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/127759
·tEST Dunlop/Daytona Tire Test t-ng the rubber down (Lett) Doug Chandler (10), Colin Edwards II (45) and Anthony Gobert (hidden) exit the ' International Horseshoe at Daytona during recent tire tests. (Above) Thomas Wilson had his first outing on the Harley VRlooo. (Below) Miguel DuHamel· full lock on the exit of turn one. By Henny Ray Abrams ndurance or grip, that's always been the devilish choice when designing a tire for Daytona. Either the tire is so hard that it lasts between pit stops or it's soft enough to provide footing for the infield horseshoes, but won't go more than a few laps under the 2-G stress of the banking. All that changed at this year's annual December Dunlop tire test. "They shaked and baked something really good," Smokin' Joe's Honda's Miguel DuHamel said after unofficially setting the second-fastest time. (All laps are hand-timed, usually by both the teams and Dunlop, and are therefore unofficial.) "It just makes better traction, and it feels great. Usually when you go to Daytona you've got traction and no durability, or durability 'and no traction. They were able to combine that. You get better traction, better forward grip, and real predictable tires. That's basically it. The times show it. Yamaha and Kawasaki and ourselves, this is definitely the fastest there is. This is the fastest I've ever been at Daytona." E ~ 0\ ~ (1')' ~ l-< C!) '"u 6 C!) C!) o 12 The 1995 AMA Superbike Champion tested the first generation of these tires during a test here in September and was effUsive in his praise. What he said at the time, Dunlop's Jim Allen remembers, was, "1 hope 1 never have to race on a normal tire, an ordinary tire, again." "September was eye-opening time," Allen added. As for this test, Allen was "cautiously optimistic." "In the past with J?aytona tires, riders would get off and say, 'God, 1 hope 1 don't have to race on that thing.' That doesn't seem to be the case. We've had several comments on good side grip. We knew what we hoped for and for the most part those hopes were realized," he said. (Above) Pascal Picotte and the Suzuki GSXR750 were Impressive in their debut. (Below) DuHamel goes over his lap times with Dunlop's Jim Allen and tuner AI Luddington. Allen later added: "It's the fastest test we've ever conducted here. We have what we think is a good solid foundation for the March race." The stack of qualifying tires that were brought down went mostly untested, he said. What exactly was done to produce the new tires is a dosely held secret. No one was talking and for good reason. ''I'm feeling sorry for Michelin at this moment," Yamaha World Superbike teamster Colin Edwards II said. "The stuff Dunlop brought is awesome." Edwards was one of 15 riders taking part in the three-day test at the Speedway. All of the AMA Superbike teams, with the exception of Fast by Ferracci, took part, testing both Superbike and Supersport tires. Dunlop brought 879 tires in 42 different configurations for the Superbike, 600 Supersport, and 750 Supersport machines, but it was the