A bit about me

I ride a 24-plate R1250 GSA, I’m retired, and I ride all year round whenever I can. Most weeks I’ll cover somewhere between 170 and 300 miles, usually on rides around Wales, and I also do at least one European trip a year of 2,000 miles or more. I ride with a group of like minded spirited riders

1 BMW 1300 GSA, 1 BMW XR1000, 1 Kawasaki SX, 1 Kawasaki Z900, 1 BMW M1000XR

So when I had the chance to swap out the old tyres, I couldn’t wait to get the Bridgestone A40s off. To be honest, I’d never really liked them from the day I picked the bike up from the dealer.

The bike had 1,800 miles on it when I collected it late September 25 and it’s now on 5,113 miles. By this point, the front tyre was completely finished and on the edge of illegal, while the rear probably had another 1,500 miles left in it.

First Impressions

Once the Dunlop Road Smart 4s were fitted, I rode the bike away. Straight away, it felt like a completely different machine, which is what you’d hope for with fresh tyres.

I expected to spend the first hundred miles or so scrubbing them in, and with a ride around the Welsh hills planned for the next day, I knew I’d be taking it steady to begin with.

My first impression was that these tyres were going to make the bike turn in much quicker. I’d spent the best part of 4,000 miles getting used to the way the bike handled on the old set, so I suspected the change might catch me out once or twice.

On that first proper ride, the temperature was about 7°C, with no real rain but slightly damp roads from overnight.

What I noticed straight away was how quickly the bike now tipped into corners and roundabouts. Whether that was simply because they were new tyres or because these are a sportier design, I couldn’t say for certain at that point, but the difference was obvious.

That first ride was a 160-mile round trip from Telford through Shrewsbury, then out towards Bala and Barmouth, before turning down the A470 towards the Mach Loop, Machynlleth, Welshpool and back home.

I was a little apprehensive at first that morning. The bike turned quicker than it had on the old tyres, and I had to readjust to that.

By the afternoon, riding back from Mach to Welshpool, I’d started to get used to the quicker turn-in. By then they were scrubbed in and I was beginning to enjoy them. At first, I was slightly misjudging corners — nothing drastic, just occasionally tipping in a bit too tight, then overcorrecting on the next one for fear of doing the same again.

But as the day went on, they really started to come into their own, and I felt there was more to come from them yet.

Chester/ Wales Ride

I rode to Chester. It was dry, about 7°C, and a slow run up the A41, so there wasn’t much to say about the tyres on that part of the journey.

From Chester, I rode to Borth via Oswestry towards Welshpool, turning off at Llanymynech, then eventually picking up the A495 to meet the A458 from Welshpool at Melin-y-Ddol, before carrying on through Mach and into Borth — about 100 miles in all.

By then, the thought of being cautious because of new rubber had gone out of my head, and with every mile I was getting more used to how much to tip the bike in. They were performing really well and hadn’t missed a beat.

Up to that point, all my riding on them had been on dry roads, so I was still waiting to see how I’d feel once I met proper wet weather. So far, it had been more damp than genuinely wet.

Borth to Shropshire Ride

The ride from Borth to Telford was 98 miles. By this stage, the tyres were well scrubbed in and I was fully used to them.

On certain parts of that journey, the corners come thick and fast, and it’s a route I know well because I travel it maybe 20 to 25 times a year going to my static van on the coast.

Not once since that very first ride have I had any reason to question the grip they offer.

Have they stood the test of time?

Since then, I’ve done three more rides into Wales, and they’ve continued to perform really well. I also got caught just outside Welshpool in torrential rain and, naturally, I backed the speed off, but I’m happy to report there were no dramas there either 1100 miles later.

So, would I have them again? At this point, yes, I would. The real test will be the 2,000-plus miles I’ve got coming up in France in June, so I’ll be interested to see how they feel after that.

Conclusion

Now at 6182 miles just over the 1000 miles covered Overall, my experience with the Dunlop Road Smart 4 has been very positive. They transformed the bike straight away, especially in the way it turns into corners, and once I’d adjusted to that quicker steering, I really started to enjoy them.

Over a mix of dry roads, damp conditions and one spell of torrential rain, they’ve given me plenty of confidence and, importantly, no nasty moments. So far, grip, feel and consistency have all been impressive, and at this stage I’d happily have them again.

The final verdict will come after my 2,000-mile France trip in June, but up to now, they’ve made an excellent first impression.