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Dunlop Roadsmart 3's


Tgoranson

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Hey guys,

 

I'm looking at tires for this riding season and I see that the Roadsmart 3's are available in Canada now. Has anyone ran them on an 8th Gen yet? The few reviews that I can find seem promising but they are few and far between. I'm currently running Metzler Z8's and really will probably only need a rear but the cost for one is only about $60CAN less than a fresh set of RS3's. Just looking for some input. If noone has ran them yet I might have to be the first test subject. 

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Hey T,

 

I have a set on my 8th gen. They are much better than the originals. I live in Sydney OZ, so the tyres are always fairly warm and grip OK.

 

Have not done a track day on them yet, so not too sure how they would go under a bit of stress. Most of my riding is quickish touring.

 

Metzlers are usually pretty good, so I would stick with them. If you don't like the Road Smarts you will have to put up with them for a while.

 

BTW I was at the IOM TT in 2016 and Dunlop were pushing the RS3 big time.

 

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It's good to hear they're decent, have you ran any other tires on that you can compare them too? I'm not really worried about having to put up with them for a long time, at $300ish for the set I'm not afraid to throw them out after one season. Plus I have a 5000km trip I'm going on this year, not terribly  long but it will definitley help wear these tires out if I'm not that into them. I think I've got about 8000km on the Metzler's and the rear is going to be gone soon but I'm not sure exactly how much longer the front is going to last. 

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I think they are excellent tyres - put them on my 8th Gen' last year then went to Italy over the Alps with them (1,600 miles) with some torrential rain thrown in, they were superb, can't recommend them highly enough.

 

 

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Hey T,

 

I have a set on my 8th gen. They are much better than the originals. I live in Sydney OZ, so the tyres are always fairly warm and grip OK.

 

Have not done a track day on them yet, so not too sure how they would go under a bit of stress. Most of my riding is quickish touring.

 

Metzlers are usually pretty good, so I would stick with them. If you don't like the Road Smarts you will have to put up with them for a while.

 

BTW I was at the IOM TT in 2016 and Dunlop were pushing the RS3 big time.

 

I have not tried any others on the VFR. Previous bike was a super sport so had Bt016 for the odd track day. They would be a bit soft for the VFR

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

I know I'm late to the party, but any recommendations of where to buy Dunlop Roadmaster 3 tires? And yes, I'm looking for the cheapest price.

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31 minutes ago, bobbyn said:

I know I'm late to the party, but any recommendations of where to buy Dunlop Roadmaster 3 tires? And yes, I'm looking for the cheapest price.

Jake Wilson or Rocky Mountain ATV (Same company actually). They have consistently the best prices whenever I shop for tires.

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44 minutes ago, bobbyn said:

I know I'm late to the party, but any recommendations of where to buy Dunlop Roadmaster 3 tires? And yes, I'm looking for the cheapest price.

 

Revzilla has them:   https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dunlop-roadsmart-3-tires.  I've never bought tires from them but have always had great customer service for other stuff I've bought there.   The Roadsmart 3's only have 1 customer review so far which is 4 out of 5 stars FWIW.

 

I would like to replace my OEM tires soon as well - I really loved the Michelin Pilot Powers I had on my old Ninja - anyone have them on their 8th gen?    They've got 230 reviews on Revzilla with a 4.8 out of 5 star rating so it seems like almost everyone loves them if I can believe the reviews.  https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/michelin-pilot-power-3-rear-tires#reviews_tab

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11 minutes ago, GatorGreg said:

 

Revzilla has them:   https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dunlop-roadsmart-3-tires.  I've never bought tires from them but have always had great customer service for other stuff I've bought there.   The Roadsmart 3's only have 1 customer review so far which is 4 out of 5 stars FWIW.

 

I would like to replace my OEM tires soon as well - I really loved the Michelin Pilot Powers I had on my old Ninja - anyone have them on their 8th gen?    They've got 230 reviews on Revzilla with a 4.8 out of 5 star rating so it seems like almost everyone loves them if I can believe the reviews.  https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/michelin-pilot-power-3-rear-tires#reviews_tab

I run a PP3 front with a PR4 rear on my 6 Gen and it's a great combo for me. And before I bought a set of Bridgestone S21s for my 5 Gen I ran a few sets of PP3s. Love them, although they will let you know when you need to change them as they get a bit slippery! About the only reason I did the switch was for cost savings as the Bridgestones are much cheaper and along with a $50 rebate I got, I paid less than $150!

 

As far as Revzilla, most of my purchases are with them, about the one exception is tires. Jake Wilson is usually a bit cheaper and they too have good customer service. I typically get my tires in 2 days. This is with their standard shipping from Utah to California.

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15 minutes ago, Duc2V4 said:

I run a PP3 front with a PR4 rear on my 6 Gen and it's a great combo for me. And before I bought a set of Bridgestone S21s for my 5 Gen I ran a few sets of PP3s. Love them, although they will let you know when you need to change them as they get a bit slippery! About the only reason I did the switch was for cost savings as the Bridgestones are much cheaper and along with a $50 rebate I got, I paid less than $150!

 

As far as Revzilla, most of my purchases are with them, about the one exception is tires. Jake Wilson is usually a bit cheaper and they too have good customer service. I typically get my tires in 2 days. This is with their standard shipping from Utah to California.

 

Thanks Duc, why did you choose a PR4 for out back instead of matching the front's PP3?

