Dunlop Q2s ( Sportmax ) Vs new Sportsmarts ?

Compared to my previous longer lasting Road 2s have been happier with the Dunlop Q2s quicker turn in, precision and grip but with just over 3800 miles on my Rear and probably about another 600 or so left on them ( Powers used to last about 3500miles total ) have been thinking of replacing it soon.

As Dunlop have just started advertising their newer Sportsmarts does anyone have an idea yet how the Sportsmarts compare against the Q2 Sportmax for mileage and grip ?

 

You mean the dunlop sportmax roadsmart I take it. I have a set on mine, I've got about 3500 miles on em of commuting, sport touring, and scratching. They show no squaring off and measure just above half of new tread depth. I like the tires, just make sure you keep a close eye on tire pressure, as dunlops do like to cup.

 

Can't help with the roadsmarts. But I have to assume that like any other sport-tourer, compromises in handling, especially lean and turn-in, will be made. I recently thought I would try the Q2's but the Metz M3's are so cheap right now that I took a pass, and it doesn't sound like the Q2's will provide much more in the way of mileage. I usually skip tire threads but I thought I'd chime in because I too am getting fed up with low mileage tires. A 100hp VFR just doesn't need a modern supersport compound; I buy them for the increased lean angle. Unless I'm in the dark on a specific tire (and no, PR 2ct's don't cut it), I wish someone would release a tire with a supersport profile in a sport-touring compound. Even 6k would be a marked improvement.

 

No I have Sportmax Q2's but want to try the newly released Sportmax "Sportsmarts" if they last longer, found out from searching Forums that "Sportmax" is the Family and eg Q2 or Sportsmart is the Varient.

 

Dunlops Q2 and Sportsmart advertisments both suggest high mileage for Supersport tyres and a hard riding friend on a GSXR1000 went from 2600 miles to trashed from his BT16s to 3500 so far on his Q2s with maybe 500 left on them.

The Road2s 96% of the time are perfectly good and besides high mileage are more secure in very slippery wet conditions.

The reason for the move to Q2s is the Supersports group I ride with for various reasons have picked up their collective pase and the R2s were hard work on a stock VFR to stay with them in the long distance twisties. The Dunlop Q2's with their quicker turn in and precision with a suspension refresh has been the difference from hard work to easily staying with the group.

I'm hoping the Sportsmarts will give Q2 grip with closer to Roadsmart mileage but haven't found an answer yet, although did read a recent UK mag that tested them against the Roadsmarts on the Road and Dunlops own "track only" tyres on a track and found they acquitted themselves very well against both.

 

Thought I'd email Dunlop tyre support to see if they could answer my query thinking they'd know which of the 2 is designed for longer mileage, I admit to being a bit disappointed with their answer.


" Thu, Mar 17, 2011 at 9:18 AM, dunlopmotorsport@dunloptyres.com wrote:

Hi John

Kindly call Dunlop Super Dealers on 131 631 or follow the below link and use the Dealer Locator to find the store closest to you for your below query.

Motorsport, Dunlop, Australia

Kind Regards
Dunlop Customer Service Team "

 

I have a riding buddy that rides his 2004 ZX-10 very hard and uses the Road 2's. No way I can keep up with him, even on my CBR954.

 

Had 3 sets of them so know the Michelin R2s with their dual compound soft sides stick well cornering but they are still slower / harder work on the VFR to flip flop through the tight twisties than my current Q2s. ie I was able to stay with my Sportsbike sport tyres mates on my R2 shod VFR just the Q2s have made life easier over our favourite 30 miles or so of continual mountain range twisties. Before the R2s had 3 sets of Michelin Pilot Powers but lasted less miles than the Q2s have already and being so thin get holed from road debris near their lifes end.

My perfect tyre would be a tyre that grips in the wet and lasts as long as the Michelin R2s but is as quick, linear and easy to turn as the Dunlop Q2s so am curious to find out if the newer SportSmarts out mileage the Q2s. In the meantime have found below Dunlop chart that suggests the SportSmarts are more "Sports" than the Q2s so probably not.

 

Hey John, I wanted to ask what your impressions of the Q2 are during cold to normal operations. I'm curious because I'm hearing a large number of complaints here in the cooler air of Colorado. After the tire received very good reviews from several U.S. publications and a local sale that made the tires very affodable, many people from around Denver have purchased them recently. A lot of those buyers are now saying that the tire slips easily under a normal operating temp and is very slow to warm up regardless. There have even been a couple of accidents blamed on the Q2's. There seems to be a consensus forming that the tires are effective only under very aggressive or track type riding temps. Are these guys just blaming poor early season technique on the tire?

 

Can't answer your the cold in the dry part of the question as have only had the Q2s since first Summer and by the time I usually hit our "day 2" Alpine twisties the road and Q2s have warmed up and are brilliant, what I can confirm is the Q2s are not near as good as the R2s in colder wet slippery conditions.

On my last 3 day road trip to the Snowies 3 weeks ago "day 1" the way down was wet, cold and greasy on the winding coastal road. After clearing the last major town about 3 hours South of Sydney was on point so ramped the pace up a notch when the Q2s started to give me several first a squirmy feel then then a few small rear step outs which had me backing off to a reduced pace.

