#Q3
MO Tested: Dunlop Q5 and Q5S Trackday Tire Review
The invention of the trackday tire is the single greatest thing to happen to trackday riders since, well, trackdays. Being able to leave the tire warmers at home (or not own any at all!) has a trickle-down effect for those lazy riders among us – myself included. No warmers means the stands can stay home, and so can the generator. Better still, leaving all those things behind doesn’t compromise anything out on track; modern trackday tires provide plenty of grip and more longevity than your average race slick. (But let’s make one thing clear: if you’re actually racing, a slick is still the way to go.)
Burning Rubber: Best Sportbike Tires
The job of a sportbike tire is a tough one. Considering the performance – and variety – of today’s modern sporting machines, an ideal tire needs to be able to warm up quickly, offer good grip in both wet and dry conditions, transfer feedback to the rider, and provide good handling capabilities. Thankfully, all the major tire companies work tirelessly to improve their tires to meet these demands. Of course, longevity is a concern as well, but compared to a sport-touring tire a sportbike tire won’t quite measure up with all the other duties it has to perform.
Here, we’ve gathered seven different tires that are great at handling it all. We’ve focused on street-based tires, since that’s where the majority of sportbike riders spend their time, although all of the tires here are more than capable of handling the occasional trackday or two. If you’re the serious trackday/racing type, we’ll have a separate guide for you coming soon.
My Brand New Tire Has a Nail in It!
Dear MOby,
Right, so, on the way home from having new Dunlop Q3 Pluses mounted on my almost-new 2005 GSX-R1000, I ran over a flathead nail which is still lodged right in the middle of the rear tread. I’ve read about plugging tires on MO, but is there a better way since this tire is brand new? Somebody told me I could just put a tube inside, even though it’s a tubeless tire? What’s the deal?
Holey of Holies
Burbank, CA
Do not feel like the Lone Ranger, Holey, this happens to the best of us. They actually do make tubes to fit your 190/50-ZR17 rear, but you definitely don’t want to go that route unless you plan on never going faster than about 70 mph again. Heat is the enemy of the rear tire on a bike as powerful as yours, and an inner tube rubbing against the inside of the tire as it flexes – and radials flex more than the old bias-ply tires – especially at higher speeds, could cause nasty consequences should the tube suddenly decide to exhale all at once.
Dunlop Sportmax Q3+ Tire Review
“Tire testing” is rapidly becoming my favorite thing to do here at MO. It always involves going on a great ride, sometimes even a race track, and no one can really accuse me of getting it wrong, can they? Especially when the main claim is greater tire longevity. I’d like to hang around Austin and eat more barbecue and put 6,000 miles on these new Dunlops, but oh dear, look at the time…
Dunlop says its current Sportmax Q3 is and has been the best-selling sport tire in America since its introduction four years ago (as well as of course the best! sport tire period), and now the boys from Buffalo have completely overhauled it, producing what they claim is not only a better sport tire – but also one that’ll give 20 to 30% more longevity than the current Q3. That would be the Sportmax Q3+.
