XtraPix: Fast Tires

"Control" tires are a big part of MasterBike. As much as possible, the aim at this giant sportbike test is to do just that: test bikes, not the original-fitment rubber. So having equal rubber on all the machines is a must. This year, Dunlop took the plunge with its Sportmax GP Racer D209, a high-performance street and trackday tire not officially sold in the U.S.

First, the drama. The front tire couldn't be used on the Ducati 1098R in the Twins category, as its larger-than-OEM-spec diameter caused the tire to rub on the front cylinder head during hard braking. After unsuccessfully trying to make the tire work on the 1098R, Ducati felt it was best to pull out of MasterBike, citing the fact that organizers had first chosen Pirellis but switched to Dunlops late in the game.

"Tests by our official tester, as well as some riders and testers present at the event in Albacete, have confirmed that the performance experienced with this new setup is much lower than potential performance," said Ducati. "It is for this reason that, on this occasion, we feel it advisable to withdraw from the performance tests since they do not accurately represent the high levels of quality and technology normally displayed on the track by the 1098R."

Another issue arose during morning warm-up sessions: front-end vibration on some bikes. Wheels were removed and rebalanced with no improvement. Further investigation showed that a couple of the front tires were out of round.

After these glitches, things were good. Per a 2007 rule change, the quickest six riders rode on new tires in every round. Unscrubbed, the D209s took at least two laps before full-tilt lean angles could be applied. Once warm, they provided predictable, high-level grip that enabled test riders to push the limits of these incredible sportbikes. Because the tires wore so well, some riders (including me) felt they worked better later in their life cycle. Those Dunlops demonstrated impressive performance under some very tough circumstances.