After the first moment thought there must have been an unnoticed oil patch or something mid corner but after the third or 4th realised it was the tyres. Next stop had me check my pressures but found it was the same 36 / 42psi I started with. You might say you shouldn't be pressing on in those kind of conditions but these were small "brown trouser" moments the 3 previous sets of R2s had never given me at a similar pace on the same road in worse conditions.

Back to your question, I don't know but wouldn't be supprised if the Q2s needed to be fully warmed up before hammering them on a cold road in Colorado.

 

Just read in a recent UK Bike Magazine that Dunlop position the SportSmart as the Q2s replacement better in every area of performance with simlar mileage. Might explain why the Q2s are priced so sharply.

 

I am going to get a chance to try out a new set of Q2's on the track next weekend. I rode 2up on them with the wife on Sunday and it was a chilly 40F. I still have about an inch and a half of chicken strips on the rear. That was my first time on the road since they were mounted on the CBR last week.

I am suspecting that I will need to borrow a set of warmers?

 

I'll think you'll want some warmers for sure. I rode with yet another Q2 user last weekend in 50f temps. He also complained of the rear tire stepping out, even after an hour of riding. I'm definitely getting the impression that they need to be run hot, or not at all. Which sucks, I was looking forward to trying them.

 

Comments on Q2s Vs Sportsmarts

Looks like the Q2s slow warm up especially in the Wet is supported somewhat in Superbikeschool Forums discussion noting it mentions the new Dunlop SportSmarts are not only better they have a fast warmup.


Niggle on Q2s:

" .... If I had a slight niggle about them, I'd say the were a little slow to warm up in the wet, and until we had them warmed up, they were a little slippy until you had perhaps 3-4 laps into them and graudually built that up. "


On SportSmarts:

" Sportsmarts, new tyre this year, and we used these tyres actually because the new D211 GP NTEC were very much in supply constraint earlier in 2010. I would suggest we hadn't actually planned to run them on the coach bikes, but if you don't have the top tyres available, you goto the next ones down the stack. Well, what a suprise this tyre turned out to be. It's a stunninly good tyre really. It warms very quick, has great feel from the front and the rear and is good in both wet and dry. "

Thread Linky:
Qualifier Ii Vs Sportsmart - Cornering Forum

 

I dropped off my bike at the track today for tomorrow and Sunday. I spoke with one of the riders in out local group as he runs the Q2's. He doesn't run warmers. He just takes it easy for two laps and then he rides hard. He runs in the intermediate group, as do I.

It's going to be 84 degrees here tomorrow and slight warmer on Sunday. I will let you know how they do.

 

That's what I'm hearing, Smiley; get them track hot and they're great. Otherwise, not so much - specifically in a road application. I'd be very interested in your opinions when you finish the good weekend. Have fun!

 

I expect they'll be excellent at 84f on a dry track. When riding the Alpine range twisties in the dry even at 65f they worked brilliantly, quick turnin and secure at full lean, problem with them squirming nerviously occured at 54f temp on a wet winding road which probably means they were still cold. The thing is I had never suffered the same slippage on either R2s or Pilot Powers in colder wetter conditions on the same coastal road down I've done on a VFR ( Gen 6 then 5 ) about 3-4 times a year the last 7 years. I guess all this means is the Q2s make a great dry warm day road / track tyre but a average all conditions road only tyre.

Purpose of the thread was to get real world opinions on the Q2s Vs Sportsmarts, luckly a regular riding buddy on GSXR1000K9 is about change his now trashed Q2s ( 3500miles ) which he rates higher than his previous 2 sets of OEM BT16s ( 2200miles each set ) for Dunlop Sportsmarts so might get an idea on mileage difference in a few months.

 

Havcar, I have my 1st track day set at Mid Ohio June 6th. I have a set of PR 2ct's at about 3500 miles and still look good. What would your advice be to me, should I consider a set of M3's. I will be in the novice group and know I will be running slower but would the M'3 help with quicker turn in and worth the sticking power and confidence i would have compaired to the Pr's? ..Where did you get your best price? Thanks in advance.

 

Hero, I would definitely swap the PR 2ct's for something sportier on the track. I'm contradicting myself here, but in a track environment, a 100hp VFR will certainly benefit from a supersport compound; as will your ability and enjoyment. There are several tire makes that fit the bill - I personally choose M3's over other models, such as Pilot Powers, because of their speedy warm-up, easy turn-in, and increased lean. I've never done the geometry, but based on my experience the M3's offer roughly 5 degrees more lean when compared to Pilot Powers, even more when compared to Pilot Roads. On the Power's, chicken strips were easily removed and left me wanting more. On the M3's, I'm wearing my toe-sliders in order to get all the way down. I think that if you were to try them, you'd feel as though you're riding a new machine; that's how easy they turn in compared to the PR 2ct's. The tire feedback is very neutral when compared to Michelin, which have a tendency to drive the front into the asphalt; at least on my suspension settings. Some riders prefer the feeling of a rear that "pivots" around the front, but for me, neutrality is the way to go. I think that regardless of what tire you choose, as long as it's a supersport you'll gain so much more than would you on the PR 2ct's. Have fun at the track!

 

Hey John,
How many miles did your Michelins last? I'm thinking of getting some for my VFR. Currently have Q2's but don't like them cos of the quick wear.
Thanks