A Little Bit of Dunlop History

Important fun fact: The first practical pneumatic tyre was invented in 1888 by John Boyd Dunlop of Belfast, Northern Ireland.
He is the true daddy of modern tyres.

My favourite Dunlop fact: Working in conjunction with Jaguar, Dunlop also developed the disc brake! First for aircraft, and then for cars.
Together they made opposing piston hydraulic calipers, squeezing onto disk brakes which.
This was highly influential in the Jaguar D-Type getting Le Mans race wins in 1955, 1956 and 1957... and now we have brilliant brakes on our cars and bikes. Thanks Dunlop!

So Dunlop tyres aren't just round rubber hoops, they are research, development, tested and proven.

Lets see some of the range:

Dunlop Trailmax Raid

I'm going to unashamedly start with my favourite Dunlop tyre, it's my blog, I can do what I want!

Dunlop Trailmax Raid.
It's classed as a 50/50 tyre, meaning it's designed for 50% road use, and 50% off road use... which is the muddy, jaggy, rocky, craggy end of off-roading.
A full on aggressive off-road tyre. A proper naughty boy!

I previously wrote a blog about them where I made the mad claim they should be called a 60/50 tyre ... the maths doesn't add up but it's to stress just how happy this aggressive tyre is on the road.

Rivals to the Raid

Bridgestone AX41 - super aggressive but despite the price being approx £20 less per pair.. people buy the Raids, lots of people buy the Raids.

Mitas Enduro Trail XT+ - another very popular ADV tyre, known for being great off road, perhaps not as good on the road as the Raid, available in standard version and a tougher carcass Dakar version, these sell well .... too well.... which means stock can be sporadic.

Continental TKC80 Twinduro (Gen2) - The original TKC80 tyre has been around for yonks, released in 1985 they were not updated for 40 years! Not because Conti are lazy, but because they got them right! The Gen 2 version has some minor tweaks, but it's hard to improve on near-perfection. Pricewise, they are slightly cheaper than the Raids, making it a tough choice between them.

Trailmax Meridian

Trailmax Meridian is 90/10 ADV tyre, aimed at spending most of their time on the road with some light trail use.

The Meridian as an under-the-radar tyre for us. We sell them, they go out of the door but not in large enough numbers for us to say 'wow we sell a lot of those' like we do with the Raid, but they do sell, and they do sell more than we think. They sneak out!

These are a highly developed tyre, which means they have a lot of marketing buzz words and acronyms.
I ride a Kawasaki so I'm used to this! KQS, KEBC, KLCM ARAS, KCMF, KIBS. K-ACT to name but a few.

The Meridian boasts:
‘ice-ax’ tread pattern
Rayon Ply tyre casing
State of the art compounds and resin blends
Multi-Tread (MT) technology

All in all, fast warm up time, better grip across a broader range of weathers, and longer tyre life. It's a win win win!

Why Are They Under the Radar?

The reason these are an under-the-radar-tyre for us, is because they face tough competition:

Conti Trail Attack 3 - sell in good numbers, a premium tyre at a premium price but well trusted and respected. Similar price to Meridian.

Bridgestone A41 - also sell well, known for excellent grip with the deserved Bridgestone reputation. Similar price to Meridian.

Pirelli Scorpion Trail 3 - are the most expensive premium option, excellent tyre, razor sharp handling, slightly too expensive.

Dunlop MX Tyres

I've done very little MX riding, very very little. I did jump my MX bike once... 1 inch high and 8 inches distance.. IT STILL COUNTS!

What I'm saying is ... my knowledge on MX tyres is not based on experience, but I deal with them on a daily basis and I know what I like.

And I do like the Dunlop MX range:

• Geomax MX34 - Soft to Medium terrain
• Geomax MX53 & the updated Geomax MX54 - Medium to Hard Terrain
• Geomax MX14 - Mud and sand rear tyre, use with an MX34 front.

Rival ranges are also excellent of course, but if the Dunlop range is where I'll put my money ... if / when my MX bike ever works again.

Bridgestone Battlecross

Bridgestone have a similar range of tyres for different surfaces, and are also going out of sync on product names.
it used to be easy .. X10, X20, X30, X40, but time doesnt stand still and neither does Bridgestone.

• Battlecross X10 - Sand and mud
• Battlecross X20 - Soft to medium terrain
• Battlecross X31 - Medium to hard terrain

Kenda MX Tyres

Kenda are proven race winners, but with tyres named after American MX tracks, it's not simple to know which tyre you'd need.

• Washougal 3 - Intermediate terrain
• Millville 2 - Soft terrain
• Southwick 2 - Sand tyre

Dunlop Geomax EN92 Enduro Tyre

While we're in an off-road kind of mood, we mustn't fail to highlight Dunlop's new enduro tyre, the Geomax EN92.
Replacing the highly successful Geomax EN91 just look at the improvements and acronyms! And remember, more acronyms = more better!

• Increased performance across a broader range of conditions
• 2 front & 3 rear options with optimised block layout
• Reduced land ratio in the middle zones improves grip on hard or rocky surfaces
• Progressive Cornering Block Technology (PCBT) increases penetration into dirt and cornering grip
• Additional cavities in the central blocks aid shock absorption over rocks and other obstacles
• Rear tyre pattern V-Block Technology (V-BT) gives exceptional traction and control sliding
• Reinforced Scoop Technology (RST) allows the tyre to dig into soft ground

All in all, you get improved dry and wet grip and traction, better predictability and increased compliance front and back

Oh Yes! It's Sport Radial Time!

Sport radial tyres are the biggest slice of pie in the UK motorcycle tyre market, and being a sport rider, this is usually where I start

I really did have to put the Trailmax Raid first of my Dunlop list, but now it's Sport Radial o'clock!

Sportsmart 4

Sportsmart 4 - Properly called the Sportsmart Mk4 Hypersport Tyre

The latest iteration of the proven Sportsmart series of tyres. Priced at the premium end of the market against some very tough competition means that when people ask what we recommend, well..... I'll be honest.... while these are top of the tree, there are equally good tyres out there which cost a bit less, it makes it hard to ask people to pay the extra for the Dunlop. They are loaded with features and really are a top notch product.

Our tyre fitter Matt, tested some Sportsmart 4 on track.
Matt reported back saying the tyres gave him no concerns all day, and gave him increased confidence throughout the day, allowing him to brake later, run deeper, turn harder and drive out of corners with no worry that the tyre will give up and slide him into the kitty litter. Top testing there Matt!

The Rivals

Pirelli Rosso 4 - Metzeler Sportec 01 - Michelin Power 6 (and many many others!)

Dunlop Qualifier Core

The Sportsmart has a natural enemy, the Dunlop Qualifier Core ... are Dunlop doing themselves out of sales?

The Qualifier Core is a budget hypersport tyre, but they have a problem... they are TOO GOOD!

They are so good that they suggest that you don't need to spend more money on the superior tyre... now, I've said this before. I didn't enjoy saying it last time, and I don't enjoy it this time either...... but the truth is.... we are not capable of out-riding most tyres on the market.

We love to think we are, but in reality, most tyres are better than most of you.... did I say 'you'? Hahaha ... I meant ... 'us'.

The Qualifier Core are approx 2/3 the price of the Sportsmart 4 ... which is a substancial saving.
The tyre will do what most of us needs us to. We can ride it and not feel that we need more.

We sell lots and lots of the Qualifier Cores, and it's easy to see why.

I frequently compare tyres to footware, and in this instance.... if I'm not capable of running 100m in under 10 seconds, do I really need the top of the range Nike TrackBlaster Air-Hover Turbo Extreme Rocket shoes for £700? Nope, sell me the cheaper Nikes and watch me collapse after 50 metres.

Roadsmart 4

Roadsmart 4 - AKA the Dunlop Roadsmart IV

Dunlop's flagship Sport Touring tyre, and once again, they are highly developed, full of technology and features which result in a stunning tyre... and thankfully are priced on par with rival premium products.

I don't have much to say about these, but luckily we had someone road test a pair for us..... find out what Gareth thinks about his pair.

Some Rivals

Some rivals, all excellent, all similar prices:
Michelin Road 6 - Bridgestone T33 - Continental Road Attack 4 ... and many, MANY, more. Seriously, so many more!

The Dunlop Mutant

And now.... the main event... a tyre that has no equivalent.... The Dunlop Mutant

What can we say about this unique and magnificent pneu?
At a shallow level... LOOK AT THEM!!! So funky looking and that alone is awesome.

Going beyond the shallow, what else is good about them?

• Surprising levels of grip in wet on cold conditions.
• Fast warm up, another benefit of the high silica content
• Dry weather riding is stable and predictable
• Mud + Snow rated, also classed as a 90/10 tyre, so good for some light trail and gravelly tracks.
• Dual compounds mean you get decent mileage, but still sporty when leant over in the bends.

In the interest of balance and honesty, we do need to point out some feedback which is ... not actually bad... but something you may need to be aware of if considering a purchase.

Some riders have found that the front tyre too is stable, and is not condusive to sporty riding / fast turn in.

If you're a road going Rossi then this may not be the tyre for you.

There Are More Dunlop Products

There are more Dunlop products, the new ScootSmart 2, many cruiser tyre options, some classic bike options ... but this blog is already too long and I'd be amazed if anyone has read this far down... and lets save some for another blog, another day.

Adios Amigos! Until next time!