Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126983
MAKE A BIG SPLASH! 'Dunlop 's KS92 Elite SP Can it make you a Polen? By Paul Carruthers LANCASTER, CA, AUG 31 Prob ably th e best tribu te to th e performance of Dunlop's new K591 Elite SP DO T-approved high-performance mo tor cycle tire, is the winning 1987 record of Doug Polen. T he roa d racer fro m Texas has been involved with the development of the K59l from day one, usi ng the pre-production tire on his Suzuki GSXR750 and 1l00, and on his Honda CB600 Hurricane. Polen dominated the new AMA Supersportclass, winning all but one of the nine races, using the K59I. The Dunlop Tire Corporation recently introduced the K59l Elite SP to members of the motorcycle press near Willow Springs International Raceway. The K591 was tested a day later by the same journalists on machines ranging from the California Superbike School Kawasaki 600 Ninjas to Suzuki's GSXRlIOO . Reviews on the tire that will replace Dunlop's 391 as the company's entry in the sport bike replacement tire wars were solid. The bias-ply tire will come in two versions «- one with race compound and bel ted construction and the other featuring a harder street compou nd that is unbelted. The street version of the K591 is basi call y the same tire as last year's race-compound 39 I. The main difference between the 59 1 and 391 is essentially in the profile of the tire. The 591 features a broader contact patch in its construction than the 391, and a lower profile. The race version of the 591 incorporates a two-nylon p ly sidewall and two fiber /two-nylon ply tread construction on the front, and a threenylon ply sidewall and three-nylon/ three-fiber ply tread contruction on the rear. The development of the K591 started in 198510 Australia with New Zealand road racer lain Pero doing most of the test riding. In the United States, th e testing was handled mostly by Polen with help from Californian Chris Steward. The race version of the K591 carries a suggested retail price of $147.55 and $94.90 for the rear and front tires, respectively, in 170/60/ VBVl8 and llO/801V18, the sizes used on Suzuki's GSXR750. Most journalists in attendance agreed that the K591 offers very good traction and remains predictable after reaching the point of slidi ng. Both the race a nd street versions were used at Willow Springs. The race version, of course, will offer better tractabi lity while the harder compound on the street-compound tire should have longer tread life. Both versions are now available for purchase. • r-------------------------------------------------· I II I P.ifihercran C I & & U I sr • • D Bill me w ith the f irst issue. D Ch eck or Money Order enclosed (make ou t payable to Cycle News) rED I CHARTER Subscription Ori~r Form g~i,:rge II I I my credit card I I I D YES! I want to be a charter subscriber to Personal I Watercraft Illust rat ed. That 's the f irst 7 issues for $7.00 . l O n e Veor (7 I......) 111 Cia.. Cono do or Moxico ond oUotherforeign I countri.. - $14•.00 (U.S. l unda). D Mastercard I Name Signature I I I I I I I • I ~d~" 1(~_Pri~C~~ City State Phone( - z;p • Card N umber Expiration date_ _ / _- /_ - I I Ma il to: Personal Watercraft Illustrated c /o Cycle News, Inc . P.D: Box 498 Long Beach, CA 90801-0498 R_mhr 10 me-. your paJRMftl or CNlIt c..-rI ~ _ I I I I I I ~",.".,.. I I I I I I I ~ 43 I