UMC Tire Test Aug10

8/6/2019 UMC Tire Test Aug10

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60 U LTI M A TE M OTOR C Y C LI N G AUGUST 201 0

Story by Arthur Coldwells Photography byDon Williams


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AUGUST 2010 U LTI M A TE M OTOR C Y C LI N G 61

NOTALL

ARECREATED

EQUAL

High-performance tire comparison


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62 U LTI M A TE M OTOR C Y C LI N G A UG US T 2010

The joy of riding a fast motorcycle on an

inviting canyon road or the occasional

track day is well known. However, it

doesnt take much of that type of mileage before

your tires become decidedly worn and you face

the question of replacement.

The original-equipment tires ordered by

the manufacturers are mere shadows of their

aftermarket siblings, hobbled by less rubber

and lighter construction. Manufacturers often

supply several different tire brands on the same

model, and which one ends up on the bike

you buy is a random choice. Nevertheless, you

are quickly going to need some replacementrubber and we were determined to find out

which tires will best satisfy riders oriented

toward maximum performance.

A brace of Hondas excellent CBR600RR s

were the test platform, and the precision ser-

vices of Danny DiNardo at Peak Performance

in Simi Valley were enlisted to weigh, measure,

and mount the tires to the Honda wheels; his

findings fueled some interesting speculation.

The stock Dunlop Qualifiers (at a com-

bined weight of 21.1 pounds) and the

Michelin Power Pures (21.3 pounds) were

easily the lightest. The Dunlop Sportmax Q2s

were heaviestsome 2.8 pounds extra for the

pairand for sportbike enthusiasts obsessed

with saving unsprung weight (especially if that

weight is distributed around the outside of thewheel) we presumed that the Q2s, by compar-

ison, would make the usually sweet-handling

Honda 600R R turn like a truck.

Once fitted to the bike, DiNardo measured

the circumference of each tire and the axle

heights to discover if there were any changes

to the Hondas chassis geometry. Most made

negligible change, however the Michelins

dropped the front by 2.4mm and the Pirel-

lis raised the rear by 5.3mm. Both of these

alterations to axle position would reduce the

rake angle a little, implying that the steering

of the 600RR would be speeded up consid-

erably, particularly with the Pirellis.

Clearly, to eliminate as many variables as

possible a controlled track test is mandatory.

Southern Californias Willow Springs Racewaywas chosen for its high speeds and demanding

technical cornerscertainly a tire-shredder if

ever there was one.


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AUGUST 201 0 U LTI M A TE M OTOR C Y C LI N G 63

The ambient temperature on the appointed

day was a balmy 72 degrees, and the test con-

cluded before the notorious afternoon Ante-

lope Valley winds had a chance to interfere.

We drafted the prodigious mechanical skills of

R ick Wall and Danny Coe to facilitate wheel

fitment in the pits and ensure that all tire pres-

sures were consistent with the manufacturers

recommendations. Because of the high speeds

involved, we stiffened the 600R Rs stock sus-

pension slightly at both ends of the bike, andto ensure the stock steering geometry was

maintained, each adjuster was cranked up one-

half turn.

Representing faster riders in

the test was Tristan Schoenewald,

a respected ex-AMA 600 Super-

sport racer with a National and

several Regional WER A Championships to his

credit. He is fast, precise, and smooth. Schoe-

newald can evaluate tires at the limits of their

traction while putting in consistent laps, always

hitting his lines and braking points.

Associate Editor Jess McKinley is a highly

accomplished off-road racer, but a racetrack

novice. His years of experience pushing two-

wheelers to their limits enable him to feel the

differences in the tires, but his lack of racetrackexperience gives us a regular-guy impression

of the tires by lapping Willow Springs at speeds

more familiar to mere mortals.

The Hondas started out the day on new

stock tires to give the riders a comparison

baseline. After several sessions and a best lap

time of 1:41.0, the OE tires were clearly not

particularly fast and the riders reported some

vagueness over bumps as well. Schoenewald

generally liked the tire, but felt the grip was a

bit lacking and had a couple of mild mid-turn

slides to prove it.

After the initial sessions on the stock tires,

the test was conducted blind, with the riders

unaware of which brand of tire they were rid-

ing on, and at no stage did Schoenewald and

McKinley discuss their test results with eachother. Comparisons of each set of tires were

made against their impressions of the stock

Dunlop Qualifiers.

