.0
  • Ride Quality
    5.0
  • Feel
    5.0
Composition 3 layer compound - Silica rich
Type Sport-touring
Sizes 110/70 ZR17 (54W) - 150/70 ZR17 (69W) <br>110/80 ZR19 (59V) - 150/70 ZR17 (69W) <br>120/60 ZR17 (55W) - 160/60 ZR17 (69W) <br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 160/60 ZR17 (69W) <br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 170/60 ZR17 (72W) <br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 180/55 ZR17 (73W) <br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 180/55 ZR17 (73W) - GT <br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 190/50 ZR17 (73W) <br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 190/55 ZR17 (75W) <br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) - 190/55 ZR17 (75W) GT Spec <br>120/70 ZR19 (60W) - 170/60 ZR17 (72W)
  • 7% shorter braking distance in wet conditions vs. predecessor
  • 13% bigger contact patch on the rear tyre vs. predecessor
  • Two tread patterns provides great grip performance

Joint 4th with Bridgestone T32

Price: £248 (was £354.29) per pair
Tested by Michael Neeves in our test

The Dunlop Roadsmart IVs are very good tyres that perhaps aren’t as well-suited to the nimble GSX-S1000GT as others. On a slower-steering, longer bike they could make it feel alive. But whatever the machine, they’re trustworthy and fun.

Read our full Dunlop Roadsmart IV review.

Pros

  • Good on slower steering bikes
  • Trustworthy

Cons

  • Take some getting used to
  • Steering
    5.0
  • Confidence/Grip
    5.0
  • Stability
    5.0
  • Ride Quality
    5.0
  • Feel
    5.0
Composition Silica content used to promote compound flexibility at low temperatures
Type Sporty touring
Sizes 110/70 ZR17 (54W) TL - Front <br>110/80 R18 (58V) TL- Front <br>120/60 ZR17 (55W) TL- Front <br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) TL - Front- GT <br>120/70 ZR17 (58W) TL - Front -SP <br>120/70 ZR18 (59W) TL- Front <br>120/70 ZR19 (60W) TL - Front <br>130/70 ZR17 (62W) TL - Front <br>140/70 18 (67V) TL - Rear <br>140(70 R17 (66H) TL - Rear <br>150/60 R17 (66H) TL- Rear <br>150/70 ZR17 (69W) TL - Rear <br>150/70 ZR18 (70W) TL - Rear <br>160/60 ZR17 (69W) TL - Rear <br>160/60 ZR18 (70W) TL - Rear <br>160/70 ZR17 (73W) TL - Rear <br>170/60 ZR17 (72W) TL -Rear <br>170/60 ZR18 (73W) TL - Rear <br>180/55 ZR17 (73W) TL- Rear - GT <br>180/55 ZR17 (73W) TL- Rear-SP <br>190/50 ZR17 (73W) TL - Rear <br>190/55 ZR17 (75W) TL - Rear -GT <br>190/55 ZR17 (75W) TL - Rear - SP <br>190/60 ZR17 (78W) TL - Rear
  • Jointless tread pattern
  • High silica content within the compound for low temperature grip
  • Jointless belt construction for smoother handling
  • Rayon ply casing ro improve milage and reduce warm up time

Better than OE

Price: £133.57 (was £190.81)
Tested by Michael Neeves in our test

Although they’re last in this test, they’re still a much better bet than most of the rubber fitted as OE to Japanese bikes. Way better than the OE Dunlops fitted to the GSX-S, they’re still a reasonable set of sports-touring tyres to buy. They offer good dry performance, too.

Pros

  • Precise
  • Great rear grip

Cons

  • Lack of edge grip
  • Steering
    5.0
  • Confidence/Grip
    5.0
  • Stability
    5.0
  • Ride Quality
    5.0
  • Feel
    5.0
Composition innovative compound and a unique tread pattern
Type Sport touring
Sizes 120/70 ZR17 (58W) TL - Front 120/70 ZR17 (58W) TL - Front - GT 120/70 ZR19 (60W) TL - Front 160/60 ZR17 (69W) TL - Rear 170/60 ZR17 (72W) TL - Rear S £190.81 180/55 ZR17 (73W) TL - Rear :133.57 180/55 ZR17 (73W) TL - Rear- GT 190/50 (73W) TL -Rear INC VAT 190/55 ZR17 (75W) TL - Rear 190/55 ZR17 (75W) TL - Rear - GT
  • Rapid warm up time
  • Slick upper shoulder area for optimal cornering and lean grip
  • Advanced rubber technology and tread design for all weather grip

What’s always interesting in a blind, back-to-back tyre comparison test like this isn’t how grip varies between manufacturers, because there’s little in it, but it’s how the tyres ‘talk’ to you.

We’ve seen how these new generation of the best sports-touring tyres all have superb wet weather grip, warm-up fast and will be a huge improvement over just about any ‘Original Equipment’ tyre that your bike comes with from a dealer. So, if you’re a fan of a particular brand, fit any of these and you’ll probably be very happy with your choice.

The feel and confidence each tyre brings to the rider under braking, acceleration and cornering changes depending how you ride.

Sports-touring tyres

But the performance of one set of tyres stood out as being head-and-shoulders better than the rest for both of us. Metzler’s Roadtec 01 SE filled us with confidence in all conditions and delivered a ride as close as it’s possible to get to turning wet roads dry beneath your wheels.

It’s the best sports-touring tyre money can buy, which basically means it’s the best tyre you can buy.

How MCN tested these tyres

This was a blind test. At no point did Michael or Matt know which tyres they were on. Both rode our set route; Matt taking the first stint, with an emphasis on warm-up time and stability, while Michael focused on ride quality and grip.

Sports-touring motorbike tyre test

Each gave marks for steering, confidence, stability, ride quality and feel. We also measured operating temperature and usable tread depth. The hardness of the centre section of each was measured on the HA scale where 100 represents a fully solid object. Conditions were wet and 12-14°C. We used the recommended cold pressures.

The route

A 28-mile test route taking in fast, flowing A-roads, bumpy B-roads, a motorway stint, plus urban riding over a variety of coarse and polished surfaces.

The bike

We chose a Suzuki GSX-S1000 GT, Britain’s best-selling sports-tourer because its OE Dunlop RoadSport 2 tyres are merely OK and therefore there is much room for improvement. The bike was set on Mode B at all times, with minimal traction control intervention.

Suzuki GSX-S1000GT tyre test

The logistics

Support and prices provided by www.mobile-bike-tyres.co.uk. Prices include fitting, but will vary between different suppliers.

Things to keep in mind

The best sports-touring tyres walk the line between sportiness, longevity, wet-weather performance and dry feel. This means that all sports-touring tyres involve an element of compromise.

To find out more about how MCN tests products, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.

Cut through the jargon with MCN’s tyre explainer video:

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