I just went through the "What rear tire and why" on my commando. I decided to go with the Battlax 46 in 110/90/18. (I have and 18 x 2.15 rear rim) I was switching from the Avon RR after wearing it out in 2 or 3 seasons. The Avon is definitely softer and stickier than the Battlax,.... but the Battlax has a deeper tread than the Avon universal. I've been riding the Battlax around, adjusting the pressure to change the feel a bit and I'm getting more confident with it's feel at 30psi. I have inspected my chicken strips (unworn tread on the outside of the tire) and they are getting narrower every time I come back from a ride as I get more comfortable with the battlax tires...
I'm starting to wonder if the best tire possible extends the performance of a mediocre rider, or do you have to have a racer level skill set to get that extra performance out of the best tire. I really found the Avon RR very confidence inspiring, and when I switched over to the battlax, I noticed the difference immediately, but the more I ride it, the more familiar it feels. I'm not sure if I'm riding less aggressively to compensate for a less sticky tire. The wear patterns of both tires are comparable, but they are slightly different shaped tires so it's hard to judge if I am backing off on the battlax. At this point, I don't dislike the Battlax at all. It seems good enough for my skill set. The avon is stickier, but I think it wears out pretty quickly as a result. It's hard to say if good is good enough, or if the better performance is worth the quickness with which that tire wears out...