Introduced back in '08, the Sportmax Roadsmart is Dunlop's replacement for the previous D220 sport-touring tire. Incorporating new developments in construction and compound for Dunlop, the Roadsmart's design brief is to offer three qualities in equal measure: handling, wet-weather performance, and mileage. Both front and rear tires feature Flex Steel Joint Less Belt (FS-JLB) construction, consisting of a steel belt wound continuously around the carcass' circumference over the two rayon cross plies. Using the JLB construction on the front tire was a major switch for Dunlop; previously, only the rear had this type of belt layout. The structural rigidity benefits include minimizing carcass distortion under heavy loads, whether through passenger and luggage, aggressive cornering, or high-speed cruising.
The Roadsmart was also the first Dunlop to utilize multiple compounds (remember, this tire debuted a year before the Sportmax Q2) in its construction, with the rear sporting a Multi Tread (MT) setup that combines a harder, cooler-running compound in the center section of the tire and a softer, grippier compound on the shoulders. The harder compound extends underneath the softer edges to better dissipate heat generated under straightline high speed or heavy loads. New rubber compounds have two distinct types of silica added to improve wet pavement grip and offer quicker warm-up.
Both tires' profiles have been updated, with the rear having a noticeably shorter sidewall, and both displaying a steeper "tread drop" at the edges. This taller and sharper profile not only provides a larger contact patch at all lean angles, but also promotes quicker and more responsive steering in transitions. The new tread pattern does away with the center groove of the old front D220, with more and deeper sipes in the center area for better water dispersion, while the edges have less for more rubber on the road (and better traction) when leaned over in the dry.
When the stock OEM-spec Bridgestone BT-021U buns on our long-term Kawasaki Concours 14 test bike were beginning to show some serious wear, we replaced them with a set of off-the-shelf Roadsmarts in 120/70ZR-17 front and 190/50ZR-17 rear (note: there are some bikes that come equipped stock with Dunlop Roadsmart rubber, but those are OEM-spec tires with different construction and compounds from the off-the-shelf versions). Immediately noticeable in the first few miles were lighter steering characteristics; while not as agile as a serious sport tire, the Dunlops took slightly less effort to initiate a turn, and midcorner corrections required little effort as well. Overall steering characteristics were very neutral, with no tendency to fall into turns despite their more agile turning habits.
Ride quality was also improved over the stock tires, with much better compliance over sharp bumps whether straight up or cornering; yet the tires remained stable during high-speed cornering with no issues. Feedback was good but not great; this is a sport-touring tire after all, so you cannot have the stiff carcass of a serious sport tire for optimum feel. Overall grip was excellent at both ends, especially so for sport-touring rubber; the performance envelope of this tire would easily encompass the cornering limits of most sport-touring machines.
The recent storms that have been drenching the west coast also allowed us some time to test the Dunlop's wet weather handling and grip, and we came away impressed. Warm-up was very quick, and the Roadsmarts displayed excellent wet traction on varying types of pavement. Water dispersal over puddles was superb, with virtually no hydroplaning detectable over the inch-deep standing water we ran through.
Although we weren't able to run the Roadsmarts to the end of their tread life, our several thousand miles of very aggressive riding on the very heavy Kawasaki Concours 14 would be the equivalent of probably 10,000 miles of average riding-and the Dunlops looked to have plenty of life left. There was only light to barely moderate wear on the sides, and the centers looked barely broken in. Were we impressed with the Dunlop Roadsmart? Yup, you could say that.
Available in 120/60ZR-17, 120/70ZR-17, 120/70ZR-18 fronts, and 150/70ZR-17, 160/60ZR-17, 170/60ZR-17, 180/55ZR-17, 190/50ZR-17, 200/50ZR-17, 160/60ZR-18, and 170/60ZR-18 rears, with MSRPs ranging from $227.79 - $258.70 for the rear and $181.12 - $186.45 for the front.