May 29th, 2020.


Dunlop has announced the introduction of two new tyres at opposite ends of the adventure scale: the Trailmax Mission for serious off-road adventures and the SportSmart TT Trail, a completely new concept that breaks the boundaries between hypersport and adventure segments. The SportSmart TT Trail offers an ‘ultimate performance’ option for riders wanting the highest levels of dynamic on-road handling.

These two tyres sit either side of the recently launched ‘all-weather crossover’ Mutant and the Trailmax Meridian, designed for road and trail performance on the most powerful adventure bikes.

“With four new adventure tyres launched this year, it gives Dunlop the freshest and most varied range of tyres in the adventure tyre market,” said Dmitri Talboom, Product Manager.

Trailmax Mission - above left
Today’s adventure bikes are ideal for long-distance touring but are also capable of offering impressive performance in the dirt. This versatility sets a real challenge for tyre manufacturers.

The Mission delivers solid off-road performance to match some dedicated trail tyres, but pairs this to high levels of durability, ride quality and stability. Dunlop tested over 30 different types of Mission prototypes before signing off the final specification.

Dunlop’s own testing showed that riders can expect to get very high mileage with this tyre: the production version of the Mission rear tire delivered 12,800 kilometers in testing, an impressive figure for a tyre with such off-road ability.*

Developed for the long-haul adventure rider, the Trailmax Mission is perfect for riders travelling long distances on-road but still requiring the tread depth and performance to venture off-road at their destination.

A major contribution to the performance comes from Dunlop’s Staggered Step technology in both the front and rear tyres. These steps give tread more rigidity and lug stability to prevent flex, and create more biting edges so, as the tread wears, the next biting edge “steps up” to cling to the terrain.

The Mission has distinctive lugs that add rigidity and durability in rocky terrain, allow lower pressures to be run off-road and help riders navigate deep and uneven ruts. The sidewall is strengthened to add higher durability and puncture resistance.

The Mission comes in a range of 19” and 21” fronts and 17” and 18” rear sizes to suit models such as the Honda Africa Twin, Suzuki V-Strom, BMW GS, KTM 1290/1290S, 790R/790S, Yamaha Ténéré, Triumph 800/900/1200 models and many more.

SportSmart TT Trail - above right
Not all adventure bike riders are wanting to tackle rocks and trails. Their hypersport-level acceleration and stable handling can make powerful adventure bikes an unlikely looking track day tool. That’s why Dunlop has created a unique niche tyre for these riders: a Trail version of its test-winning SportSmart TT superbike tyre.

The SportSmart TT has already proven to be a winner in a Fast Bikes magazine test and was rated as ‘Best handling tyre’ by PS magazine in its dry track test. For riders wanting the ultimate level of dynamic road and track performance, Dunlop has made the SportSmart TT’s awe-inspiring levels of performance available in the most popular adventure bike sizes on the market today.

The performance of the Dunlop SportSmart TT Trail is achieved through a combination of race-derived technologies including the distinctive Speed Vent Tread. This intricately calculated tread groove pattern opens and closes when the tyre turns, creating a vent-like effect to improve heat dissipation.

“Dunlop has brought something completely new to the market with SportSmart TT Trail. Today’s advanced adventure bikes are the Swiss army knife of motorcycles. Our four new tyres allow riders to maximise the performance of their machines, whether they get their adrenaline pumping from track days, touring or attacking the toughest terrain,” added Dmitri.

For more information on Dunlop Motorcycle tyres visit www.dunlop.eu/en_gb/motorcycle.html#/

*Test conducted by independent contracted riders on a 400-km mountain loop, sizes 110/80 19 and 150/70 17, on 2017 Suzuki V-Strom 1000