Images and information from Dunlop's press material
In the years following the introduction of Dunlop’s original Roadsmart® sport-touring tire in early 2008, a multitude of advancements have reshaped the motorcycling scene. A profusion of new-generation motorcycles arrived to expand the window of performance offered to sport-touring enthusiasts, those road-wise veterans who love to ride hard, ride long, and ride often, rain or shine.
At the same time, Dunlop elevated tire technology with a wealth of new releases including the Sportmax® Q2®, Sportmax® D211™ GP-A DOT-legal road racing tires, next-generation KR106™ and KR108™ Superbike N-Tec racing slick tires, plus the new, WERA Endurance Championship-winning KR448F™ and KR449™ racing slicks. Technology that helped create Dunlop’s high-performance sport and racing tires has been rolled into the new-generation Sportmax® Roadsmart® II, as well as enhancements specific to sport-touring.
Wet braking and water drainage...
Wet braking and water drainage are important for sport-touring riding. The front pattern adopts long V-shaped grooves to help water drainage.
Compared to the previous Roadsmart...
Compared to the previous Roadsmart pattern, Roadsmart II incorporates more pattern stiffness by increasing land ratio at the center area, allowing evenly distributed contact pressure to improve its tread wear life and sport-touring characteristics, while still achieving ultimate wet performance when leaned over.
Sport-touring riders constitute a very experienced and savvy sector of the motorcycling scene, and they continue to place a premium on multiple tire expectations: linear and responsive handling traits, traction characteristics on par with sport tires, extended tread life and excellent wet-weather performance. All of these qualities were present in the popular first-generation Roadsmart, and now these virtues have been elevated in the new Roadsmart II to create a higher level of performance for the long-haul crowd.
Immediately evident is the new tread pattern on both front and rear Roadsmart II tires. The front tire still incorporates Dunlop’s readily recognized cosecant-curve groove pattern. The shape and placement of these grooves are newly designed to promote even tire wear up front, and they also stiffen the pattern for reduced tire squirm and extended tire life. Additional grooves also help improve wet-weather performance thanks to a greater sea-to-land ratio that helps promote water dispersion. Increased tread depth further promotes water channeling while also extending tire mileage.
To further enhance linear...
To further enhance linear handling and deliver high cornering performance, the Roadsmart II now incorporates the same Intuitive Response Profile� (IRP) technology currently used in Dunlop’s racing Sportmax D211 GP-A tires and the sportfocused Sportmax Q2. IRP technology uses a steep “tread drop”—the height measured between the tread center and the shoulder edge—to put down a bigger footprint at extreme lean angles for enhanced grip and handling. This new profile intuitively allows greater latitude in line choice while cornering and provides remarkably linear steering at various lean angles.
As with the original Roadsmart,...
As with the original Roadsmart, the Roadsmart II features radial carcass construction in the front tire that’s known as Flex Steel™-Jointless Belt� (FS-JLB). FS-JLB construction utilizes two body plies arranged at opposing angles and optimized for shock absorption and riding comfort. The lightweight Flex Steel-Jointless Belt promotes a
consistent tire diameter under varying operating conditions and speeds. This helps reduce carcass distortion and subsequent heat build-up, plus helps provide more stable contact patch.
The rear tire’s distinctive tread pattern reduces grooves in order to increase the land-to-sea ratio to get more rubber on the ground in back—a bonus for dry handling and traction.
This combination of tread patterns provides the balance between wet and dry handling demanded by sport-touring enthusiasts.
As with the original Roadsmart, the Roadsmart II features radial carcass construction in the front tire that’s known as Flex Steel™-Jointless Belt® (FS-JLB). FS-JLB construction utilizes two body plies arranged at opposing angles and optimized for shock absorption and riding comfort. The lightweight Flex Steel-Jointless Belt promotes a consistent tire diameter under varying operating conditions and speeds. This helps reduce carcass distortion and subsequent heat build-up, plus helps provide a more stable contact patch.
To further enhance linear handling and deliver high cornering performance, the Roadsmart II now incorporates the same Intuitive Response Profile® (IRP) technology currently used in Dunlop’s racing Sportmax D211 GP-A tires and the sport-focused Sportmax Q2. IRP technology uses a steep “tread drop”—the height measured between the tread center and the shoulder edge—to put down a bigger footprint at extreme lean angles for enhanced grip and handling. This new profile intuitively allows greater latitude in line choice while cornering and provides remarkably linear steering at various lean angles.
More Dunlop high-tech features in the rear tire include MT Multi-Tread® construction that incorporates a long-wearing compound in the center of the tire tread flanked by lateral-grip compounds on each shoulder to elevate cornering performance and help provide exemplary grip and feel. The Roadsmart II’s MT Multi-Tread compounds are newly developed, and they incorporate high-traction resins derived directly from Dunlop’s racing tire compounding technology to help generate enhanced grip. The front and rear compounds also contain silica to help deliver impressive performance in wet conditions while also extending wear.
More Dunlop high-tech features...
More Dunlop high-tech features in the rear tire include MT Multi-Tread� construction that incorporates a long-wearing compound in the center of the tire tread flanked by lateral grip compounds on each shoulder to elevate cornering performance and help provide exemplary grip and feel. The Roadsmart II’s MT Multi-Tread compounds are newly developed, and they incorporate high-traction resins derived directly from Dunlop’s racing tire compounding technology to help generate enhanced grip. The front and rear compounds also contain silica to help deliver impressive performance in wet conditions while also extending wear.
Roadsmart II’s new tread rubber...
Roadsmart II’s new tread rubber compounds incorporate a blend of polymers, highly dispersible silica, and carbon black to accelerate Roadsmart II’s warm-up and give it a larger range of operating temperatures. The new compounds help achieve the best combination of improved wear characteristics, dry handling and wet-weather performance— and extend the riding season—for sport-touring enthusiasts.
Roadsmart II’s new tread rubber compounds incorporate a blend of polymers, highly dispersible silica, and carbon black to accelerate Roadsmart II’s warm-up and give it a larger range of operating temperatures. The new compounds help achieve the best combination of improved wear characteristics, dry handling and wet-weather performance—and extend the riding season—for sport-touring enthusiasts.
Once again, with the Roadsmart II Dunlop has elevated performance standards for sport-touring enthusiasts by supplying a new tire that combines a distinctly wide range of essentials: sport-tire handling and grip, superb wet-weather performance and laudable tire life. The original Roadsmart fulfilled all of these demands in impressive fashion, and now that legacy of all-around performance grows even more remarkable—in the form of the Dunlop Roadsmart II.