JULY | 2009 - Dunlop Motorcycle Tires

JULY | 2009
CONTENTS
4
PLATER TOPS ISLE OF MAN TT
6
GNCC SPRING BREAK
6
ATTENTION ALL RACERS
7
WORCS UPDATE: BOBBY BONDS WINS ROUND SIX
8
ATV RACING UPDATE: KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON
10
SPORTMAX Q2 LAUNCH
16
TEDESCO AND FIOLEK THUNDER TO VICTORY
22
BIKES OF MX
24
THE PICTURES ARE GETTING CLEARER
28
TRACK WALK WITH BROC GLOVER
30
NOT ALL THE SAME
34
UPCOMING EVENTS
ON THE COVER:
Dunlop Test Engineer Rich Conicelli puts the
new Sportmax Q2 to the test during the
press launch for this brand-new tire.
2
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Dunlop Download magazine is published for Dunlop Motorcycle Tires by Vreeke & Associates. www.vreeke.com
3
PLATER
TOPS ISLE OF MAN TT
British rider Steve Plater won the coveted Senior TT crown
at the 2009 Isle of Man TT Festival on June 12 and also
became the proud recipient of the inaugural Joey Dunlop
Trophy—recording the best overall results at the event.
In just his third year of racing the infamous public-roads
course, the Dunlop racer powered his HM Plant Honda to
victory and posted the fastest lap of the two-week festival at
an average speed of 130.49 mph, bettering the lap record
from last year set by his 2009 teammate John McGuinness.
With rain delaying the start of the six-lap race over the
37.73-mile road course, fans were treated to some of the
most competitive racing ever seen in the event’s 100-year
history. Plater battled McGuinness—who suffered a DNF
this year—and fellow competitors to record his first-ever
Senior TT win in record time.
“It’s the stuff dreams are made of,” said an emotional Plater.
“This achievement will finally sink in next week as I have to
turn my attention back to short circuits and the British
Supersport Championship.”
Plater’s Senior TT win topped off an exciting two weeks of
racing during which he also placed second in Superbike
and finished fourth in the Superstock class and the two
Supersport races, which earned him the Joey Dunlop
Trophy for posting the best overall results for the event.
4
5
JOSH STRANG
BOBBY BONDS
GNCC SPRING BREAK
Round nine of the 2009 GNCC Racing Series held at Snow-
place. Teammate Charlie Mullins had a little more luck finishing
shoe, WV, proved a tough day at the office for Dunlop racer
just shy of the podium in fourth.
and title hopeful Josh Strang. Strang, who is second in the series points, raced with promise, rallying his rivals right down to
Despite a disappointing round result, Strang holds on to sec-
the final minutes aboard Suzuki’s RM-Z450 when disaster
ond position in the series point score with 201 points, and
struck. The Dunlop pilot was knocked from his bike after hit-
Mullins is in third on 197. The riders now enjoy a two-month
ting a deer, almost rendering the rider unconscious. Strang re-
break in the GNCC schedule, tackling round 10 in New Berlin,
mounted and courageously took the checkered flag in sixth
NY, September 12-13.
WORCS UPDATE: BOBBY BONDS WINS ROUND SIX
ATTENTION ALL RACERS
Round six of the 2009 WORCS competition staged at
Other Dunlop top-10 finishers on the day included GNCC star
Riverdale Raceway in Toutle, WA, just prior to the series sum-
Josh Strang in fourth place ahead of Kyle Summers in fifth,
No matter which off-road racing venue you’ve chosen, Dunlop
mer break, and the grueling two-hour event produced plenty
Tim Weigand in sixth, Ricky Dietrich in seventh and Nick Bro-
has the right tire and specific recommendations for your racing
of action plus great results for Dunlop racers. Bobby Bonds,
zovich in eighth.
needs. From professional Supercross and Arenacross to
the defending champ and winner of round five who just
Off-Road/Enduro and Amateur National MX, we have all the tire
switched to riding a Yamaha, mounted a dramatic last-lap
info you’ll need to get ready to win!
pass for the overall win. This victory places him in second
leads the Dunlop championship charge followed by Kawasaki
place in the points standings, trailing by a single point.
pilot Dietrich in third. Weigand, Damon Huffman, Nathan
With four rounds remaining in the 10-round series, Bonds
Woods and Destry Abbott round out Dunlop’s presence in the
CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE TIRE USAGE GUIDE
6
series top 10.
