Bridgestone BT46 400H18 Touring Tyre Rear

The Bridgestone Battlax BT46 is the successor to the long-running BT45, a bias-ply tyre that spent more than two decades as a default choice for touring and classic road bikes. This is the rear fitment in 400-18, load and speed rated 64H, built as a tube type (TT) tyre and carried under our SKU 8002072.

It suits riders on touring, retro and vintage sport machines running 18-inch spoked or tube-type rims who want a modern compound without moving away from a period-correct size. Bridgestone rebuilt the rear compound around a silica-rich single compound using RC Polymer and NanoPro-Tech, aimed at lifting wet grip and warm-up behaviour while holding onto the dry handling and wear life the BT45 was known for.

Sold individually. Fitment to tube-type rims requires a suitable inner tube.

• Rear fitment for the Battlax BT46 range, sized 400-18 with a 64H load and speed rating
• Bias-ply construction suited to touring and vintage sport motorcycles
• Tube type (TT) — designed to run with an inner tube
• Silica-rich EX single compound for grip and even wear across the tread
• RC Polymer compound technology to improve wear resistance alongside silica's wet performance
• NanoPro-Tech controlled micro-structure for improved wet performance and longer wear life
• Silica-rich compound gives grip in lower temperatures and early in a ride, before the tyre is fully warmed
• Improved wet performance over the superseded BT45 without giving up its dry handling and wear resistance
• Approved for UM application — mounting on tube-type rims in certain sizes
• Part of a range whose front tyre uses an inverted V-shape tread pattern to manage working forces and reduce irregular wear

• 1 x Bridgestone Battlax BT46 rear tyre, 400-18 64H, tube type

Have the tyre fitted and balanced by a qualified motorcycle tyre technician using proper machinery — bias-ply tube-type tyres are easily damaged by levering on the bead.
This is a tube type (TT) tyre: fit it with a suitable inner tube and, where the rim requires it, a rim band or tape over the spoke nipples. Fit a new tube rather than reusing an old one.
Check that the size, load index and speed symbol (400-18, 64H) match your motorcycle manufacturer's fitment recommendations, and never exceed the tyre's rated load or speed.
Observe the moulded rotation direction marking when fitting, and confirm the bead is seated evenly all the way around before bringing the tyre to working pressure.
Scrub the tyre in gently for the first stretch of riding — a new tread surface offers reduced grip until the release agents wear off, so avoid hard acceleration, braking and deep lean angles early on.
Check and adjust pressures when the tyre is cold, at the interval and pressure specified in your bike's owner's manual. Tube-type assemblies can lose pressure more readily than tubeless, so check them often.
Inspect regularly for cuts, embedded objects, bulges, sidewall cracking and uneven or irregular wear, and replace the tyre before the tread reaches the legal minimum depth or the moulded wear indicators.
Clean with mild soap and water only. Keep tyre shine, solvents, petrol, brake cleaner and chain lube off the tread and sidewalls.
Store spare tyres upright in a cool, dry, dark place away from direct sunlight, ozone sources such as electric motors, and sharp edges or heavy objects that could deform the casing.
After any impact with a kerb or pothole, or if the tyre has been run at very low pressure, have it removed and inspected internally — a repair or replacement decision should be made by a tyre professional.