HaulinAshe
Well-known member
NOTE: Using the wonderful new thread topic revision feature so graciously provided to post whores like myself, in order to avoid starting a brand new thread. I, like some others, have been posting info about these tires across several threads. Attempting to compile my comments into this single post.
[SIZE=12pt]IN THE BEGINNING...[/SIZE]
For those who like to kick the tires...
New set of Dunlop RoadSmart multi-compound tires arrived today. Since these are a brand new design (for Dunlop), have received some warm reviews from across-the-water publishers, I thought some pics were in order. Enjoy!
L to R: Very used Bridgestone BT-021, Dunlop RoadSmart, Pirelli Diablo Strada.
Closeup of the RoadSmart tread pattern.
My most recent two fronts; RoadSmart and Pirelli Corsa-III.
The new RoadSmart pair.
Both Front & Rear have very prominent balance marks.
What's in a name? Dunlop Sportmax RoadSmart I guess?
Don't know why in all the years I've dealt with Dunlop Tires that I never noticed this!
[SIZE=12pt]TREAD DEPTH[/SIZE]
I measured tread depths that are substantially less than advertised by Dunlop.
Measured Average Front: 4.3 mm / Advertised: 4.76 mm
Measured Average Rear: 6.4 mm / Advertised: 7.14 mm
[SIZE=12pt]DUROMETER[/SIZE]
I use a homemade comparison durometer to compare rubber compounds between brands/types of tires under identical conditions (in my garage).
Of seeming significance, is that unlike the Bridgestone BT-021 (where the change of compounds can be easily detected down the center) the Dunlop RoadSmart appears to have a multi-compound composition that changes almost linearly until you reach the last/outer 10mm of tread. On the very outer edges there is a sharp drop in the hardness of the rubber. You could characterize the rubber as "blended" rather than "molded", if that makes sense.
Overall, the center and hardest area of the rubber, tests slightly softer than the BT-021. The outside "stripes" test identical to the Diablo Strada.
[SIZE=12pt]AFTER 1,800 MILES...[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Ding Ding Ding...[/SIZE]
We have a winner!
Before I left for EastKY last Thursday, I ordered two more sets of Dunlop Roadsmarts from SWMotoTires. Now have about 1,800 miles on the RoadSmarts, and I'm not the least bit sorry I already have two spare sets. Looks to me like Dunlop is working hard to keep Michelin honest and in-line with pricing. Only way for Michelin to win out is if the PR2s get substantially higher mileage with NO compromise in performance.
Here's the tread depth numbers:
New RoadSmarts in my garage floor range from 6.5 to 6.8 mm center area tread depth. It's worth noting that this is somewhat deeper than the original/new tread depth measurements made on the first test set of tires. I have also noticed that one of the newest rear tires has a different finish than the others, and appears rougher-textured. This leads me to speculate that perhaps Dunlop is having some minor issues with getting all the molds matched and tires consistently released from the molds?
* 1,800 miles on the test tire to date.
* Rear center tread depth ranges from 3.5 to 3.8 mm (Approx. 3.0 mm used)
* Approximately 1,000 of that could be considered slab.
* Almost all miles have been fully loaded, two-up, and I mean ALL the winter gear on the riders with three bags packed to the brim.
According to my calculations, that translates to 3,500 miles before contacting the wear bars and a possible 4,000 mile or better total tread life. That would definitely put the Dunlop RoadSmart at the top of my mileage list, running close to a ME880 for tread life.
Probably the most positive thing I can say about the RoadSmart's life, is that both Front & Rear still handle very much like new tires, mainly because they have retained most of their original shape/contour, despite extensive two-up, fully-loaded mileage.
Below are profile photos of the Dunlop RoadSmart Front & Rear at roughly 1,800 miles.
As you can see, the shape is very good for tires that have seen 1,000 miles of two-up fully loaded slab time.
FRONT
REAR
[SIZE=12pt]PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS/COMMENTS THUS FAR[/SIZE]
* Manufacturing quality appears to be excellent with very even tread depth moulding, extremely moderate balance weight required, very low rolling contact noise, minimal bar vibration noticed. The rear balanced with 0.75 oz. weight, the front only required 0.25 oz. That may be the least amount of weight I've ever used on those wheels.
* Short warm-up interval of less than ten(10) minutes typical from garage to smiles.
* Superior wet traction. This opinion is based on a few hundred miles of dirty wet roads in 50F temps. No extreme braking tests have yet been performed. I won't do those types of things when two-up.
* Very tolerant of PSI variations. My rear tire has some obscure leak that is obviously due to the wheel not being properly cleaned before the tire was mounted. So I have had the "opportunity" to run the rear from 24 to 42 psi. The performance does not noticeably degrade until the PSI drops in the low 30s, but I bet tread life would inevitably suffer.
