DUNLOP SPORTSSMART TT

When it comes to making epic group tests, you need epic control tyres – and that’s why this year we looked to Dunlop’s SportSmart TT for our Naked Sports Bike Of The Year shootout. It goes without saying, we needed a tyre that could cut it on the road and the track while minimising the variables between the machines in competition, just like in top-tier racing.

But why this tyre? Dunlop’s SportSmart TT offers its users the best of both worlds. It’s a fast and long-lasting road-legal tyre that also possesses all the features and spec you’d expect from a grippy trackday tyre. It was designed to be that halfway house in among Dunlop’s impressive range of sports tyres and boasts key track technologies – such as the brand’s NTEC carcass at the rear that allows for pressures to be run lower for a broader footprint and higher levels of adhesion. It also comes with a patented SV (Speed Vent) tread pattern that helps to stop the rubber from overheating, while its front and rear profiles are inclined for fast turning and added support and stability at lean. Another key feature is the compound, which has been specifically crafted to encourage a fast warm-up time... meaning tyre warmers aren’t essential on track, but they can be used.

We’ve put these tyres through the ultimate test and the results have been so impressive. The feedback in the wet and dry, on the road and on the track is phenomenal. They performed brilliantly in the damp, and they provide a very neutral feeling while changing direction and rolling though the corners.

Being able to go knee-down on the road with an impressive warm-up time really is a huge credit to Dunlop. We think these tyres are pretty awesome.