Dunlop Sportmax Q2s - Ducati.ms

AXE · May 27th, 2010, 11:18 pm

The Dunlop Sportmax Q2s are awesome tires. I finally got a good run through the twisties today and I am very happy with them. I was worried I wouldn't like them as well as the PP 2CTs I have run for so long. However, they felt better all the way around. They had a nice neutral feel making my turns a little less quick (and little sloppy sometimes), made the suspension feel more plush, warmed up very quickly, and seemed to grip very well. The center appears to be harder and the edges softer too.

I ran them around 31 F and 33 R cold for the first several runs and then let a little more air out. I like them best with a little less than what I started with.

One thing I noticed was that the rears were more difficult to hit the edges of the tire, while the fronts got closer to the edges than the PP 2CTs. I didn't push them super hard today as I haven't been on the bike much lately. However, my toes were hitting, so I was over about as far as I care too unless I get some new pegs or rearsets.

We'll see how they are in a few thousand miles, but I think I found my new go to tire for a great price.

Out!

Tard · May 27th, 2010, 11:42 pm

Good to hear you like 'em.
They've been testing them here down under by flogging on the track for hours on end, and on different bikes, and they've been getting some really good reviews.
They're supposed to have really good longevity, as well as grip, so keep us posted concerning the long term.
They are a dual compound so the centre is definitely harder.
They also have more of an aggressive profile in comparison to the PP 2ct's so they'll be a little harder to take to the edge as you've discovered, especially with the Hypers lean limitations.
Hopefully they'll stay well priced and are not just cheap at the moment to get them out in the market. We'll see.

AXE · May 27th, 2010, 11:59 pm

Yeah, the profile seems to be a little wider and flatter than the 2CTs. I am guessing that is why they seem a little more neutral on turn in and more plush in the ride.

Why don't more people riding the Hyper run the Dunlops. It seems like a lot of other forums they are a much more popular tire. I haven't run a set for many years and those were typcially OEM spec'd tires.

Out!

08hyper · May 28th, 2010, 12:01 am

Good to know, I just recieved 2 pairs of the Q2s for a "SUPER" price!

I can't wait to try them on the track! Aloha Alex

AXE · May 28th, 2010, 10:48 am

It'll be good to see how they perform with all your extra power. There are a couple of real nice corners on the stretch of road that I was on that you can really roll on the throttle hard on exit. I can tell you that that I purposely gave it a little extra throttle to see if they would "loosen up" and they didn't at all. I think you will like them.

Out!

Tard · May 28th, 2010, 5:51 pm

I don't think the Alex's ballistic Hypers HP will affect them too much.
In the track testing done down here they were run on mainly jap 4's with anything from 100 - 170HP, light sporties and heavy tourers.

They mentioned that usually on track tyre tests they replace the tyres every 45mins to and hour. The Dunlops were still going strong after 5 hours!

I saw the pics of the tyres after 5 hours of being flogged on the track and they looked pretty good. Nicely scuffed butt not balled up and stuffed.

AXE · Jul 11th, 2010, 3:18 pm

I know have about 750 miles on the Q2s mostly in the twisties and a little bit of straights. The pavement has benn really variable everything from freshly laid asphalt to some well worn asphalt and a little concrete here and there.

These tires are really great and make the Hyper an even better handling bike. I really liked my PP 2CTs, but these are better. They make turns easier (a little more neutral on turn in for me), grip like hell (outer two inches feel like duct tape after you get into the corners a few times), warm up well, and also work well when it was cool out (50s up in the mountains).

So far, I have largely been in the twisties, but I think the profile is a little flatter and it doesn't seem to be squaring off any. Mileage is a little hard to predict at this point, but if I had to guess it might be a little less than 2500 on the rear, which is what I was getting on the PP 2CTs.

I can't say for sure it was the tires, but I got into a corner pretty good on my last trip out and right in the middle of the road were two egg size gnarly rocks. I tried spitting them, but ended up hitting one. I thought I was gonna go down for sure based upon how far I was leaned over and my speed. Instead the the rock rolled one complete revolution aournd the edge of the tire and along the sidewall. The bike never missed a beat and never became unsettled. No damage to the tire or rim in spite of the rock having sharp edges.

Anyway, I can guarantee that these will be my go to tires for the foreseable future. Especially since I have seen them priced from $200-260 a pair.

Get ya some!

Out!

Hyper-Gerry23 · Jul 12th, 2010, 12:04 am

Axe, I was a little worried about my Q2 purchase. I have the PPs on now & I like the ride + grip but they are getting pretty thin now! Thanks for the info! I can't wait to get the new Q2s mounted up! I'll let you know how they ride...

AXE · Jul 12th, 2010, 10:07 am

I've got a buddy running down on his FZ1 and he is getting good results as well. He is a pretty fast rider. He has about 1000 miles on his with a combination of highwayand twisties. He thinks his mileage is going to the little bit better. We'll see but i will trade mileage for the performance.

Out!

hyprduc · Jul 12th, 2010, 10:37 am

Did a track night last Friday at the Streets of Willow with the Q2 on the back of my KTM 690 SMC. NEVER had an issue with grip. Lost the front a little twice (Pirelli Supercorsa) so I can't wait to get the Q2 on the front as well. I will say the 160 I put on the rear runs wider than the Pirelli's and notched my plastic chain guard a little

but no biggie.

These seem to be great tires for the price!