Warm, dry days don’t really prove anything when you’re trying your very best to espouse the virtues of your latest do-it-all sport touring tyre – so it was a good job that the heavens opened during the official launch of the new RoadSmart III from Dunlop!
Far from ideal conditions for the riders who endured heavy rain and near freezing temperatures, it would prove to be an excellent test for a tyre which makes bold claims about improvements in wet grip over it’s predecessor.
With the sport touring market accounting for more than a third of all motorcycle tyre sales, manufacturers want to be sure they’re pitching the right product to get a strong foothold in this lucrative sector. That’s why Dunlop spent the best part of three years developing their latest entry on to the market.
One person who had the joys of getting soaked to the skin near Dunlop’s Mireval proving ground in Southern France was Simon Roots, Editor of Fast Bikes, who has been writing his post-launch review of the new Dunlop in their June 2016 edition.
Rather than going for one of the big tourers, Simon opted for a no-frills Kawasaki Z800 on the launch and comments:
“Pinning the Kwak out of roundabouts and tight turns, not once did I experience any lack of grip, and it was only when trying to pull wheelies where the tyre could be cajoled into spinning – and the weather soon dampened my enthusiasm for these capers. Similarly, only stupid braking forces got the ABS pumping at the front, so grip-wise we’re onto a winner here. Handling-wise, too, the RoadSmarts were light as a feather to push into a turn. Offering a great balance between front and rear, the Z800 felt a breeze to guide through the route’s tighter sections, and on a particularly gnarly route I felt almost oblivious to the conditions and gunned it as hard as I could to no ill effect.”
You can read his full article in their latest issue.
View the full range of RoadSmart III sizes here.