* Compound or contact-patch transitions result in a noticeable, but brief skip. I can best describe this as being a tiny bit worse than a Strada, but better than a Bridgestone BT-021. The Strada will "slip" and reach out, attempting to grab the road again. The same situation on a BT-021 has best been described as "Once in motion, tends to stay in motion". The Dunlop RoadSmart sorta "clicks", like you are running over a small rock and then regains traction.
* Good resistance to pavement lines with minimal edge tracking tendency. This is indicative of harder compound tires that tend to stay on path while rolling on top of, rather than into grooves. It's a nice aspect of the dual-compound design IMHO.
* Excellent shape retention, even with heavy loading. The dreaded trapezoid pattern still develops, but the edges are not so sharp as single-compound designs. This results in a smoother handling tire over the entire (expected at this time) tire life.
* Price - Hello!!! I use a LOT of tires on these rough coastal roads, and I still have two daughters to put through college. Homey needs his tire money.
* Current recommended PSI pressures per Haulin Ashe:
Solo; 38 front, 40 rear
Two-Up; 39 front, 42 rear
[SIZE=12pt]THE EPITAPH - 4,167 MILES[/SIZE]
Final verdict...
4,167 miles and well into the wear bars. Tread completely missing in some places.
Roughly the last 600 miles were feeling "trucky", but that's not at all unusual for ANY tire. Fresh, new rubbers always make playtime fun! Old, skanky rubbers are, well... skanky!!!
Of particular noteworthiness is that the front and rear have worn at almost exactly the same rate. That makes these Dunlop RoadSmart tires especially attractive to those who truly prefer to change front and rear simultaneously.
These tires stayed balanced and handled extremely well right down to the wear bars. Near the end of life, they exhibited a slight increased tendency to skip across rocks rather than roll over them, and you could feel a bit more slip from the rear when really cranking on the throttle in heavily loaded and heavily leaned situations. Overall they did nothing stupid, performed extremely well, and have exhibited the longest tread life experienced in my recent tire tests.
There may have been another tire with slightly longer tread life, maybe the old Mich Pilot Roads? But even the old PRs didn't go much over the 4,000 mark for me, and they handled like Freightliner recaps from the start.
So it seems that unless somebody buys me a free Mich PR2, I have found my tire home for a while. Next set of Dunlops is already mounted and balanced, sitting on the spare wheels. They go on tomorrow. After all, it IS prime riding season and there's this little stretch of 80...
HA
FRONT
REAR
[SIZE=12pt]IN THE BEGINNING...[/SIZE]
For those who like to kick the tires...
New set of Dunlop RoadSmart multi-compound tires arrived today. Since these are a brand new design (for Dunlop), have received some warm reviews from across-the-water publishers, I thought some pics were in order. Enjoy!
L to R: Very used Bridgestone BT-021, Dunlop RoadSmart, Pirelli Diablo Strada.
Closeup of the RoadSmart tread pattern.
My most recent two fronts; RoadSmart and Pirelli Corsa-III.
The new RoadSmart pair.
Both Front & Rear have very prominent balance marks.
What's in a name? Dunlop Sportmax RoadSmart I guess?
Don't know why in all the years I've dealt with Dunlop Tires that I never noticed this!
[SIZE=12pt]TREAD DEPTH[/SIZE]
I measured tread depths that are substantially less than advertised by Dunlop.
Measured Average Front: 4.3 mm / Advertised: 4.76 mm
Measured Average Rear: 6.4 mm / Advertised: 7.14 mm
[SIZE=12pt]DUROMETER[/SIZE]
I use a homemade comparison durometer to compare rubber compounds between brands/types of tires under identical conditions (in my garage).
Of seeming significance, is that unlike the Bridgestone BT-021 (where the change of compounds can be easily detected down the center) the Dunlop RoadSmart appears to have a multi-compound composition that changes almost linearly until you reach the last/outer 10mm of tread. On the very outer edges there is a sharp drop in the hardness of the rubber. You could characterize the rubber as "blended" rather than "molded", if that makes sense.
Overall, the center and hardest area of the rubber, tests slightly softer than the BT-021. The outside "stripes" test identical to the Diablo Strada.
[SIZE=12pt]AFTER 1,800 MILES...[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Ding Ding Ding...[/SIZE]
We have a winner!
Before I left for EastKY last Thursday, I ordered two more sets of Dunlop Roadsmarts from SWMotoTires. Now have about 1,800 miles on the RoadSmarts, and I'm not the least bit sorry I already have two spare sets. Looks to me like Dunlop is working hard to keep Michelin honest and in-line with pricing. Only way for Michelin to win out is if the PR2s get substantially higher mileage with NO compromise in performance.
