And there’s plenty more to come. Bridgestone’s 2005 roster of AMA Supercross/Motocross sponsored riders is packed top-to-bottom with superstars. In the AMA 250 Class Bridgestone has Team Kawasaki’s James Stewart and Michael Byrne, Team Yamaha’s Chad Reed, David Vuillemin, and Tim Ferry, Team Makita Suzuki’s Ricky Carmichael and Sebastien Tortelli, Team Amsoil/Chaparral/Factory Connection Honda’s Mike LaRocco and Team MDK Motorsports’ NickWey. That’s one heck of a sales force working for you. Week after week, these guys are putting the word out, and the message comes through loud and clear: Performance sells, and Bridgestone tires are performing.
     That Bridgestone representation is just as strong in the AMA 125 Class. Team Makita Suzuki’s Davi Millsaps is on Bridgestones. So are Team Monster/Pro-Circuit/Kawasaki’s Stephane Roncada, Matt Walker, Ivan Tedesco, Grant Langston and Paul Carpenter. Team Amsoil/Chaparral/Factory Connection Honda’s Tommy Hahn, Josh Grant, Joaquim Rodrigues and Billy Laninovich are on Bridgestones this season, as well as Team MDK Motorsports’ Eric McCrummen.

The Mud Hook XXTreme from Bridgestone is a serious ATV tire for just about any riding condition. Challenging terrain requires a tough tire, and the XXTreme is just that.

For the cruiser world, Bridgestone has the Exedra G850/G851 combination. Designed specifically for high-performance cruisers, these tires offer excellent shock absorption, grip and stability.

     Win on Sunday, sell on Monday. It’s an old line, and it’s stayed around for a reason–it’s true. When it comes to the dirt, Bridgestone’s winning, and those wins most definitely help you with the selling.
     It isn’t just motocross and Supercross with Bridgestone, either. Bridgestone’s just released a pair of dual-purpose tires (90-percent off-road/10-percent on-road) that will make trail and Enduro riders just as happy. The new ED663/ED668 front and rear combinations are DOT and FIM approved and they’re specifically designed for that Bridgestone brand of maximum performance, this time in soft-terrain conditions. Bridgestone has taken everything they’ve learned from years of racing success in European Enduros and cross country racing to develop this all-new soft terrain tread pattern, coupling it with a new compound and tire profile that aggressively digs in. The tread patterns here offer that maximum performance with individual blocks that bite deep. The shoulder blocks are diagonally cut, greatly aiding cornering traction. The ED663/ED668 tires are self-cleaners, too; that big-bite is always there. These new Bridgestone Gritty Enduros wear great, and that newly designed profile maximizes not only the traction, but the handling and stability as well.
     Bridgestone’s Gritty ED663 front and ED668 rear tires are available right now in all the sizes you need. There are 90/90-21 ED663 front and the ED668 rears are offered in two sizes, 120/90-18 and 140/80-18.
     There are also top-performing ATV tires in the Bridgestone lineup. The Bridgestone Dirt Hooks are Original Equipment on plenty of Honda models, and come replacement time, especially for ATVs primarily used for general utility duty, the Dirt Hooks are an easy sale. They’re naturals, and they’re performers. And Bridgestone’s Mud Hook XXTREME is an ATV tire able to take on just about anything. The XXTREME is a serious tire for serious conditions. With deeply recessed lugs on both the fronts and the rears these tires give riders everything they need to get through the most challenging conditions. These Bridgestone’s are 6-ply rated, too, and there’s even a rim- and bead protector to help keep the wheel and the sidewall healthy. Right now the XXTREMES are available in 26 x 9-12 and 26 x 12-12 sizes, with more on the way.

     That’s just the dirt-tire part of the Bridgestone story. Out on the road-racing tracks Bridgestones are equally impressive, and you can bet they’re getting equal attention. With just a little more than a year invested seriously contesting that red-hot MotoGP Series, Bridgestone’s already getting fantastic results. Two of the hottest teams in the series, Suzuki and Kawasaki, are on Bridgestones now. Suzuki’s Kenny Roberts, Jr. and John Hopkins and Kawasaki’s Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann are all nothing less than stunning, and their performance is due in large part to Bridgestone’s performance. New for 2005 is the Ducati Team with riders Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa. Think sportbike riders notice this? It’s winning performance.
     Sportriders can find that Bridgestone performance in the super-street radial Battlax BT-014s. These tires were specifically developed to meet the needs of the most aggressive street riders. The BT-014s are a direct result of Bridgestone’s involvement in MotoGP. Everything Bridgestone has learned on the track has gone straight into these tires. Need a list? Whether it’s ride quality, confident handling, dry and wet grip, stability, cornering ability, shock absorption, reduced shimmy or improved contact feel–it’s all here. Bridgestone developed these street tires using the most advanced MotoGP technologies. From the optimized carcass profiles for a uniform contact-patch at all lean angles, to the refined tread patterns to improve shock absorption and reduce noise, to the dual-directional diagonal grooves on both the front and rear tread patterns to control deformation and enhance straight-line handling the BT-014 is an impressive performer. These rears feature a rubber insulated steel Mono-Spiral Belt construction which allows more flexibility than other types of the steel used by competitors, reduces heat generation, and provides stability without deteriorating shock absorption. All this comes in a lightweight tire reducing un-sprung weight for yet another ramp-up in performance. As if all that weren’t enough there’s a new silica compound, too, for outstanding grip in wet and dry conditions. Talk about an all-around performer. No wonder Suzuki chose the Battlax BT-014 as original equipment for the new GSXR1000.

On the ATV side, Bridgestone’s Dirt Hooks come OE on many Honda models and are a great choice for general utility use.

     And Bridgestone’s got cruiser performance. The G850/G851 combination, introduced late last year, was designed specially for high-performance cruisers. Bridgestone worked its silica-enriched compound in to give these cruiser tires an exceptional level of grip on both wet and dry surfaces. The G850 rear even features a Kevlar Mono-Spiral Belt for high-speed stability and improved shock absorption. The goal was a set of high-performance cruiser tires that could deliver confidence-inspiring stability and exceptional grip, and the Bridgestone G850/G851s meet those criteria and then some. It’s genuine Bridgestone performance; coupled with a smooth, rider-friendly feel. It’s cruiser performance.
     Applications for the G850/G851s include the Harley Davidson V-Rod, Kawasaki MeanStreak, Yamaha Road Star Warrior, and the Honda VTX1800. These Bridgestones are a new option for the MeanStreak and the Warrior, and this is the first Bridgestone tire ever to fit the V-Rod. The G850/G851 radials are offered in the following sizes: For the fronts there are 130/70ZR17, 120/70ZR18, 130/70ZR18, and 120/70ZR19. For the rears the sizes are 180/70ZR16, 170/60ZR17, 200/50ZR17, and 180/55ZR18. Parts Unlimited, of course, has all those Bridgestone tires–the performance that sells. Contact your Parts Unlimited rep today for more information.