Trail Rider Magazine

TRAUG26

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August 2026 25 As for the Bridgestone Ba lecross X31 rear, it specifically uses some cool features to help broaden the range of terrain. The tread pa ern is a castle block design (a block inside a block), which was pioneered by Bridge- stone to help give extra bi ng edges for grip on hard surfaces like rock, hard pack, and roots, while the lug pa ern and block s ffness are designed to dig in to loose dirt. The compound gives the re great durability and helps prevent tearing knobs. We've run the Ba lecross X40 on several of our test bikes over the last two seasons and do like it as it lasts and behaves like a much so er compound. The X31 rear compound is a li le so er than the X40 and more compliant in the rocks and roots. Another benefit of the X31 rear is what Bridgestone refers to as the "Bunker Groove," a depression between the lugs you can see on the front and rear. This helps the casing flex in the center of the re so the footprint is larger and can grab trac on, yet the sidewalls of the re have good support for stable, hard cornering. It's no secret that we're re freaks here at Trail Rider, and it's always exci ng to see new technology and innova on when it comes to rubber. If you're looking for a re combina on that not only performs but also delivers by outlas ng the other op ons, you owe it to yourself to order up a set of Bridgestone Ba lecross X31's! For more info visit: h ps:// res.bridgestone.com/en- us/ res/motorcycle/ba lecross/x31

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