REF: Dunlop Roadsmart IV tire
I wonder if anyone has tried it yet.
Looks like a challenger for Michelin Road5.
I wonder if anyone has tried it yet.
Looks like a challenger for Michelin Road5.
Dunlop Roadsmart 4 : looks good?
1 - 20 of 23 Posts
Nice to know ... they probably used the Roadsmart3, which has pretty good consumer ratings.
Roadsmart4 was released in late 2020 or early 2021. I'm curious because it is supposed to keep the longevity of the RS3 but increase the grippiness further.
It's another one of those multi-compound, multilayered tires.
Roadsmart4 was released in late 2020 or early 2021. I'm curious because it is supposed to keep the longevity of the RS3 but increase the grippiness further.
It's another one of those multi-compound, multilayered tires.
Joined
·
53 Posts
I'll probably be switching to those or whatever Michelin offers next. The Angel GT II's I'm running now wobble in grooved pavement and it's annoying.
I almost bought them last week but I went with the Roadsmart 3 instead just because they were $100 cheaper. Like many here I've read good reports on the Roadsmart. I'm replacing some Michelin Pilot Road 4s which I have no complaints about either. I am guessing I will like the Dunlop and will try the new ones next time in a couple of years.
I just ordered a set. Should have them installed by this weekend.
Roadsmart 4's supposed to increase front and rear tread life by over 20% over the RS3's. My RS3's already lasts about 4k up front and 6k at the rear, depending on my riding. More twisty roads will wear the fronts faster, maybe 3.5k miles.
The 4's also claim to make steering quicker, and increase traction aby 5% across the board. Not that the 3's needed more traction. I've certainly pushed mine to the edges of the rear at least.
Roadsmart 4's supposed to increase front and rear tread life by over 20% over the RS3's. My RS3's already lasts about 4k up front and 6k at the rear, depending on my riding. More twisty roads will wear the fronts faster, maybe 3.5k miles.
The 4's also claim to make steering quicker, and increase traction aby 5% across the board. Not that the 3's needed more traction. I've certainly pushed mine to the edges of the rear at least.
I can tell you right now the RS3's feel like and stick like sport bike tires to me. I've used really sticky, pure sport tires on other bikes before, and the RS3's feel no different near max lean angle. On my last, aggressive ride on my Ninja 1000, already approaching the wear bars at the front of my RS3, the tires still felt great. On that ride I was really pushing the tires because I was chasing an Audi S5 group in the twisties and they were moving really fast with lowered cars and big-*** tires on. That is one of the key features of the RS3's: they maintain front end feedback and steering feel all the way until you get to the wear bars as they resist getting triangulated like other tires.
If Dunlop's claims say they increased dry weather grip by 5% on the 4's, that's already a lot, because I wasn't wanting for more dry weather grip from the 3's. Now they're saying they increased tread life by over 20%! I'm in! 20%+ more tread life for the front and rear. So if I were getting 4k miles to the wear bars out of the front RS3, that's another 800-1000 miles on an RS4. I'll take that!
A Q3+ tire won't last more than 3k miles on the Ninja, or most any other bike I've known. You'd be lucky to get over that. I used the Q3+ on my CBR600RR, never got more than 3.5k from the rear. And that was mostly twisty road riding and not commuting. I'd always wear the sides before the center.
If Dunlop's claims say they increased dry weather grip by 5% on the 4's, that's already a lot, because I wasn't wanting for more dry weather grip from the 3's. Now they're saying they increased tread life by over 20%! I'm in! 20%+ more tread life for the front and rear. So if I were getting 4k miles to the wear bars out of the front RS3, that's another 800-1000 miles on an RS4. I'll take that!
A Q3+ tire won't last more than 3k miles on the Ninja, or most any other bike I've known. You'd be lucky to get over that. I used the Q3+ on my CBR600RR, never got more than 3.5k from the rear. And that was mostly twisty road riding and not commuting. I'd always wear the sides before the center.
Joined
·
860 Posts
I have run a couple sets of the RS3 as well as several sets of the Q3 Plus. The Q3 Plus offers a bit more feel at deep lean angles and more grip. However, the RS3 was plenty good enough for some spirited apex hunting and lasted me nearly twice as long. The Q3 Plus are good enough for track days up to a pretty fast intermediate group pace.
So got my first set of Roadsmart 4's installed. These replaced a previous set of Roadsmart 3's with only 4k miles on them (way before their useful lives were over). Due to a big hole in the rear tire of my RS3's I decided to replace both.
Dunlop promised quicker steering tire on the RS4's, and that is exactly my first impression. My '18 now steers noticeably quicker than before. Even less effort to flick the bike into corners. I won't know about the additional grip in dry pavement since I didn't push these nor the RS3's to the very edges of their grip. Nor will I know about the additional 20% greater tread life at this early stage. But if the RS3's were the benchmark, then 20% is about 1k miles more life! Right now the RS4's feel even more sporty than the RS3's, yet the neutral steering remains. An even better match to the Ninja 1000's mission. More sporty, more grippy, more life. Can't ask for anything more.
My estimate on tread life for the RS$'s, based on my experience with RS3's: 7k miles at the rear. 5k miles up front.
Dunlop promised quicker steering tire on the RS4's, and that is exactly my first impression. My '18 now steers noticeably quicker than before. Even less effort to flick the bike into corners. I won't know about the additional grip in dry pavement since I didn't push these nor the RS3's to the very edges of their grip. Nor will I know about the additional 20% greater tread life at this early stage. But if the RS3's were the benchmark, then 20% is about 1k miles more life! Right now the RS4's feel even more sporty than the RS3's, yet the neutral steering remains. An even better match to the Ninja 1000's mission. More sporty, more grippy, more life. Can't ask for anything more.
My estimate on tread life for the RS$'s, based on my experience with RS3's: 7k miles at the rear. 5k miles up front.
Joined
·
1,725 Posts
Thanks for the report OCL. I'm probably a couple weeks away from RS4s and glad to have a road report for how they perform on the Ninja. I get a lot more miles out of my RS3s touring in the cooler PNW. I like the way RS3s don't flatten out early, an issue I had with Pilot Roads.
Joined
·
22 Posts
Joined
·
519 Posts
Was watching an interesting YouTube video the other talking about not only the life of tyres and tread patterns but also about the carcass construction etc. Basically Dunlop are considered a hard carcass and have less give so the feedback you get from the ride are more direct and could effect how you set up your suspension etc. Where Pirelli are known to have a softer carcass and absorb some of the feedback in carcass flex. There were other tyres mentioned but that was the basics of the information being given. It was a video about suspension not tyres. just found it fascinating and something to consider when changing brands of tryres.
Care to share a link to that video?
Joined
·
519 Posts
Welll... The problem is that I have been watching so many videos and it was in the middle ish of one. But I do know that it was a Dave Moss video. The problem on YouTube is he mainly does intro's and sells you a subscription to his own page to see the full video. Which if you like that sort of information I think is well worth it
Here is one that he is talking in general but not giving full info as it is an intro
Oh, I see, you were talking about Mr. Dave Deity Moss, the self-proclaimed prophet, whose followers believed & looked at him as if he is a god.Welll... The problem is that I have been watching so many videos and it was in the middle ish of one. But I do know that it was a Dave Moss video. The problem on YouTube is he mainly does intro's and sells you a subscription to his own page to see the full video. Which if you like that sort of information I think is well worth it
Here is one that he is talking in general but not giving full info as it is an intro
I cannot go pass the size of his ego (like that of Mt. Everest), it's extremely distracting to me.
1 - 20 of 23 Posts
Join the discussion
