The unknown of wet and dry
There are trips you plan with a map. And then there are trips that only really begin once the wheels start turning. This one started in Belgium at 5:30 in the morning, with panniers packed, visors still clean and the kind of quiet excitement that makes an early alarm feel almost reasonable.
By eight, we were rolling onto the train to Folkestone with around fifteen other motorcyclists. The Channel Tunnel crossing takes barely 35 minutes, and with enough bike talk around you, it feels even shorter. Before we knew it, the doors opened, the engines fired up, and England was waiting.
We left the motorway almost immediately. The idea was simple: avoid the obvious roads, chase the coast, and let the Kawasaki Ninja SX1100 on Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T33’s do what they were built to do. Long distances, changing surfaces, carry luggage, warm weather, tight roads, faster sweepers: this would be more than a ride. It would be a proper challenge. Including a test of conditions. When you’re travelling through the UK, you are never sure if your trip will be wet or dry. Or both.
Brighton and Southhampton
Our first real stop came in Brighton, with the pier shimmering in the distance and the heat rising off the streets. What we did not know yet was that we were riding through the hottest day ever recorded in the UK. There was almost no wind, no relief, just hot air and hot tarmac. Yet the T33s never felt vague or greasy. Even under a heavy touring load, they kept delivering that calm, neutral feeling you want on a long trip. No drama, no nervousness, just steady grip and a reassuring front end.
Beyond Southampton, the ride began to change. The roads grew narrower, the scenery greener, and by the time we crossed into Wales over the Severn Bridge, the landscape had started to roll and fold into hills. Single-lane roads appeared more often. Hedges closed in. Corners came quicker. We ended the day in Rhymney, at The Lord Nelson, a proper old pub with rooms upstairs and locals at the bar. Everybody greeted us warmly. We understood… almost nothing. Yes, we had arrived in Wales.
Real life, not a spec-sheet
The next morning, we left early to escape the worst of the heat, though Wales had other plans. Another record-breaking day was coming. We aimed the bikes toward the Black Mountains, only a few miles from our starting point, and soon found ourselves threading through narrow lanes bordered by tall green walls. The shade was welcome, the rhythm even more so.
At Talybont Reservoir in the Brecon Beacons National Park, we stopped for a drink beside the water. From there, the road climbed toward Devil’s Elbow, a narrow ascent with sharp hairpins, sheep wandering freely and just enough room to remind you that smooth inputs matter. This is where T33 sports touring tyre proves its worth. Not in a spec sheet, but in the way it lets you place the bike exactly where you want it, even when the surface changes halfway through a bend.
Over the top, the road followed the Afon Senni stream, where locals were cooling off in the water. We carried on past Black Mountain Quarries on the A4069, enjoying the bends at a relaxed pace. The road was quiet, the sky perfectly blue, the hills impossibly green. The T33s made it easy to settle into the ride: light steering, dependable feedback, and enough grip to enjoy every corner without ever feeling like you were asking too much.
Dry and wet
Day three was the one I had been waiting for. After another proper English breakfast, we headed north toward the Welsh Lake District and the Elan Valley. The roads were magnificent but wet. Last night’s rainstorm with lots of rain and even hail, had brought cooler temperatures and wet roads: flowing, twisting, sometimes double-lane, sometimes barely a lane at all. From Rhayader, the first dam appeared: Caban Coch, with its reservoir, visitor centre and stone bridge. As the temperature rose, the roads got dryer. But the time we spent on wet roads, was enough to amaze us about the grip and feedback of the T33 tyres. We already knew the Bridgestone T33s excelled on dry roads. That wet Welsh morning showed they’re just as impressive in the rain, offering lean angles and handling we simply didn’t expect on a wet surface. We stopped in the shade, sitting on rocks in the river, helmets off, water bottles emptying fast. The temperature kept rising. The tyre performance remained unchanged.
Then came Garreg Ddu, more a narrow bridge than a dam, and the Foel Valve Tower beside it. Somewhere along the way, I noticed we were riding next to National Cycle Route 81. The tiny road we were following did not even seem to have a name on Google Maps. Perfect.
The detour to Claerwen Dam was technically a dead end, but it was mandatory. The road there was fantastic, the dam itself spectacular from above and below. Turning around simply meant riding the same stretch again, which felt less like repetition and more like a gift. The bike flowed from corner to corner, the T33s giving that lovely sport-touring balance: stable on the straights, eager on turn-in, planted on the exit.
Then, almost from nowhere, Craig Goch Dam appeared in the distance. The road rose and dipped, revealing it in fragments before finally delivering us to the narrow crossing over the top. We parked at the end and took our time with the view.
