New "Hyper Sport" motorcycle tires released by Dunlop
Under the Dunlop brand, a new road motorcycle tire, the Dunlop SportSmart Mk4, is presented in the Hypersport class, surpassing its predecessor, the Dunlop SportSmart Mk3, released in 2019, in several parameters and joining the "hypersport" line of the brand to the Dunlop SportSmart TT model, designed for operation on both public roads and racing tracks.
As with the previous generation model, the rear axle tires have a multi-component protector construction (MultiTread technology), and the central part is made from a compound with increased strength, while the shoulders are made from softer rubber mixtures, which improves the balance between durability and traction when cornering. The protector of the front tire is made of the same composition as the shoulders of the rear tires throughout its width, which, according to the manufacturer, ensures reliable tire behavior and good feedback regardless of the motorcycle's tilt angle.
A new rubber compound recipe has been developed for SportSmart Mk4, which has improved the tire's performance in rainy weather. Compared to the SportSmart Mk3, grip on surfaces with low and medium friction coefficients has been increased by 20 and 18%, respectively, and dry road performance has also been improved. The compound includes a new polymer mixture and silicon dioxide with a large surface area, as well as special resins that increase traction on dry and wet surfaces, and Fine Carbon, which increases grip at the micro level and improves resistance to wear. As noted by Dunlop, optimizing the composition helped reduce tire warm-up time, improving safety in cold weather, as well as reducing rolling resistance and increasing tire life.
"We understood from the very beginning that we were demanding a lot from our development team," said Roberto Finetti, Marketing Manager at Dunlop Motorcycle Europe. "The indicators of the previous generation tire are still very high, but we wanted to make our new tire stand out from other products in the premium hypersport segment with its extremely tough competition. We were very pleased that our team not only fulfilled their task but also set new standards, especially in terms of tire performance in rainy weather."
In creating the new tires, extensive experience from Dunlop's participation in top-level "superbike" and "supersport" motorcycle racing was used, and in particular, the Dynamic Front Formula (DFF) technology was applied, meaning that when designing the front tire, special attention was paid to achieving a balance between steering sensitivity, traction, stability, and feedback. Additionally, the Carcass Tension Control System (CTCS) technology was used, which allows optimizing the contact patch with the road and making the most effective use of the rubber compound's advantages.
During the development of the tread pattern, finite element analysis (FEA) was applied, and it was created based on the SportSmart Mk3 and TT patterns but modified according to the design and compound specifics. The manufacturer claims that all elements work together to improve handling, accelerate tire warm-up, and ensure even wear.
Under the Dunlop brand, other sports motorcycle tires are also released, such as the D212 GP Racer (for track days) and the GP Pro D213 (for racing series where road-legal tires are required), and the new SportSmart Mk4 will initially be available in the following sizes: