umc tire test aug10
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/6/2019 UMC Tire Test Aug10
1/8
60 U LTI M A TE M OTOR C Y C LI N G AUGUST 201 0
Story by Arthur Coldwells Photography byDon Williams
-
8/6/2019 UMC Tire Test Aug10
2/8
AUGUST 2010 U LTI M A TE M OTOR C Y C LI N G 61
NOTALL
ARECREATED
EQUAL
High-performance tire comparison
-
8/6/2019 UMC Tire Test Aug10
3/8
62 U LTI M A TE M OTOR C Y C LI N G A UG US T 2010
The joy of riding a fast motorcycle on an
inviting canyon road or the occasional
track day is well known. However, it
doesnt take much of that type of mileage before
your tires become decidedly worn and you face
the question of replacement.
The original-equipment tires ordered by
the manufacturers are mere shadows of their
aftermarket siblings, hobbled by less rubber
and lighter construction. Manufacturers often
supply several different tire brands on the same
model, and which one ends up on the bike
you buy is a random choice. Nevertheless, you
are quickly going to need some replacementrubber and we were determined to find out
which tires will best satisfy riders oriented
toward maximum performance.
A brace of Hondas excellent CBR600RR s
were the test platform, and the precision ser-
vices of Danny DiNardo at Peak Performance
in Simi Valley were enlisted to weigh, measure,
and mount the tires to the Honda wheels; his
findings fueled some interesting speculation.
The stock Dunlop Qualifiers (at a com-
bined weight of 21.1 pounds) and the
Michelin Power Pures (21.3 pounds) were
easily the lightest. The Dunlop Sportmax Q2s
were heaviestsome 2.8 pounds extra for the
pairand for sportbike enthusiasts obsessed
with saving unsprung weight (especially if that
weight is distributed around the outside of thewheel) we presumed that the Q2s, by compar-
ison, would make the usually sweet-handling
Honda 600R R turn like a truck.
Once fitted to the bike, DiNardo measured
the circumference of each tire and the axle
heights to discover if there were any changes
to the Hondas chassis geometry. Most made
negligible change, however the Michelins
dropped the front by 2.4mm and the Pirel-
lis raised the rear by 5.3mm. Both of these
alterations to axle position would reduce the
rake angle a little, implying that the steering
of the 600RR would be speeded up consid-
erably, particularly with the Pirellis.
Clearly, to eliminate as many variables as
possible a controlled track test is mandatory.
Southern Californias Willow Springs Racewaywas chosen for its high speeds and demanding
technical cornerscertainly a tire-shredder if
ever there was one.
-
8/6/2019 UMC Tire Test Aug10
4/8
AUGUST 201 0 U LTI M A TE M OTOR C Y C LI N G 63
The ambient temperature on the appointed
day was a balmy 72 degrees, and the test con-
cluded before the notorious afternoon Ante-
lope Valley winds had a chance to interfere.
We drafted the prodigious mechanical skills of
R ick Wall and Danny Coe to facilitate wheel
fitment in the pits and ensure that all tire pres-
sures were consistent with the manufacturers
recommendations. Because of the high speeds
involved, we stiffened the 600R Rs stock sus-
pension slightly at both ends of the bike, andto ensure the stock steering geometry was
maintained, each adjuster was cranked up one-
half turn.
Representing faster riders in
the test was Tristan Schoenewald,
a respected ex-AMA 600 Super-
sport racer with a National and
several Regional WER A Championships to his
credit. He is fast, precise, and smooth. Schoe-
newald can evaluate tires at the limits of their
traction while putting in consistent laps, always
hitting his lines and braking points.
Associate Editor Jess McKinley is a highly
accomplished off-road racer, but a racetrack
novice. His years of experience pushing two-
wheelers to their limits enable him to feel the
differences in the tires, but his lack of racetrackexperience gives us a regular-guy impression
of the tires by lapping Willow Springs at speeds
more familiar to mere mortals.
The Hondas started out the day on new
stock tires to give the riders a comparison
baseline. After several sessions and a best lap
time of 1:41.0, the OE tires were clearly not
particularly fast and the riders reported some
vagueness over bumps as well. Schoenewald
generally liked the tire, but felt the grip was a
bit lacking and had a couple of mild mid-turn
slides to prove it.
After the initial sessions on the stock tires,
the test was conducted blind, with the riders
unaware of which brand of tire they were rid-
ing on, and at no stage did Schoenewald and
McKinley discuss their test results with eachother. Comparisons of each set of tires were
made against their impressions of the stock
Dunlop Qualifiers.
