Dunlop's main test riders are Danny Roberts and Rich Conicelli, both highly-skilled AMA Pro racing veterans with years of tire testing experience. When they claimed that the new Q2 was almost three seconds a lap quicker than the Qualifier on Virginia International Raceway's 1.65-mile South Course, we found that somewhat difficult to believe. But after a day spent lapping around Pahrump, Nevada's Spring Mountain Motorsports Park in near-100-degree F heat, we became believers.
Immediately noticeable were the Q2's superb steering traits. Trying to combine the agile steering of a race tire with the neutrality needed in a street tire has always been a juggling act, but the Q2 has merged those two requirements better than any other tire we've yet experienced. It didn't matter how you entered the corner, whether trail-braking to the apex or flicking hard at your turn-in point, the handling behavior remained quick but consistent. Steering was impressively precise for a street-oriented tire, enabling you to aim for spots within inches that other tires would only allow you to aim for a general area.
The overall ride and cornering bump compliance was just as impressive, with the slightly stiffer carcass offering better feedback without being too nervous over rough pavement. We thought the previous Qualifier was very good in this area, but the Q2 has taken it a step further, providing the type of confidence-inspiring ride that allows the rider to push harder because he knows what the tires are doing at all times.
Of course, the biggest confidence booster is increased cornering grip, and here the Q2 is head and shoulders above the Qualifier-a tire already well-endowed in the traction department. Overall grip at nearly all lean angles was outstanding for a non-race-oriented tire, with only a touch of squirming noticeable at absolute max lean under a literbike's significant power (Dunlop had a wide variety of bikes fitted with Q2s to sample). You really had to ride very aggressively to provoke any sliding, and even then they were nice and controllable. The Dunlop Q2 has simply raised the bar-and raised it quite a bit-when it comes to sport tire grip, enough that Dunlop considers the Q2 to be sport/track day tire. We couldn't really make a judgment on tire wear rates and endurance, because Dunlop technicians were busy ensuring that the rubber on the bikes didn't get too worn before they were replaced.
Needless to say, we were pretty impressed with the new Dunlop Sportmax Q2, although we'd like to reserve final judgment until we can get them onto public roads and other racetracks. Prices were not finalized at press time, but the tire will be available by August in most popular sportbike sizes.