BRIDGESTONE DUNLOP PIRELLI MICHELIN


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64 ULTIMATE M OTORCYCLING AUGUST 2010

Bridgestone Battlax BT-016

As the sole tire supplier to MotoGP since last year,

Bridgestone has certainly carved out an enviable reputa-

tion. Who can forget 2008 when Valentino Rossihav-

ing floundered the year before successfully changed to

Bridgestone tires, prompting Dani Pedrosa to insist mid-

season on switching to Bridgestone as well?The BT-016 is a dual-compound front, and triple-

compound rear tire that gets grippier as the lean angle

increases. Bridgestone also prefers a steel (over other

brands aramid fibers) mono-spiral belt construction to

give the carcass added strength. A significant two pounds

heavier than the stock tires, the Bridgestones took 0.8mm

height away from the front and 0.5mm from the rear,

which lowered the bike slightly but made minimal

changes to the geometry.

McKinley was very impressed, as he felt the Bridge-

stones were softer and more compliant than the stocktires, but a little slower to turn-in. A big improvement

over the stock tires, he enthused.

Schoenewalds best lap of 1:38.3 on the Bridgestones

was almost three seconds a lap quicker than the stock

rubber. He felt the BT-016s were a little harsh over

bumps, and he also noticed some front-end chatter at

full lean angle. Schoenewald complimented the tires on

their reliable turn-in and mid-corner traction, and said

he felt comfortable and confident on the BT-016s.

However, he also noted that when I pushed hard, the

rear would lose grip quite suddenly, and it was that lack

of predictability that ultimately cost him the ability to

go any faster.

Dunlop Sportmax Q2In 2010, Dunlop became the specified tire for the

AMA Championship, and the Q2 tire uses its propri-

etary N-Tec race technology. The rear tire is a dual com-

pound construction with softer shoulders for extra grip,

while the front tire is a single compound. The secret

to the Dunlop Q2s extraordinary and predictable grip

seems to be its advanced compound and the Intuitive

R esponse Profile at the rear, which creates a bigger foot-

print and allows more lean angle than the other tires.

The Q2s are a significant 2.8 pounds heavier than

the stock tires. They raised the Hondas axle height by

1.4mm at the front and 1.6mm at the rear; although the

600RR sat a little higher, the steering geometry was

essentially unchanged. However, the slightly taller bike

would arguably give the riders a little extra leverage

when turning in, thereby offsetting any negative effectsof the extra rotating mass. Carding a best lap time of

1:36.3 with Schoenewald at the controls, the Q2s were

almost five seconds per lap quicker than the stock tires.

McKinley was full of praise for the Dunlops: I love

these tires! I found them very confidence-inspiring. I

was able to ride comfortably at my limit, yet they were

predictable and stable throughout the corner.

Schoenewald felt equally at home on the Dunlops and

said I liked these tires, and felt very confident with them.

The front was stable, turn-in was excellent, and the tire

held its line perfectly. Leaned over on the brakesevenover bumpsthe tires stayed planted. Overall, steering

input was minimal and once turned the bike felt like it

was on rails.

>

>

BRID

GESTONEBATTLAX

BT-016

>

>

DUNLOPSP

ORTMAXQ

2


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AUGUST 2010 ULTIMATE MOTORCYCLIN G 65

>

>

P

IRELLIRO

SSOCORS

A

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MICH

ELINPOW

ERPURE

Michelin Power Pure

French tire-maker Michelin was the first manu-

facturer to develop dual-compound tires, and the

new Power Pure tires claim that the soft compound

rubber comes in at earlier angles of lean. The Pures

incorporate Michelins Light Tire Technology, which

reduces weight without sacrificing tread depth, andsaves a dramatic two pounds in weight compared to

its rivals.

The Michelins were the only tires tested that

weighed almost exactly the same as the Original

Equipment. In theory, with less rotating mass, they

should have offered nimbler handling than the oth-

ers, but it did not work out that way. The Pures

lightweight carcass had too much flex, causing it to

understeer; the Michelins also made the Honda a

little nervous.

Lapping with a best time of 1:38.4, Schoenewald wasambivalent toward the Michelin Power Pures, feeling

that they were grippy and competent over bumps, but

he complained that the bike wandered and wouldnt

hold its line. I frequently found myself on the outside

part of the track. Initial turn in was good; the tire felt

stable and didnt slide, but it just wouldnt hold its line

without increased effort.