BRIDGESTONE DUNLOP PIRELLI MICHELIN
-
8/6/2019 UMC Tire Test Aug10
5/8
64 ULTIMATE M OTORCYCLING AUGUST 2010
Bridgestone Battlax BT-016
As the sole tire supplier to MotoGP since last year,
Bridgestone has certainly carved out an enviable reputa-
tion. Who can forget 2008 when Valentino Rossihav-
ing floundered the year before successfully changed to
Bridgestone tires, prompting Dani Pedrosa to insist mid-
season on switching to Bridgestone as well?The BT-016 is a dual-compound front, and triple-
compound rear tire that gets grippier as the lean angle
increases. Bridgestone also prefers a steel (over other
brands aramid fibers) mono-spiral belt construction to
give the carcass added strength. A significant two pounds
heavier than the stock tires, the Bridgestones took 0.8mm
height away from the front and 0.5mm from the rear,
which lowered the bike slightly but made minimal
changes to the geometry.
McKinley was very impressed, as he felt the Bridge-
stones were softer and more compliant than the stocktires, but a little slower to turn-in. A big improvement
over the stock tires, he enthused.
Schoenewalds best lap of 1:38.3 on the Bridgestones
was almost three seconds a lap quicker than the stock
rubber. He felt the BT-016s were a little harsh over
bumps, and he also noticed some front-end chatter at
full lean angle. Schoenewald complimented the tires on
their reliable turn-in and mid-corner traction, and said
he felt comfortable and confident on the BT-016s.
However, he also noted that when I pushed hard, the
rear would lose grip quite suddenly, and it was that lack
of predictability that ultimately cost him the ability to
go any faster.
Dunlop Sportmax Q2In 2010, Dunlop became the specified tire for the
AMA Championship, and the Q2 tire uses its propri-
etary N-Tec race technology. The rear tire is a dual com-
pound construction with softer shoulders for extra grip,
while the front tire is a single compound. The secret
to the Dunlop Q2s extraordinary and predictable grip
seems to be its advanced compound and the Intuitive
R esponse Profile at the rear, which creates a bigger foot-
print and allows more lean angle than the other tires.
The Q2s are a significant 2.8 pounds heavier than
the stock tires. They raised the Hondas axle height by
1.4mm at the front and 1.6mm at the rear; although the
600RR sat a little higher, the steering geometry was
essentially unchanged. However, the slightly taller bike
would arguably give the riders a little extra leverage
when turning in, thereby offsetting any negative effectsof the extra rotating mass. Carding a best lap time of
1:36.3 with Schoenewald at the controls, the Q2s were
almost five seconds per lap quicker than the stock tires.
McKinley was full of praise for the Dunlops: I love
these tires! I found them very confidence-inspiring. I
was able to ride comfortably at my limit, yet they were
predictable and stable throughout the corner.
Schoenewald felt equally at home on the Dunlops and
said I liked these tires, and felt very confident with them.
The front was stable, turn-in was excellent, and the tire
held its line perfectly. Leaned over on the brakesevenover bumpsthe tires stayed planted. Overall, steering
input was minimal and once turned the bike felt like it
was on rails.
>
>
BRID
GESTONEBATTLAX
BT-016
>
>
DUNLOPSP
ORTMAXQ
2
-
8/6/2019 UMC Tire Test Aug10
6/8
AUGUST 2010 ULTIMATE MOTORCYCLIN G 65
>
>
P
IRELLIRO
SSOCORS
A
>
>
MICH
ELINPOW
ERPURE
Michelin Power Pure
French tire-maker Michelin was the first manu-
facturer to develop dual-compound tires, and the
new Power Pure tires claim that the soft compound
rubber comes in at earlier angles of lean. The Pures
incorporate Michelins Light Tire Technology, which
reduces weight without sacrificing tread depth, andsaves a dramatic two pounds in weight compared to
its rivals.
The Michelins were the only tires tested that
weighed almost exactly the same as the Original
Equipment. In theory, with less rotating mass, they
should have offered nimbler handling than the oth-
ers, but it did not work out that way. The Pures
lightweight carcass had too much flex, causing it to
understeer; the Michelins also made the Honda a
little nervous.
Lapping with a best time of 1:38.4, Schoenewald wasambivalent toward the Michelin Power Pures, feeling
that they were grippy and competent over bumps, but
he complained that the bike wandered and wouldnt
hold its line. I frequently found myself on the outside
part of the track. Initial turn in was good; the tire felt
stable and didnt slide, but it just wouldnt hold its line
without increased effort.