Leaving the dam, a road marking pointed us toward Aberystwyth: “Mountain Road”. The B4574 may be one of the finest roads I have ever ridden. Single-track, almost empty, beautifully flowing and surrounded by a landscape that seems built for motorcycling. It is the kind of road where rider, machine and tyre disappear into one clean movement. The T33s felt completely at home there, absorbing the imperfections, holding their line and allowing the bike to breathe with the road.
Aberystwyth, once you stop trying to pronounce it, is a charming seaside town with a promenade, pier, castle ruins and a cliff railway dating back to 1896. That evening, on what turned out to be another record-hot day in Wales, North Beach was still alive late into the night. Locals gathered around fire pits, the sea cooled the air, and our bikes stood quietly nearby, dusted with the miles of a perfect day.
Finally, Snowdonia
By day four, the worst of the heat had finally broken. We still left early, because Snowdonia was waiting and the route was longer. We started along the coast before cutting inland via Bala and the smaller roads toward Conwy: the A4212, B4407, B4406 and A470. Conwy gave us a castle, a river, and an excellent lunch at a small Italian restaurant called Alfredo’s.
From there, we briefly followed the Irish Sea before diving back inland on the A4086, passing Llyn Padarn and Llyn Peris toward Pen-y-Pass, deep in the heart of Snowdonia. Mount Snowdon rises to 1,085 meters and attracts around half a million walkers a year. We were less interested in the hiking routes than in the road between the rocks, and the descent that followed on the A498.
This was another kind of test for the T33: tighter lines, changing light, rock walls, traffic appearing suddenly, and the need for confidence rather than outright speed. The tyres again felt composed and predictable. On a trip like this, that matters more than lap-time sharpness. You want a tyre that helps you keep riding smoothly, hour after hour, day after day.
Time forced us to shorten the route, skipping Caernarfon and heading directly to Porthmadog before returning to Aberystwyth along the coast. Darkness was already settling in when we made one last stop in Borth. Tired, yes. But the kind of tired that comes with a full day well spent. Falling asleep was not a problem.
On treacherous surface
Day five began the journey back. Via the A4120 we rode to Pontarfynach and Devil’s Bridge, stopping for coffee and a look at the bridge and waterfalls. Then we turned inland again, riding between the Welsh Lake District and the Black Mountains toward the famous Devil’s Staircase.
This is motorcycling in its purest touring form: narrow lanes, little bridges over running streams, countless sheep, and plenty of other riders who clearly had the same idea. The surface was not always perfect, but the T33s never complained. They dealt with heat, patched asphalt, tight bends, open sweepers and the constant weight of luggage without losing their easy-going precision.
And, oh yes, this was a morning with a thunderstorm. It once again proved the T33’s ability on wet roads. And not just any wet road. The Kawasaki took us and the Bridgestones on roads that had been covered in dust after a draught that lasted weeks. The dust mixed with fresh rain, made the roads extra slippery. The confidence and grip the Bridgestone T33’s gave us on this treacherous surface were simply astonishing.
From there, we followed the River Wye for a couple of hours before climbing Gospel Pass. At the top, the view opened on both sides: green hills, huge skies and what felt like a thousand sheep scattered across the slopes. Some crossed the road right in front of us, completely unimpressed by the sound of motorcycles. Wales has a way of keeping you humble.
Going back
As we rode farther inland, the roads gradually widened again. We stopped at The Skirrid, often called the oldest inn in Wales, then continued to our final overnight stop: The Farmers Boy Inn. It turned out to be a gem, with brilliant staff, proper accommodation and a house dish that deserved every one of its awards: beef pie in Guinness beer. After five days on the road, this tasted like victory.
Day six was simple: homeward, avoiding motorways where possible. The train from Folkestone was quiet this time. We were the only motorcyclists on board, which gave us a rare moment to rest before the final run from Calais back home, with one more food stop along the way.
Six days, extreme heat, tiny Welsh lanes, mountain roads, coastlines, dams, passes, wet roads, sheep, pubs and more corners than we could count. Through it all, the Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T33 proved exactly why a good touring tyre is about more than mileage. It is about trust. The kind of trust that lets you enjoy the view, carry speed smoothly, brake late when needed, and keep going when the day gets longer than planned.
Wales gave us the roads. The T33 gave us the confidence to enjoy every mile of them. There were challenges along the road, and all hail goes to the T33’s versatility.
Numbers
Total kilometers 2841
Kilometers on Motorway 209
Total days 6
Dry days 5,5
Wet days 0,5
Fuel 172 L
Sheep hurt 0
