Dunlop Sportmax Q5A Review

Riding a motorcycle is quite liberating, but only if you can rely on your vehicle to respond precisely to your commands. That said, how your bike behaves on the road depends largely on the tires you’re using.

Introducing Dunlop Sportmax Q5A, designed for smoother handling, reduced heat build-up and distortion, and improved grip, as well as tire warm-up time.

Thanks to the Multi-Tread technology, Carbon R compound, and Camber Tuning Technology, among others, this tire provides exceptional comfort, stability, and optimal performance in both dry and wet road conditions.

These features are guaranteed regardless of whether you’re just cruising or enjoying a more spirited driving experience. So, why do you need this particular set of tires? Let’s find out together, shall we?

The Hybrid Hero

Choosing a proper set of tires is vital, no matter if you’re riding a bicycle or a motorcycle. This is one of the lessons every rider should learn before going on a road trip.

For motorcycles, the choice is a bit more complicated, especially considering the fact that this is an engine-powered bike capable of reaching far greater speeds. This is precisely why it needs more capable tires that can handle both speed and leaning over while cornering.

With that in mind, which tires are the most suitable sort? Well, if you opt for track tires, they’ll handle speed with ease, but they will also wear out in about 1,000 miles, which means that you’ll have to replace them frequently. On the other hand, touring tires are ideal for cruising down the road, especially for long-distance drives.

However, touring tires are not designed for high speeds, and they’ll feel “greasy” when pushed beyond their limits. Why not choose a tire that is the best of both worlds, then? This is precisely why the Dunlop Sportmax Q5A is considered the ultimate hybrid hero in the world of motorcycles.

Technical Breakdown

As mentioned before, one of the technologies used in the development of this tire is the so-called Multi-Tread technology that utilises a long-wearing center compound flanked by lateral-grip compounds on both the front and rear tires.

This technology provides significant mileage without sacrificing handling or grip. However, not all tire sizes are compatible with this technology. For instance, the 130/70ZR16 tire size does not support Multi-Tread, while the Dunlop Sportmax Q5A 110/70R17 does. Make sure you check which sizes fit your motorcycle before you make a purchase.

Moreover, the Carbon R compound in the tire’s shoulders enables high heat-generating capabilities. As a result, the tire provides exceptional grip in dry road conditions, especially at high speeds. This is, indeed, a racing-type fine carbon compound designed to perform at its best during spirited driving.

Real World Performance

Praising a product isn’t viable if you don’t know how it performs in the real world and on various types of roads. We’ve done the testing, so you won’t have to. Speaking of which, every motorcycle driver likes to ride through canyons, and every now and then they like to see how their bikes handle twisties at higher speeds than what’s normally recommended.

How does this tire transition from straightforward roads to twists and turns? It does so fairly well. The main reason is that this tire incorporates the Camber Tuning Technology (C.T.T.) that tunes up both the front and rear tire balance to improve the front tire’s turning force relative to the rear one.

The result is a more nimble handling feel. At the same time, the Impact Parry Technology reduces lateral movement while boosting longitudinal deflection, resulting in better bump absorption and stability at full lean. In other words, you’re less likely to slide over and fall even if you cut corners and take sharper turns.

As for the commuting, the tire maximizes compliance and comfort, while providing exceptional feel and stability even at high speeds. This is thanks to the Aramid JBL construction for the front tire and the Ultra Flexible Steel JLB construction for the rear one.

But what about wet roads? Now, this is where the Dunlop Sportmax 5QA really shines. The Hi Silica X compound found in the center of the front tire’s tread, alongside the Hi Silica compound found in the center of the rear tire’s tread, provide 175% more silica content in the front and 150% more in the rear in comparison to the majority of similar tires in the market.

What that means is that these tires increase wear resistance and significantly boost wet performance. In addition to that, the aggressive tread pattern is optimized for sporty driving, enabling more consistent performance as the tire wears, which in turn provides exceptional balance between dry and wet grip.

Pros and Cons

As you may already know, no tire is perfect in every sense of the word, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find something as close to it as possible. In this case, the Dunlop Sportmax 5QA should meet most of your expectations and needs. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of this tire.

Pros

• Exceptional gripping in both wet and dry road conditions.
• Extended mileage that doesn’t sacrifice handling or comfort.
• Superior cornering and stability even during spirited driving.

Cons

• A bit more expensive than some alternatives available in the market.
• Not as capable as track tires, which is a deal-breaker for some riders.
• This is a hybrid tire, which means it doesn’t specialize as either a track or touring tire.

Final Thoughts

As mentioned before, choosing the right tires for your motorcycle is of the utmost importance, but deciding which tires to opt for is a rather difficult decision. After all, there are numerous factors one should consider before making a purchase.

Still, if you’re the type of rider who prefers both relaxed cruising and aggressive cornering, then the Dunlop Sportmax 5QA is the ideal tire for you. Combining the best of track and touring tires, this hybrid delivers exceptional performance while keeping you safe on both dry and wet roads.