McKinley found the same problem: This tire had

good grip, but it was hard to keep a line and the tires

felt squirrelly, but not from a traction perspective. The

tire was very light to steer, so I lacked some confi-

dence in the front. These tires may require a more

deft hand than I have.

Pirelli D iablo Rosso Corsa

Pirelli has been the original spec tire in World

Superbike racing for some six years now, and have

used it as their personal R &D lab. According to WSBK

owner Paolo Flammini, Pirelli has done a superb

job and delivered far more than we asked. Like the

Dunlop Q 2s, the new-for-2010 Diablo Rosso Cor-

sas have a single compound front. However, the dual

compound rear tire has Pirellis SC2 race-compound

on the shoulders. Ut ilizing their proprietary Enhanced

Patch Technology (EPT), Pirelli claims an enlarged and

optimized contact patch at any lean angle on street

and racetrack. Similar to the Bridgestones, they use a

steel belted carcass.

The R ossos were 1.2 pounds heavier than stock and

they raised the rear axle height by a whopping 5.3mm

but the front only by 0.8mm, which certainly reducedthe rake at the front end considerably. But, despite the

change in chassis geometry, without a doubt the Pirellis

gripped well and were fast without being nervous. They

posted a decent lap time of 1:36.5a dramatic 4.5 sec-

onds per lap quicker than the stock tires.

Schoenewald said, These tires worked well, but the

problem was I didnt have much feel with them, mak-

ing me less confident to push. They didnt do anything

wrongI liked them grip-wise and they were stable

in cornersbut they were a little sensitive over the

bumps. McKinley concurred: These tires were somuch better than stock. They gripped well, but they

felt stiffer and a bit less compliant. They were also a

little bumpy.


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66 U LTI M A TE M OTOR C Y C LI N G A UG US T 2010

Conclusion

When the tires on your sportbike need

replacing, any one of these four replacement

tires will be a marked improvement. However,

tire performance is not just about the amount

of grip it generates. It is also about how the tires

feel when the bike turns into a corner, how

much they transmit the bumps through to the

chassis, how they feel on the brakes, whether

you can hold your chosen line throughout the

corner, and, if you are really pushing hard, how

they feel once their grip starts to let go.

It was interesting that our two testers, with

different levels of track experience and an

almost 15-second disparity between their lap

times, generally agreed on how each set of tires

felt. Clearly, one does not have to be a racer or

super-fast rider to notice the difference in feel

between these tires.

The issue of tire weight is a fascinating sub-

ject. Logic and experience tells us that, for

sportbikes, lighter- is-better. Yet, in this test, the

opposite proved to be true. Certainly, there is

a sweet spot in tire and wheel weight. If a tire

is too light, it can upset the suspension by not

providing enough resistance to bumps, and it

reduces the gyroscopic effect of the wheels,

making the bike less stable. Make the tires too

heavy, and the tires can overwhelm the suspen-

sion in bumps and it can be hesitant to change

direction. It is all about balance, and in this test,

of the five pairs of tires, the heaviest clearly had

the balance spot on.

In last place, were the OE tires. The best

things we can say about them is that they

are decent and come with the bike, but they


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A UG UST 2010 ULTIMATE M OTORCYCLING 67

are certainly not your best option for high-

performance riding.

The Bridgestone BT-016 finished fourth,

beating the best OE lap time by two sec-

onds, and are clearly superior to the stock

tire. They work well within a certain range,

but are less competent at the edge of perfor-

mance on the track.The Michelin Power Pure tires finished

third, a blink faster than the Bridgestones,

but still some two seconds a lap down on the

Dunlop Q2s. Schoenewald and McKinley

were divided in their opinion, with Schoe-

newald slightly preferring the Michelins and

McKinley giving his nod to the Bridgestones.

The biggest complaint was the nervousness of

the Michelins and their inability to hold a line

through the corner, which was not caused by

lack of grip.

The Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsas came insecond, a full 1.8 seconds quicker than the

Michelins. The R ossos gripped well, but

lacked feela difficult handicap for a rider

to overcome.

Changing the chassis geometry the least,

the Dunlop Sportmax Q2 maintains its line

through corners, turned most predictably,

handled bumps well, and gave good feedback

in all situations. Additionally, the Q2s showed

the least wear at the end of the day. The Q2

was a little faster than its closest competitor, an

undeniably important statistic for performancetires, but most importantly it was the tire that

gave the testers the most confidence. By both

subjective and objective standards, the Dunlop

Sportmax Q2 is our clear winner.

UMC Tire Test Aug10

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