New "RoadSmart" Sport Touring tire from Dunlop

[EffBee]

Just got ours in stock at the dealership. The tires are a different departure for Dunlop. Dual-compound rear (you can actually FEEL the change in stickiness by sliding your finger across the tread) and a single-compound front.

 

The contour of the front tire isn't as sharply "V" as the D205's or D220's. Yet it's not as round as a Michelin Pilot Road. It's somewhere in between, which should provide a decent balance between turn-in and mid-corner corrections.

 

The tread pattern on the front sports NO center rib or groove. On the 205's and 220's (as well as the Bridgestone BT's) these were a source of irritation for some riders, as they would "catch" on freeway rain grooves and make the bike darty.

 

Here are some of Dunlop's promotional claims:

 

. . .delivers remarkable wet-weather performance, exceptional mileage and sportbike handling.

 

. . .intended for today's high-performance sport-toouring motorcycles.

 

. . .tread pattern features Dunlop's cosecant-curve design and wears evenly over the life of the tires (hmmm...no flatspotting? Interesting.)

 

 

No reports on the tire or its claims so far, but one very attractive thing about it is the pricing. I'm not going to quote our retail prices because that would make this a commercial post, but I can tell you that the dealer cost on these tires is about 15% lower than the Pilot Road and 35% lower than the PR2. When I wear out my Azaro's, I'm going to put a set on my FJR and see what happens.

[OoPEZoO]

Cool.....thanks for the heads up. I might just have to see if I can't rip through a set of them this year.

[Matts_12GS]

Nando,

Are those is all the regular BMW sizes (like the 18" for the 1100s)?

[bross]

Nando,

Are those is all the regular BMW sizes (like the 18" for the 1100s)?

Fitmets here...

Dunlop Motorcycle Tires

[EffBee]

Nando,

Are those is all the regular BMW sizes (like the 18" for the 1100s)?

Fitmets here...

Dunlop Motorcycle Tires

 

Thanks for the link, bros.

[OoPEZoO]

Nando,

Are those is all the regular BMW sizes (like the 18" for the 1100s)?

Fitmets here...

Dunlop Motorcycle Tires

 

YAAAAAA! They make them for the R1100 Rear YAAAAA!

 

I always look forward to thrashing a new type of tire

[GregB]

Fernando,

 

I'll play "guinea pig" if you have them for the R1200RT.

 

Your recommendation of the Azarro's was excellent and I was very happy with them but they are shot. The even wear idea sounds interesting. The Azarros wore strangely. The Rear is worn in the Center and the Edges, half way in between has lots of tread. The Front is worn half way in between center and edges. I never touched the edge of the front - they still have "chicken strips". The center has tread left.

[Matts_12GS]

YAAAAAA! They make them for the R1100 Rear YAAAAA!

 

I always look forward to thrashing a new type of tire

 

Yeah, me too. Heck I might even get some now and have them here when I'm ready to do the RS tires this summer.

[Huzband]

I might even get some now and have them here when I'm ready to do the RS tires this summer.

 

Thanks for the heads up.

 

 

[realshelby]

The only thing that concerns me is the tread pattern I circled in white.

 

 

That triangle shaped area is just off center enough to be right in the highest wear area I have noticed on my RT's front tire. The Bridgestone BT 021's had a similar place in their tread that caused me to take it off at 4400 miles with substantial tread left in all other areas.

[EffBee]

Fernando,

 

I'll play "guinea pig" if you have them for the R1200RT.

 

Your recommendation of the Azarro's was excellent and I was very happy with them but they are shot. The even wear idea sounds interesting. The Azarros wore strangely. The Rear is worn in the Center and the Edges, half way in between has lots of tread. The Front is worn half way in between center and edges. I never touched the edge of the front - they still have "chicken strips". The center has tread left.

 

Come on in, Greg, I've got them discounted below their MSRP (can't say how much on this board) just like we do all our tires. But call first to make sure we haven't sold out in your sizes. Being a new tire, I didn't buy a lot of them, and I've received several e-mails and a couple of PM's already.

[Matts_12GS]

Thanks for the heads up.

 

Bah... You're not the only person I know with a HF changer...

 

Besides, it's near time to go old school and do it w/just my tire irons and a scissor jack if I need to!

[GregB]

Fernando,

Excellent recommendation on these RoadSmarts for the R1200RT. I had your service department install them with the 12K service. As much as I liked the Azarros, I like these even more.

 

When I picked the bike up, I headed up Hwy 39 to Glendora Mountain Road to take the long way home and try them out. They stuck so well from the beginning that I was working trying to get them to slip around a bit before the end of that 45 mile trip on the twisties.

 

They turn in very easily. If you want your R1200RT with the emphasis on SPORT, this is your tire. They do not follow grooves in the freeway at all. If your main interest is two up slab stuff, this might not be your tire since they do respond to your movements. Passenger wiggles are going to get more of a response to your line than you might want if you are into droning down the freeway.

 

I took the bike to the track day at Buttonwillow Raceway on Memorial Day. I turned the 165-mile-all-freeway trip into 368 miles of back roads. About 220 miles of that was done in the rain. On Lockwood Valley Road there are a series of corners marked 10 and 15mph leading into river crossings, some on cement, with algae and red clay. I COULD get them to slip around in that but had to work at it to do it. JUST EXCELLENT in the wet.

 

They were great runing on the track at cornering speeds higher than any sane person would do on the street. Interesting that wear to the edge on the rear exactly coincides with the point where the peg feelers touch on the RT. Here is a pic of the rear at 1000 miles, which includes 100 freeway miles, 80 miles of track, and the balance back roads, mostly twisty stuff.

 

I AM THRILLED WITH THESE TIRES!

[Fugu]

Thanks for the picture.

 

That a bit of a flat area in the middle or just an angle related thing?

 

How wide is the tire compared to the rim- or in other words what's the profile of the rear tire? I find that hemispherical rear tires tend to flat spot really fast if I ride 2 up a lot whereas rears with broader, flatter profiles (that also seem to be wider than the rim where hemispherical ones aren't much wider than the rim) seem to last longer before squaring off if I subject them to a lot of 2 up riding.

 

 

[GregB]

No visible flat spot in the middle, that is just light colored dirt.

 

The rear tire is about the same cross section shape and width as the Bridgestone BT020 that came on the bike. The Avon Azarro that just came off was both wider in total width and flatter in shape. I would agree that this tire LOOKS like it might wear more quickly in the center with alot of straight line riding. Time will tell but I will probably not be the person to find out. The Azarros were replaced since they were bald at 30 degrees off center. There was still tread in the middle and lots at the edges.

 

Fernando was exactly right in his OP saying that the rubber is so much softer at the sides that you can easily feel the difference by dragging your finger across the tread.

[Fugu]

Thanks- that comparison to the Azaro is just what I needed.

 

[Lone_RT_rider]

Thanks for the heads up.

 

Bah... You're not the only person I know with a HF changer...

 

Besides, it's near time to go old school and do it w/just my tire irons and a scissor jack if I need to!

 

I know a place in SC that is MINUTES from the mountains that does tire changing for FREE and even throws in free lodging and home brew. You might want to give them a call....

 

Shawn