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Dunlop roadsmart IV


Sparkie

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  • Member Contributer

I have one on the front and are waiting for the rear Roadsmart 3 to wear out (maybe never). Great tyres. Always score well in comparisons, but everyone seems to stick with Michelin or Pirelli, not me.

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When I bought my new/old-stock 2014 VFR last year, I told the dealer I wanted new tires since the original Dunlops had date codes from late 2013 and I didn't trust 7yr old tires, even if they had no miles on them.  Since they didn't have the Pirellis I normally preferred on sport(ish) bikes, they installed a set of Roadsmart 4s from their inventory.  I wasn't terribly impressed with the feel of the front tire under cornering/hard braking as it always felt nervous, as if it was searching for traction.  Also I found them to be quite unpredictable in the wet.  After about 500 miles of experimenting with different tire pressures to alleviate is issues, I tossed them in favor of Pirelli Diablo Rosso.  I'd been using Pirelli tires for over 30 years and was always happy with them.   (I realize the Roadsmarts are more of a touring tire than a sporty tire, so the comparison isn't really apples to apples in that regard.)

 

However, since we're on the subject of tires, I've recently switched from Pirelli to Continental on the VFR.  A few weekends ago, I got a last minute invite for some track time with the VFR and my old 916 track bike, but my local dealer wasn't able to get new sets of Pirellis in time for me to make the trip. Since I didn't have time to wait, he recommended the Conti Sport Attack 4s from his available inventory. I was a little apprehensive about using new/untested gear on the track, but beggars can't be choosers and I bought a few sets to get through the weekend and (maybe) the rest of the summer.

 

My ex-wife and I rode our 2014 VFR's while her brother drove his truck to haul our track bikes and gear. She had just installed a new set of Pirellis the previous week, but she picked up some of the Continentals for the ride home and for her track bike (ZX-7R).

 

I have to say that I'm very impressed. Incredibly smooth and stable at high speeds, excellent grip when cornering and braking and very predicable when you reach the limits. At max lean angles, they were much more communicative than the Pirellis, which surprised me since I never had any complaints about the Diablos in that regard. As a result, I was able to push harder and brake later in the corners with more confidence.

 

However, the most impressive aspect was lifespan. I was able to ride 300 fairly-fast paced miles to the track, a few hours of moderately aggressive track time and 300 miles back home on one set of the Sport Attacks...although they didn't have very many miles left in them and I replaced them the next day. The rear Pirelli on her VFR was toast before the lunch break on the 2nd morning and the front was cupping pretty badly, so she switched to the Continentals and parked the VFR until we rode home this evening.

 

We've been tracking the Ducati and Kawasaki for almost 20 years and in the past, our Pirellis were typically only good for 1 full day on the track before they were trashed. But this weekend, I didn't need to replace the rear Continental on my Ducati until after lunch on the 2nd day. I should say I steer the 916 with the throttle a lot...not because it's faster (it's not), but it's more fun. More impressively, she was able to get through both days with the same set on her Kawasaki. The cords are just barely showing on her rear tire, though. She hasn't gotten two full days out of a set of track tires since she traded her old Honda Hawk for the ZX-7 back in the late 90s. Granted, we're both in our 50s and probably not quite as aggressive as we used to be, but we both went through two sets of Pirellis at the same track a couple of months prior, so I think it was a good comparison test.  Of course, we didn't ride the VFRs as hard as our other bikes since they really aren't suited for the track and we didn't want to risk crashing our daily bikes, but the same compliments apply to the tire performance. For now, we'll both be sticking with the Continentals for road and track duty.  We realize there are better tires for track use, but we both have several bikes and prefer to keep our spare inventory as simple as possible.  Using the same tires for track and street just makes things more efficient for us...plus, we aren't trying to set lap records at our ages. 

 

Back to the street, I've put roughly 2500 miles on the new tires in a mix of commuting, touring and "sporty" riding and they are holding up extremely well from the centers to the edges.  Summer is quite warm here (southeast Texas) and our roads are notorious for eating up bike tires when the asphalt temps get over 140-150F (60-65C) from late May to late September, but I'm guessing I'll easily get 4k miles out of the rear and maybe 4.5k - 5k out of the front in typical street riding, which is something I've never accomplished since buying my first VFR750 as a teenager in the mid-80s.  Generally, I'm showing cords on the rear by 3k miles on these bikes with maybe another 500-700 miles on the fronts.  (My ADV bike tires generally last quite a bit longer on pavement due to the difference in riding styles.)

 

Overall, I'm extremely happy with the Continentals.  I wholeheartedly recommend them for any rider who wants a tire that you can drive across the country and thoroughly enjoy any curves you encounter along the way with extreme confidence.   

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Have not tried the Conti's, but if they are priced well, I would give them a try.

 

I had the Roadsmarts as well, and didn't like them. Vague turn in, and feed back, as well as a few slips while riding fast/aggressive. May have overheated them, but never had that happen on any other sport touring tires. Which Pirelli's did you have? I think the Angel GT's are the best tire I have found other than the Pilot Road 4's (and maybe 5's - need to try another set) but they are cheaper than the Michelin's so I keep buying them. I want to try the new Roadsport 2 from Dunlop - under $200 a set, and seem to be the best bang for the buck from guys I've asked.

 

That would be great if they can handle the punishment the 600lb VFR 1200 can dole out!

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I think with tyres, our preferences are affected by the way we ride and what we ride. In the 70s Dunlop K81s we’re the go to tyre for the big Honda’s and Kawasakis, but They didn’t work so well on the Yamaha RDs, Metzeler were the tyres for them.

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My rs4's were slippery at first.  After a few hundred miles they became wonderful.  Turn in and in the corner is much better.  They feel super predictable and confidence inspiring.  I've had them in heavy rain also.  They did good, but I liked the 3's in the rain too.  I think the 4 is a definite improve.

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