Cycle News

VOL. 50 ISSUE 24 JUNE 18, 2013 pattern doing its job in dispersing water. well in the high-speed section; again the feedback was exceptional with very little movement or deflection. Even in the almost 360-degree final turn, it was as if I could have let go of the bars and the bike would have ridden by itself. As far as the rear tire is concerned, it is also very user friendly. Modern 600cc sportbikes have enough power to give any tire fits when it comes to hard acceleration out of a corner. I was really hammering the rear tire, but it just held its own and kept the bike moving forward without any real squatting or moving around. You will be surprised at how much the slightly altered rear-tire profile of the new Q3 has to do with how your bike will enter and exit a corner. By lunchtime I was feeling very good about the new Sportmax Q3, but I needed to do a back-to-back comparison with the Q2 to confirm my suspicions. After lunch we started out on a Q2 and it was not until I got back on the Q3 that I noticed how much improved the new Q3 was over the previous tire. Sharper and quicker handling, with better stability under braking and acceleration, the Q3 offers up a smoother and more compliant ride. Out of the tight corners you can really give it the berries and the bike will go forward as planned. It is that much easier to steer the bike with the rear wheel through the last part of the corner by using the throttle. When you're in the fast stuff you will also notice that the new Q3 is planted and smooth. There's less wallowing around and the transition at speed is easier to navigate. The combination of a new carcass design paired with the slightly different rear profile is a positive step forward in every aspect. Since everyone had done enough laps in the dry, Dunlop opted to have us try out the wetweather performance of the new tire. It's one thing to ride or race in the rain, but to purposely wet the track and ride… well, that P77 takes a bit more commitment. When the Dunlop guys were giving the tech briefing they had explained that just by chance they came across a tread pattern that performed very well in the wet. By elongating the center tread groove and modifying the corresponding side groves, the new Q3 was able to gain 1.4 seconds in lap times during testing, Dunlop claims. The new tread design overlaps itself and therefore disperses water more effectively with no reduction overall to the surface area of the tire. It was my turn to try the wetweather riding characteristics of the new Q3 and although I never had a moment I was not really going for it. Hard to make yourself push it unless you have to and I did not want to be the guy who found out the hard way. We will just have to take the Dunlop test rider's word on how well it works in the wet and by the pace he was keeping it looks quite capable. The new Sportmax Q3 has all the makings for a proper street/ track-day tire and the introduction of carbon fiber into the design is the real game changer. Even better is that the price for the new Q3s is the same as the older Q2. Dunlop is getting its act together up in Buffalo and the investment in new technologies and updated machinery is really paying off. Longer lasting tires coupled with better performance and available at the same price… how can you go wrong with that? CN

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