Dunlop
Sportmax Q2 tires
Tested by: Justin
Miles Used: 1700
Price: $159 (front), $229 (rear)
Contact: dunlopmotorcycle.com
The recipe for the ideal street tire is hard to cook up. The proper ingredients include quick warm-up characteristics, hellacious outright grip and tortoise-like longevity. So far the Sportmax Q2s on our Project 2007 CBR600RR have all of the above and even taken it one step further with communicative feedback.
I understand that selecting tires can be a stressful process since a bad decision is only realized after the money is spent and the tires are used. But fear not, no buyer's remorse here; the Q2s have proven to be a well-rounded (pun intended) addition to our light bolt-on CBR. They have great grip once up to temp, heat up relatively quickly and communicate what's going on beneath you. Although the tires have only rolled 1700 miles, so far the hard center compound is resisting the "straight-line hero" flat spot easily earned from freeway miles. The soft sides are also well suited to the aggressive canyon sessions the CBR sees on a regular bases.
One could highlight the many tech specs locked inside these sticky buns, but what really matters is how they perform in the real world. And under the changing conditions of the daily commute and the weekend canyon rip the Dunlops have held their own. True, they could warm up a hair faster and maybe even cost a few bucks less, but warm grip is racetrack ready and never once have they complained about a botched corner speed entry.
| THE SCORE |
| Style: |
19/20 |
| Price: |
15/20 |
| Durability: |
19/20 |
| Street cred: |
18/20 |
| Performance: |
19/20 |