7
Dunlop pilot Heather Byrd continues her reign over
the 2009 Women Pro-Am competition in the AMA
ATV Motocross Championship, remaining unbeaten
by winning at Muddy Creek in Blountville, TN. Byrd’s
JOSHUPPERMAN
had a faultless season and, with three rounds
remaining, leads the championship with a perfect
points tally score of 210. Adrienne Cooper is third
with 142 points. Dunlop racer Joe Byrd is third in the
Pro series points with 271 after finishing ninth at
Muddy Creek. Baldwin Motorsports’ Josh Upperman
finished ahead of Byrd in fifth, and Jeremie Warnia
came in seventh.
In 2009 WORCS ATV Series action, Team
Motoworks pilots Warnia and Josh Frederick are
positioned second and third in the series points.
Frederick missed racing the round five event due to
injury but is on target to make his return—and make
up valuable series points—at Olympia, WA. Dillon
Zimmerman’s perfect record of four straight wins
came to an end as the Dunlop racer finished second
in the Pro-Am race. Zimmerman continues to lead
the series with 145 points.
Warnia maintains his lead in the 2009 ITP
QuadCross Series after round four at Speedworld
MX in Surprise, AZ. Warnia finished 10th in the
Open Pro class but leads the series with 88 points.
The Dunlop pilot is also second in the Pro 450
Production class points. Zimmerman is three points
shy of the 450 Production Expert class leader
with 82 points.
ATV RACING UPDATE:
KEEP ON
KEEPIN’ ON
8
9
CLICK HERE FOR A SPORTMAX Q2 VIDEO
LAUNCH
10
MARKGARDINER
CHRISULRICH
MARKCERNICKY
KENTKUNITSUGU
ARIHENNING
STEVEATLAS
JAMIEROBINSON
ARTHURCOLDWELLS
DANIELCOE
GREGDREVENSTEDT
BASEMWASEF
PAULCARRUTHERS
11
CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE REVIEW AND VIDEO
FROM MOTORCYCLE-USA.COM
JASONPRIDMORE
JASONBRITTON
ROLANDSANDS
If it’s true that history repeats itself, then it
Introduced at the same venue as the Qualifier— the Spring
stands to reason Dunlop’s new Sportmax
Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, NV—the Q2 has
Q2 tire will be the new benchmark in street
already garnered rave reviews by the enthusiast media in
tire performance. Three years ago when
attendance, including Cycle World magazine, Cycle News,
Dunlop introduced the Qualifier, the tire
MotoUSA magazine, Motorcyclist magazine, Rider
instantly became a media and market
magazine, Road Racer X, Roadracing World, Sport Rider,
darling, earning the only Motorcyclist
Superbikeplanet.com, Ultimate Motorcycling magazine and
magazine MOTY award ever bestowed on
2Wheel Tuner. Also attending the launch were special
a tire, and rocketing to the top of the sales
guests, including racers Jason Pridmore and Miguel
charts where it has remained the best-
Duhamel, extreme rider Jason Britton, and custom bike
selling sport tire in the U.S. since it hit the
builders Roland Sands and Jessie Rooke, who both brought
streets. Now comes the Q2, which does
cool new creations to the launch (see photo gallery).
everything better than the Qualifier it
replaces and sets new standards for grip,
Riders spent the day on a mix of 600cc and 1000cc
stability, steering feel and longevity.
sportbikes burning up the track to generate their impressions
of Dunlop’s new Q2. The media specifically were impressed
with the tire’s ability to warm up quickly, its high level of grip
and increased lean angle capability, and how easily it allows
directional changes in corners. The video that accompanies
this story has more impressions from some of the media who
attended the launch.
CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY
FROM THE Q2 LAUNCH
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13
MT TECHNOLOGY
contact patch when cornering. As a result, the Sportmax
TESTING
faster due to the combination of the new IRP, tread
The launch of the Q2 brings Dunlop MT Multi-Tread
Q2 achieves significantly greater lean angles and higher
Testing at Dunlop’s Huntsville Proving Grounds in
pattern, construction and MT technology. That, in turn,
technology to the entire Sportmax family: From the
cornering speeds than the previous Qualifier—the best-
Alabama and many other tracks across the U.S.
allowed higher entry and exit speeds that resulted in
sport/touring Roadsmart to the GP-A—official tire of
selling sportbike tire in the U.S. for the past three years.
confirmed the work of the design team and allowed
higher straightaway speeds and faster laps.
technology provides a tough, long-wearing compound in
TREAD PATTERN
for production. When the final design prototype was
the center of the tread to provide enhanced straight-line
Compared with the Qualifier, the Q2 has a higher “land-
evaluated, it revealed some astonishing
translates to improved overall handling and a greater
stability and long tread life, plus lateral-grip compounds
to-sea” ratio to put as much rubber on the ground as
improvements. Compared with the Qualifier, the Q2
margin of comfort when working the backroads, not to
on the left and right sides of the tire face to enhance
possible. To maintain wet grip, a special polybutadiene is
was quantifiably better in overall traction, drive grip,
mention exhilarating performance at track days when
traction at moderate-to-maximum lean angles.
incorporated into both the long-wearing and lateral-grip
responsiveness, and cornering stability.
the full potential of the Sportmax Q2 can be realized.
