Dunlop RoadSmart III earns ‘Recommended rating’ from RiDE magazine

The Dunlop RoadSmart III has been awarded a coveted ‘Recommended’ rating by the UK magazine, RiDE, after a demanding test featuring six of the best selling brands in the sport touring tyre sector. 

Each of the six brands of tyre was tested on a BMW R1250RS using the 120/70R17 front and 180/55R17 rear sizes on a 35km road route featuring fast major roads, tighter lanes and a motorway. The route was chosen to give a relevant mix of surfaces, speed and corners that typify the kind of journey that sport touring bike owners enjoy riding. 

RiDE ranked the tyres based on steering, feel, ride quality and the level of confidence they gave the experienced test riders. The Dunlop RoadSmart III was ranked in the top two in each of these categories, proving its all-round performance with RiDE declaring; “The Dunlop works brilliantly and does everything very well”.

Stability is a critical factor on heavier sports touring bikes and experienced road tester, Bruce Dunn, gave the RoadSmart III a 10/10 score, stating: “Compared to the original equipment tyres, which were pretty stable, these are better in every speed range.” He also praised how confidence-inspiring they were: “They always feel like they have plenty of grip in hand...and the grip and lots of feedback mean outstanding feel.”

Stronger for longer 

Even before this RiDE recommendation, the Dunlop RoadSmart III was already a test winner, with Germany’s MOTORRAD TEST CENTER confirming the front tyre had an incredible 82% more mileage potential than an average of key competitors in a 2016 test.

Two years later, this result was reinforced by the RoadSmart III winning the same publication’s sport-touring comparative test, which also recognised the tyre’s lasting performance during a 4000 km road test. The test results underlined Dunlop’s “Stronger for longer” philosophy that drove the tyre’s development.

RiDE also noted the mileage potential for the Dunlop with the test showing that the RoadSmart III had a usable tread depth of 5.96mm, which was 12% more than one of its major competitors.

Dmitri Talboom, Dunlop Motorcycle Europe Product Manager, said: “Dunlop designed the RoadSmart III to meet the demands of riders who require a combination of sporty, confidence-inspiring handling, strong grip and high mileage performance. We are delighted that RiDE has echoed the results seen in earlier tests.” 

The Dunlop RoadSmart III comes in two versions. The standard RoadSmart III aims at reducing steering effort, which is beneficial for heavier motorcycles like large sports tourers, whereas the SP versions promote stability and direct feedback on more stability-sensitive bikes, which makes it the sportier of the two.

Dunlop Europe is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of motorcycle tyres with an impressive track record of motorsport successes. Dunlop Europe is a technical partner of winning teams in Endurance World Championship Racing, the official tyre supplier to the FIM Moto2 and Moto3 World Championship and the most successful tyre brand in the history of the Isle of Man TT. Off-road, Dunlop is the choice of MXGP race winners and champions.