McKinley found the same problem: This tire had
good grip, but it was hard to keep a line and the tires
felt squirrelly, but not from a traction perspective. The
tire was very light to steer, so I lacked some confi-
dence in the front. These tires may require a more
deft hand than I have.
Pirelli D iablo Rosso Corsa
Pirelli has been the original spec tire in World
Superbike racing for some six years now, and have
used it as their personal R &D lab. According to WSBK
owner Paolo Flammini, Pirelli has done a superb
job and delivered far more than we asked. Like the
Dunlop Q 2s, the new-for-2010 Diablo Rosso Cor-
sas have a single compound front. However, the dual
compound rear tire has Pirellis SC2 race-compound
on the shoulders. Ut ilizing their proprietary Enhanced
Patch Technology (EPT), Pirelli claims an enlarged and
optimized contact patch at any lean angle on street
and racetrack. Similar to the Bridgestones, they use a
steel belted carcass.
The R ossos were 1.2 pounds heavier than stock and
they raised the rear axle height by a whopping 5.3mm
but the front only by 0.8mm, which certainly reducedthe rake at the front end considerably. But, despite the
change in chassis geometry, without a doubt the Pirellis
gripped well and were fast without being nervous. They
posted a decent lap time of 1:36.5a dramatic 4.5 sec-
onds per lap quicker than the stock tires.
Schoenewald said, These tires worked well, but the
problem was I didnt have much feel with them, mak-
ing me less confident to push. They didnt do anything
wrongI liked them grip-wise and they were stable
in cornersbut they were a little sensitive over the
bumps. McKinley concurred: These tires were somuch better than stock. They gripped well, but they
felt stiffer and a bit less compliant. They were also a
little bumpy.
-
8/6/2019 UMC Tire Test Aug10
7/8
66 U LTI M A TE M OTOR C Y C LI N G A UG US T 2010
Conclusion
When the tires on your sportbike need
replacing, any one of these four replacement
tires will be a marked improvement. However,
tire performance is not just about the amount
of grip it generates. It is also about how the tires
feel when the bike turns into a corner, how
much they transmit the bumps through to the
chassis, how they feel on the brakes, whether
you can hold your chosen line throughout the
corner, and, if you are really pushing hard, how
they feel once their grip starts to let go.
It was interesting that our two testers, with
different levels of track experience and an
almost 15-second disparity between their lap
times, generally agreed on how each set of tires
felt. Clearly, one does not have to be a racer or
super-fast rider to notice the difference in feel
between these tires.
The issue of tire weight is a fascinating sub-
ject. Logic and experience tells us that, for
sportbikes, lighter- is-better. Yet, in this test, the
opposite proved to be true. Certainly, there is
a sweet spot in tire and wheel weight. If a tire
is too light, it can upset the suspension by not
providing enough resistance to bumps, and it
reduces the gyroscopic effect of the wheels,
making the bike less stable. Make the tires too
heavy, and the tires can overwhelm the suspen-
sion in bumps and it can be hesitant to change
direction. It is all about balance, and in this test,
of the five pairs of tires, the heaviest clearly had
the balance spot on.
In last place, were the OE tires. The best
things we can say about them is that they
are decent and come with the bike, but they
-
8/6/2019 UMC Tire Test Aug10
8/8
A UG UST 2010 ULTIMATE M OTORCYCLING 67
are certainly not your best option for high-
performance riding.
The Bridgestone BT-016 finished fourth,
beating the best OE lap time by two sec-
onds, and are clearly superior to the stock
tire. They work well within a certain range,
but are less competent at the edge of perfor-
mance on the track.The Michelin Power Pure tires finished
third, a blink faster than the Bridgestones,
but still some two seconds a lap down on the
Dunlop Q2s. Schoenewald and McKinley
were divided in their opinion, with Schoe-
newald slightly preferring the Michelins and
McKinley giving his nod to the Bridgestones.
The biggest complaint was the nervousness of
the Michelins and their inability to hold a line
through the corner, which was not caused by
lack of grip.
The Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsas came insecond, a full 1.8 seconds quicker than the
Michelins. The R ossos gripped well, but
lacked feela difficult handicap for a rider
to overcome.
Changing the chassis geometry the least,
the Dunlop Sportmax Q2 maintains its line
through corners, turned most predictably,
handled bumps well, and gave good feedback
in all situations. Additionally, the Q2s showed
the least wear at the end of the day. The Q2
was a little faster than its closest competitor, an
undeniably important statistic for performancetires, but most importantly it was the tire that
gave the testers the most confidence. By both
subjective and objective standards, the Dunlop
Sportmax Q2 is our clear winner.