Cuban Rider

Cuban Rider Short videos and motorcycle-related commentary.

09/04/2026

What do you do when you have an upcoming track day at Barber Motorsports Park and you've never been? Watch a bunch of fast guys on motorcycles of course. And then you fire up Assetto Corsa on your 15 year old PC. 😄

07/10/2026

Life's better on two wheels.

07/08/2026

Trying new racing gloves. My man Kyle Boost is a distributor for these and recommended them. Hopefully I never need to crash test them, but they seem more durable than the Five brand I've been using for the past few years.

What's fast and thrilling on track often doesn't translate to being fun on the streets. What's your pick for a bike whos...
07/07/2026

What's fast and thrilling on track often doesn't translate to being fun on the streets. What's your pick for a bike whose fun factor is off the charts? Here's my choice.

Will Triumph ever listen?
07/05/2026

Will Triumph ever listen?

What's your favorite racing glove? The Five racing gloves I wear are getting harder to find state-side. I tried on these...
07/02/2026

What's your favorite racing glove? The Five racing gloves I wear are getting harder to find state-side. I tried on these Racer gloves during a RideSmart event and the fitment was great, which is usually my issue with Alpinestars and other gloves I've tried.

06/27/2026

Here is Exhibit A of why I drive 16 hours one-way to ride these mountains. This road is usually overcrowded and realistically no fun to ride. But come at the right time and with the right people, and you may experience pure riding bliss.

06/26/2026

The boys showing me how it's done on smaller bikes.

06/25/2026

Oh girls just wanna have fun 🎵

06/25/2026

Bridgestone took a huge leap forward with the Battlax RS12. The rear tire in particular is much more resistant to wear compared to the RS11, which had good grip, but was prone to tearing. I initially ran it at 32 psi cold, but even at 57-58 degrees of lean angle, I still wasn't touching the very edge of the tire. That was odd and probably meant the tire pressure was too high. Even then, the grip was impressive with minimal wiggle on corner exit under hard acceleration. Later, I dropped the pressure to 28 psi cold and it felt even better with no signs of tearing, just exceptional wear characteristics.

The front RS12 felt outstanding from the beginning, with a quick-turning profile that was a noticeable improvement over the Metzeler Racetec RR (K3) that came stock on the BMW. The K3 front is a great tire in its own right, but it hit the wear bars much quicker in comparison. Running the RS12 front at 33 psi cold, I noticed it was wearing a bit fast; not tearing, just balling aggressively. Bumping it up by an additional psi made it slightly better. The front tire appeared to be wearing at the same rate, if not quicker, than the rear. By my last day at the Dragon I noticed a slight wear lip, a transition ridge between the heavily used portion of the tire and the edge. But both the wear rate and this lip could be attributed to my riding style which uses aggressive trail braking on corner entry.

The real hurdle for the RS12 is the price point. I bought mine with a $70 rebate, but that deal ended in May. In most online stores, a superbike-sized set runs nearly $600. That makes them more expensive than the Michelin Power Cup 2, which in my opinion is the current benchmark for road-legal fast tires and offers excellent longevity. Would I pick the RS12 over the Cup 2? Unlikely, though I’d need to test the Battlax on the track for that level of scrutiny.

Overall, I highly recommend the RS12 if you want top-tier grip out of a street tire or need a tire that works both on road or track.

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9301 W Airport Rd
Willcox, AZ
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