PROFILE DESIGN
grooved “void” area in the shoulders to maximize
AMA Pro Racing—and now the Q2. Dunlop’s MT
the engineers to fine-tune aspects of the Sportmax Q2
compounds. The pattern design has a lower percent of
For today’s sportbike riders, this kind of performance
If there was ever one supersport tire that could do it
In side-by-side comparison tests against the Qualifier
all, it’s the Dunlop Sportmax Q2.
A newly developed shoulder profile is the single greatest
cornering performance, and the areas that are grooved
on a stock Suzuki GSXR-1000, the Sportmax Q2
contributor to the advanced design of the Sportmax Q2.
are shorter to increase stiffness and minimize wear to the
completed the 1.65-mile course 2.81 seconds faster
This Intuitive Response Profile (IRP) provides
softer lateral-grip compounds. In addition, the grooved
(1.09:82 vs. 1.12:63). Data analysis shows that the
The Sportmax Q2 will be available in the U.S. in the
phenomenal steering and handling characteristics. When
elements are spaced at varying intervals around the tire
new Sportmax Q2 was also able to achieve greater
summer of 2009 and will be offered in these sizes:
compared side by side with the previous-generation
to reduce frequency-generated noise and vibration.
AVAILABILITY
lean angles (52.3 vs. 45.2 degrees) and higher lateral
Front: 120/60ZR17, 120/70ZR17
Qualifier, the Q2 displays a taller profile along with sides
acceleration (1.3g vs. 1.0g) than the Qualifier. In other
Rear: 160/60ZR17, 170/60ZR17, 180/55ZR17,
that taper in more aggressively. Cross-sectional analysis
words, the Sportmax Q2 went through the turns much
190/50ZR17, 190/55ZR17, 200/50ZR17
reveals the intent of this design: creation of a larger
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Q2 PRESS KIT
14
15
IVANTEDESCO
TEDESCO
AND FIOLEK
THUNDER TO VICTORY
16
17
TOMMYSEARLE
ASHLEYFIOLEK
As the 2009 AMA Motocross Championship nears the halfway point, the
complexion of the series has changed dramatically. In both the 250 and
450 classes, injuries have played a major role in the standings as top
riders have come and gone in the hunt for titles. That has made for
unpredictable results and very exciting championships.
The only constant so far this year has been in the WMX championship in
the form of little Ashley Fiolek, who continued her undefeated streak of
overall finishes this year by winning all motos at the High Point national
and then again at the Thunder Valley MX track in Colorado. Fiolek’s
dominating speed this year has enabled her to amass a whopping
49-point lead in the WMX championship.
In the 250 class, KTM star Tommy Searle mounted the podium in third
on the day with 4-3 finishes, while Honda rookie Justin Barcia placed
highest at Thunder Valley, faltering in the first moto for a ninth-place
finish but bouncing back to capture second in moto two, good for
sixth overall. His young Geico Powersports Honda Racing teammate
Blake Wharton finished eighth to hang on to fifth place in the
championship standings.
Honda Red Bull Racing’s Andrew Short and Ivan Tedesco finished
second and third, respectively, at High Point behind Australian Chad
Reed in the 450 class, but then moved up a notch at Thunder Valley.
There under the lights—only the second time in history an MX national
has been run at night—Tedesco put in the ride of his career, grabbing
both holeshots and leading every lap of both motos to take both wins
and his first overall victory in the 450 class. Short made it a 1-2 sweep
for Honda Red Bull Racing and Dunlop with second overall, finishing
2/2 behind Tedesco. Short now sits a mere 14 points out of the
championship lead, with Tedesco in third.
CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR MOTOCROSS PHOTO GALLERY
18
19
ANDREWSHORT
TOMMYHAHN
BRETTMETCALFE
20
21
BIKES
OF MX
MOTORCYCLE
CRAFTSMANSHIP
AT ITS FINEST
Motocross racing is an uncompromising sport where only the
most hard-wearing race machines survive the competition.
Enduring the world’s most challenging motocross tracks in
the heat of battle means seeking out winning combinations
between riders, teams and machines. History shows that
only the finest 250cc and 450cc bikes, prepared by the finest
race technicians, win titles.
Wandering through the pit area at any Motocross National
event, you’ll see there is a spectacular array of motorcycles,
colors, graphics, parts, tires—you name it, mechanics fit it.
From clean, sleek designs to gritty, tenacious styling, it’s
these ever-changing looks combined with great racing that
lure fans trackside year after year.