Here's the tread depth numbers:
New RoadSmarts in my garage floor range from 6.5 to 6.8 mm center area tread depth. It's worth noting that this is somewhat deeper than the original/new tread depth measurements made on the first test set of tires. I have also noticed that one of the newest rear tires has a different finish than the others, and appears rougher-textured. This leads me to speculate that perhaps Dunlop is having some minor issues with getting all the molds matched and tires consistently released from the molds?
* 1,800 miles on the test tire to date.
* Rear center tread depth ranges from 3.5 to 3.8 mm (Approx. 3.0 mm used)
* Approximately 1,000 of that could be considered slab.
* Almost all miles have been fully loaded, two-up, and I mean ALL the winter gear on the riders with three bags packed to the brim.
According to my calculations, that translates to 3,500 miles before contacting the wear bars and a possible 4,000 mile or better total tread life. That would definitely put the Dunlop RoadSmart at the top of my mileage list, running close to a ME880 for tread life.
Probably the most positive thing I can say about the RoadSmart's life, is that both Front & Rear still handle very much like new tires, mainly because they have retained most of their original shape/contour, despite extensive two-up, fully-loaded mileage.
Below are profile photos of the Dunlop RoadSmart Front & Rear at roughly 1,800 miles.
As you can see, the shape is very good for tires that have seen 1,000 miles of two-up fully loaded slab time.
FRONT
REAR
[SIZE=12pt]PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS/COMMENTS THUS FAR[/SIZE]
* Manufacturing quality appears to be excellent with very even tread depth moulding, extremely moderate balance weight required, very low rolling contact noise, minimal bar vibration noticed. The rear balanced with 0.75 oz. weight, the front only required 0.25 oz. That may be the least amount of weight I've ever used on those wheels.
* Short warm-up interval of less than ten(10) minutes typical from garage to smiles.
* Superior wet traction. This opinion is based on a few hundred miles of dirty wet roads in 50F temps. No extreme braking tests have yet been performed. I won't do those types of things when two-up.
* Very tolerant of PSI variations. My rear tire has some obscure leak that is obviously due to the wheel not being properly cleaned before the tire was mounted. So I have had the "opportunity" to run the rear from 24 to 42 psi. The performance does not noticeably degrade until the PSI drops in the low 30s, but I bet tread life would inevitably suffer.
* Compound or contact-patch transitions result in a noticeable, but brief skip. I can best describe this as being a tiny bit worse than a Strada, but better than a Bridgestone BT-021. The Strada will "slip" and reach out, attempting to grab the road again. The same situation on a BT-021 has best been described as "Once in motion, tends to stay in motion". The Dunlop RoadSmart sorta "clicks", like you are running over a small rock and then regains traction.
* Good resistance to pavement lines with minimal edge tracking tendency. This is indicative of harder compound tires that tend to stay on path while rolling on top of, rather than into grooves. It's a nice aspect of the dual-compound design IMHO.
* Excellent shape retention, even with heavy loading. The dreaded trapezoid pattern still develops, but the edges are not so sharp as single-compound designs. This results in a smoother handling tire over the entire (expected at this time) tire life.
* Price - Hello!!! I use a LOT of tires on these rough coastal roads, and I still have two daughters to put through college. Homey needs his tire money.
* Current recommended PSI pressures per Haulin Ashe:
Solo; 38 front, 40 rear
Two-Up; 39 front, 42 rear
[SIZE=12pt]THE EPITAPH - 4,167 MILES[/SIZE]
Final verdict...
4,167 miles and well into the wear bars. Tread completely missing in some places.
Roughly the last 600 miles were feeling "trucky", but that's not at all unusual for ANY tire. Fresh, new rubbers always make playtime fun! Old, skanky rubbers are, well... skanky!!!
Of particular noteworthiness is that the front and rear have worn at almost exactly the same rate. That makes these Dunlop RoadSmart tires especially attractive to those who truly prefer to change front and rear simultaneously.
These tires stayed balanced and handled extremely well right down to the wear bars. Near the end of life, they exhibited a slight increased tendency to skip across rocks rather than roll over them, and you could feel a bit more slip from the rear when really cranking on the throttle in heavily loaded and heavily leaned situations. Overall they did nothing stupid, performed extremely well, and have exhibited the longest tread life experienced in my recent tire tests.
There may have been another tire with slightly longer tread life, maybe the old Mich Pilot Roads? But even the old PRs didn't go much over the 4,000 mark for me, and they handled like Freightliner recaps from the start.
So it seems that unless somebody buys me a free Mich PR2, I have found my tire home for a while. Next set of Dunlops is already mounted and balanced, sitting on the spare wheels. They go on tomorrow. After all, it IS prime riding season and there's this little stretch of 80...
HA
FRONT
REAR
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