The latest iteration of Dunlop’s hypersport motorcycle tire, the SportSmart Mk4, has been unveiled, offering improvements to precision, feedback and wet grip.
It will replace its predecessor, the SportSmart Mk3, launched in 2019. Designed for road use, the Mk4 will sit in the Dunlop’s range alongside the road/track focused SportSmart TT. Building on its predecessor, the SportSmart Mk4 uses Dunlop’s MultiTread compound, which features a stronger center compound and softer shoulder compounds for a combination of grip and tire life.
The main improvement in this iteration is the wet weather performance, which sees a traction gain of 20% on low-grip surfaces and an improvement of 18% on medium-grip surfaces compared to the older model, according to Dunlop. Dunlop also states the tire offers a reduction in warm-up time, better traction on colder days and reduced rolling resistance.
Dunlop adds that the SportSmart Mk4 benefits from race-proven innovation such as Dynamic Front Formula on the front tire and Carcass Tension Control System to tune the casing tension and optimize the footprint to get the most out of the compound. These result in an easy turn-in, low-effort direction changes, excellent steering precision and neutral behaviour in corners for riders.
Dunlop has used finite element analysis (FEA) to develop the tread pattern, which is based on the SportSmart Mk3 and TT but modified to match the new construction and compound properties.
Dmitri Talboom, product manager, Dunlop Motorcycle Europe, said, “The most demanding riders will value the incredible level of performance, especially in colder or wet conditions, while other riders will notice the precision, ease of turn-in and added comfort to make their rides more enjoyable.”
The existing SportSmart Mk3 will not be discontinued from the line-up, with Dunlop offering it in limited number sizes.
