Dry Ride, Four Years In The Making Dunlop Sportmax
A miserably cold downpour greeted us on ride day for the first Roadsmart in 2008. This time, for the Roadsmart II, we had nothin’ but blue skies and bone-dry roads. Morning temps were brisk, hovering in the upper 40s, but this meant we’d have an opportunity to get a sense of how quickly the new tire would warm to operating temps.
A diverse selection of motorcycles, including GSX-R600s and 750s, Honda’s NT700V and VFR1200 and BMW’s new full-boat tourer K1600GTL, as well as other standard-style and sport-tourers, were fitted with the new tire. The variety of bikes was Dunlop’s way of implying the new tire’s ability to serve a variety of roles: from sport riding to touring, the RS II aims to please an array of riders.
From city surface streets to freeway droning to long runs through the canyons, our ride route included everything a street-going motorcyclist might encounter. No matter which bike I rode, the Roadsmart II provided quick warm-up and reliable grip; a lack of trust in the tires was never an issue. The RS II stuck like glue while zipping around sweeping canyon roads, even at speeds that caused the heavier sport-tourers like Yamaha’s FJR1300 or Kawasaki Concours 14 to occasionally drag a footpeg.And courtesy of the Connie 14 and its hyper-fast engine I had a few opportunities to sample the RS II’s stability characteristics during tripl… er, high-speed runs. The big Concours remained steady and true, never once exhibiting disconcerting shudders or weird vibrations, while front-end feel was consistently positive rather than vague. The bike was equally stable during heavy braking.
Dunlop development rider Rich Conicelli said that one of the goals for the new Roadsmart II was lighter and quicker steering feel. I can’t say any of the motorcycles I rode felt quicker steering than usual, but neither did they feel heavier steering than what I was used to.
Stints down the Super Slab at typical L.A.-freeway cruising speeds aboard the big bomber BMW K1600 was the perfect setting to get a sense of the tire’s comfort level – its ability to absorb bumps. The K bike sailed smoothly down the highway; the Roadsmart II gobbling up expansion joints and crummy pavement along the way, but not at the cost of a lower degree of feel or a squirmy ride.
After riding the various types of motorcycles during the day I was inclined to think the heavier bikes might’ve had just a little more ride comfort than the lighter weight bikes – ride quality on the smaller machines occasionally felt firmer. I attributed this sensation to the tire’s increased carcass stiffness, which for the heavier motorcycles should mean increased life – approximately 20% more than the previous Roadsmart according to Dunlop. Of course, tire durability is heavily influenced by the type or riding you’ll do.
After a full day’s ride the most prominent impression I was left with, beyond the RS II’s good grip and overall feel, was how linear steering action was when transitioning from full upright to full lean. This equates to a wonderfully predictable tire, and a predictable tire can instill confidence in the rider. And a confident rider is happy rider who’s not thinking about tires, but is focused on, and enjoying, the motorcycle and the ride.
Roadsmart II Sizes
120/60ZR 17 (55W) Front
120/70ZR 17 (58W) Front
110/80ZR 18 (58W) Front
120/70ZR 18 (59W) Front
160/60ZR 17 (69W) Rear
160/60ZR 17 (69W) Rear
160/70ZR 17 (73W) Rear
170/60ZR 17 (72W) Rear
180/55ZR 17 (73W) Rear
190/50ZR 17 (73W) Rear
190/55ZR 17 (75W) Rear
160/60ZR 18 (70W) Rear
A diverse selection of motorcycles, including GSX-R600s and 750s, Honda’s NT700V and VFR1200 and BMW’s new full-boat tourer K1600GTL, as well as other standard-style and sport-tourers, were fitted with the new tire. The variety of bikes was Dunlop’s way of implying the new tire’s ability to serve a variety of roles: from sport riding to touring, the RS II aims to please an array of riders.
From city surface streets to freeway droning to long runs through the canyons, our ride route included everything a street-going motorcyclist might encounter. No matter which bike I rode, the Roadsmart II provided quick warm-up and reliable grip; a lack of trust in the tires was never an issue. The RS II stuck like glue while zipping around sweeping canyon roads, even at speeds that caused the heavier sport-tourers like Yamaha’s FJR1300 or Kawasaki Concours 14 to occasionally drag a footpeg.And courtesy of the Connie 14 and its hyper-fast engine I had a few opportunities to sample the RS II’s stability characteristics during tripl… er, high-speed runs. The big Concours remained steady and true, never once exhibiting disconcerting shudders or weird vibrations, while front-end feel was consistently positive rather than vague. The bike was equally stable during heavy braking.
Dunlop development rider Rich Conicelli said that one of the goals for the new Roadsmart II was lighter and quicker steering feel. I can’t say any of the motorcycles I rode felt quicker steering than usual, but neither did they feel heavier steering than what I was used to.
Stints down the Super Slab at typical L.A.-freeway cruising speeds aboard the big bomber BMW K1600 was the perfect setting to get a sense of the tire’s comfort level – its ability to absorb bumps. The K bike sailed smoothly down the highway; the Roadsmart II gobbling up expansion joints and crummy pavement along the way, but not at the cost of a lower degree of feel or a squirmy ride.
After riding the various types of motorcycles during the day I was inclined to think the heavier bikes might’ve had just a little more ride comfort than the lighter weight bikes – ride quality on the smaller machines occasionally felt firmer. I attributed this sensation to the tire’s increased carcass stiffness, which for the heavier motorcycles should mean increased life – approximately 20% more than the previous Roadsmart according to Dunlop. Of course, tire durability is heavily influenced by the type or riding you’ll do.
After a full day’s ride the most prominent impression I was left with, beyond the RS II’s good grip and overall feel, was how linear steering action was when transitioning from full upright to full lean. This equates to a wonderfully predictable tire, and a predictable tire can instill confidence in the rider. And a confident rider is happy rider who’s not thinking about tires, but is focused on, and enjoying, the motorcycle and the ride.
Roadsmart II Sizes
120/60ZR 17 (55W) Front
120/70ZR 17 (58W) Front
110/80ZR 18 (58W) Front
120/70ZR 18 (59W) Front
160/60ZR 17 (69W) Rear
160/60ZR 17 (69W) Rear
160/70ZR 17 (73W) Rear
170/60ZR 17 (72W) Rear
180/55ZR 17 (73W) Rear
190/50ZR 17 (73W) Rear
190/55ZR 17 (75W) Rear
160/60ZR 18 (70W) Rear
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