Sportbike riders are in a constant search for the do-it-all motorcycle tire, one that will get great wear for the money spent, and have superior handling on both the street and the track.
Enter the Dunlop Sportmax Q2. Dunlop says this tire provides “substantially” better grip and handling than the previous Qualifier, which was the only tire to ever win a Motorcycle of the Year Award from Motorcyclist magazine.
After years of research, two technological advances make the Q2 stand out from the rest of the tire market: Intuitive Response Profile (IRP) in the rear tire, and MT Multi-Tread technology. The results of this technology underscores the strides Dunlop has taken in the development of multi-compound tires and the complex construction that allows them to work so seamlessly on the track and street.
IRP provides the tire with outstanding handling and steering characteristics. When placed side-by-side with a Qualifier, the Q2 displays a taller profile (steeper tread edge drop) with sides that taper in more aggressively, providing a larger contact patch at extreme angles.
“It (IRP in Q2) intuitively allows the rider greater latitude in line choice while cornering and provides amazingly linear steering no matter what shape, speed or camber the corner, and at all lean angles,” Dunlop says.
The MT Mutli-Compound technology provides a long-wearing compound in the center of the tread, providing enhanced straight-line stability and excellent traction under acceleration. The left and right side of the tires are designed with lateral-grip compounds developed specifically to enhance traction at moderate to maximum lean angles.
This MT Multi-Compound design provides maximum sportbike performance, but with the addition of a long-wearing tire.
For tread design, the Q2 features Dunlop’s “proprietary cosecant-curve design to align tire forces precisely with the tread groves.” What this means is in comparison to the Qualifier tire, the Q2 puts more rubber down on the ground, providing additional traction. And for enhanced wet grip, Dunlop incorporated new polymers into the MT Multi-Compound designs. Also, the groved elements are spaced at varying intervals around the tire to reduce noise and vibration.
Dunlop intensely tested these tires at their Huntsville Proving Grounds in Alabama and at tracks across the country. When compared with the Qualifier, the Q2 was better in these areas:
- Traction level grip: up 15 percent
- Drive grip: up 15 percent
- Responsiveness: up 5 percent
- Cornering Stability: up 25 percent
The tires are available in front sizes 120/60ZR17 and 120/70ZR17, and rear sizes of 160/60ZR17, 170/60ZR17, 180/55ZR17, 190/50ZR17, 190/55ZR17 and 200/50ZR17. Rear tires costs from $145 to around $200, and fronts are going for $117 to $121.