I looked up the reviews on Revzilla of the stock Dunlop Sportmax D222 tires and they have 5 reviews with an average of 1.2 out of 5 stars - LOL (although technically it says they are D220 so maybe the D222 on my bike is actually a bit different/better?  Now I really can't wait to get some PP3's on! 

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1 hour ago, GatorGreg said:

 

Thanks Duc, why did you choose a PR4 for out back instead of matching the front's PP3?

I looked up the reviews on Revzilla of the stock Dunlop Sportmax D222 tires and they have 5 reviews with an average of 1.2 out of 5 stars - LOL (although technically it says they are D220 so maybe the D222 on my bike is actually a bit different/better?  Now I really can't wait to get some PP3's on! 

My 6 Gen is my commuter/tourer and found the PR tires last longer without compromising grip too much but as a set, the PP3 don't last as long. Most likely because I ride the 5 Gen in a more sporting fashion and contrary to being paired with a PP3 rear, the PP3 front mated with the PR4 does wear about evenly. As a set, I don't like the PR fronts so that's why I went PP3 front and PR4 rear. 

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The PP3's are a great tyre. 

I used 3 sets of Z8's before that and was very happy with them. Long life and great grip wet or dry but wanted something sportier. 11000km from rear and 13000km from front on average. 

When I changed to PP3's, I lost longevity but got more feel and faster turn in. Went through 2 sets of those. 8000km from rear and 10000km from front. 

I've now swapped to Rosso III's and can't praise them enough. 

They make the bike feel lighter, and the steering more responsive. 

The ability to feel the road and hold a line is also better, probably due to the steep profile and softer carcass. 

No idea on mileage yet. Only 2000km so far. 

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8 hours ago, VFROZ said:

Ive  now swapped to Rosso III's and can't praise them enough. 

They make the bike feel lighter, and the steering more responsive. 

The ability to feel the road and hold a line is also better, probably due to the steep profile and softer carcass. 

No idea on mileage yet. Only 2000km so far. 

 

Plus the Rosso lll is not far off a hand cut slick 

 

When they're new and on warm roads those tyres are near unbeatable 

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I love my Q3's.  I'm not Valentino Rossi, but I think they grip and handle way beyond my skill level.  Total confidence.  I'm at 2500 miles and the rear looks about half and wearing perfectly, front is great.  If you do mainly straight or touring then maybe not, but otherwise I can hardly imagine a better tire.  They will make you want to find someone at Honda and smack them for putting those horrendous RSII fakes on (in the US).  It is truly like getting a new bike, the bike you expected the VFR to be.  Seriously, I could feel the rear slip just about every ride with the stocks, but I can't remember it giving at all with the Q3's.  The stock fronts always made me feel like I'd better be careful, like I could lose it at any moment (never happened just felt like it might).  These, like I said, total confidence.

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I've used Q's at trackdays and Pirellie SuperCorsa Pro's at trackdays and they both work great, but feel different.  Q's seem more gradual tipping into a corner.  Pirellis flop and STICK...they move a little but it feels like they squash and stick.  These were on an SV650, so I can't say how they felt on a VFR at a trackday.  Have had Q2's on my 2000...and they are great.  I've had the ST Dunlops a number of times and they are pretty darn good. 

 

I'm doing a trackday at Summit Point on my VFR and I've got T30 EVO GT's (I'm 240 and when I moto camp and the bike plus me gets pretty heavey)  The bead is VERY heavy and sidewall flex is low...wonder how they will compare at the track to the Dunlops...they seem to be stiff or stiffer than the Dunlop Roadsmart ST tires.

 

Matt

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Why did this thread turn into a random tire discussion?  The OP only asked about the Roadsmart 3.  I have run the Roadsmart 2, and I'm also curious about the 3.  Any chance we could get back on point? 

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1 hour ago, DriverDave said:

Why did this thread turn into a random tire discussion?  The OP only asked about the Roadsmart 3.  I have run the Roadsmart 2, and I'm also curious about the 3.  Any chance we could get back on point? 

 

Sorry Dave, my bad for asking about Michelins.  Let's get back to talking about some Dunlops for the OP - I hear they offer good grip and a soft ride ?

 

Dunlop+Girls+Autosport+International2.jp

 

win-26.jpg

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I have run several sets of Dunlop roadsmart but not the threes and a few sets ofQ's as stated in my previous post. Is there a difference in the carcass and sidewall stiffness on the new road smart threes compared to the old ones? The reason I ask is some would you describe them as a soft ride. I think the roads Marts are drippy just like the Q's but I would never describe them as soft.

 

Matt

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7 hours ago, sdouble said:

The bike seems to be 30 pounds lighter.

 

+1

 

The bike rolls smoothly and evenly from side to side which really gives the impression of a lighter bike.

 

I also find them confidence inspiring in all weather conditions. Very good ST tyre, IMO. :fing02:

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Anyone still interested in the Dunlop RS3 tires, I just received an email regarding a $60 mail in rebate when you buy a set of RS3. The email came from Chaparral-racing.com but I imagine this is a Dunlop rebate and wherever you buy them the rebate should apply. Of course, double check before pulling the trigger on your purchase but the rebate form is available on line here... Dunlop Rebate  Good for purchases between May 15, 2017 and July 4, 2017.

 

 

*Edit: Corrected starting date for qualifying purchases.

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