Motorcycle manufacturers Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki,
Suzuki and KTM spend countless hours meticulously building and developing racebikes to compete in the world’s
toughest Motocross series: the AMA Motocross Championship. Racers and teams search for that winning edge over
the competition—that certain something that sets them apart
from the rest. Yet, though they are rivals, many of the top
teams are united when it comes to choosing tires; top teams
choose to race on Dunlop tires.
CHECK OUT SOME OF THE FINEST
DUNLOP-EQUIPPED MOTOCROSS
MACHINES IN THE WORLD
22
23
BENBOSTROM
THE PICTURES ARE
GETTING CLEARER
24
MATMLADIN
25
AMERICAN SUPERBIKE
With last year’s champion Ben Spies off to World Superbike, Rockstar
Makita Suzuki’s Mat Mladin has climbed back to his favored front-runner
position in American Superbike. The 37-year-old has managed 10 wins in
12 races aboard his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, giving him a virtually
insurmountable 355 points after the single-race contest at the Red Bull
U.S. Grand Prix. Mladin’s Rockstar Makita teammate Tommy Hayden
joined him on the podium for the first four opening races but has fallen off
the pace in the latter half of the season, with only two podium finishes in
the last eight starts for a total of 228 points. Despite finishing no better
than third at any American Superbike race, Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben
Bostrom holds on for third place, with 203 points courtesy of a string of
single-digit finishes in the two-race, Saturday/Sunday A/S events.
MARTINCARDENAS
DAYTONA SPORTBIKE
After finishing ninth under the lights at the Daytona opener, Team M4
Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas strung together an impressive six wins over the
next 11 races to put himself in first place (255 points) in the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike competition. Keeping Cardenas on form, England’s Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki rider Jamie Hacking (216 points) remains in
striking range with a string of single-digit finishes, including seconds at
California’s Auto Club Speedway, Alabama’s Barber Motorsports Park and
California’s Infineon Raceway. Hurt by a disappointing DNF at the Daytona
opener, Danny Eslick has still managed to move his Bruce Rossmeyer’s
Daytona Racing/Richie Morris Racing Buell 1125R into third place in the
standings (212 points), with outright wins at Auto Club Speedway and
Road Atlanta in Georgia.
PRO SUPERSPORT EAST/WEST
With 81 points, Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki’s Leandro Mercado has a
firm grip on first despite missing the season opener, with two wins and a
fourth in the other three AMA Pro SuperSport East races. Behind Mercado,
a virtual three-way tie sees Roadracingworld.com Suzuki’s Russ Wikle and
Yamaha rider Joshua Day both with 63 points, followed by LTD Racing’s
Joey Pascarella a scant 1 point behind, also on a Yamaha. Two early race
winners, Garrett Carter and Tyler Odom, have stumbled badly after their
early-season wins.
RICKYPARKER
In the West, Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Ricky Parker has racked up a
season-leading 88 points after Laguna, despite missing the first two races.
Early leader Tyler Odom, racing both East and West Series for Erion Racing Honda, has fallen to second place, handicapped by a series of midpack finishes after a win and a fourth place in the opening rounds. Holding
down third place with 71 points is American Honda’s Clint Shobert, with
Clawson Motorsports’ Bryce Prince behind by a single point.
LEANDROMERCADO
26
CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR ROADRACE PHOTO GALLERY
27
We took a track walk with six-time AMA Motocross
Champion and Dunlop’s Motorcycle Off-Road & Supermoto
Senior Manager Broc Glover to gain insight into how
What’s your role at a track walk and how does the track design
come into play?
We walk the track to survey the surface conditions and have a look
at the track’s composition. We look at the starting area to see how
well groomed it is; at what the weather’s doing, will it be wet or dry;
and at the dirt to see if it is firm or soft or if there are many stones
Dunlop track personnel work with teams to equip racers
or much loose gravel. We basically look at elements that impact tire
choice and draw from the teams’ and our experience to select the
with the best tools to get the job done come race day.
best tires for that race.
How many tires does Dunlop transport to a race?
We come prepared for all conditions. We have to be prepared for all
the challenges that come with the terrain of racing on outdoor
tracks and inside sporting arenas. There’s a lot to take into consideration—the ever-changing weather conditions, the time of year, the
state we are competing in, the number of riders we have that weekend—so we stock a full inventory of Dunlop tires on the truck. We
usually like to come prepared with somewhere between 600 to 700
tires per race.
What tires do you supply to teams at the track?
In the premium Motocross category, the new Geomax MX51 and
MX31 are raced. Before the release of the new Geomax tires, Dunlop’s D756, D773 and D745 were fitted, and they’re popular with
some racers; Davi Millsaps used the D745 front tire a lot, winning
Supercross main events with it last year. Dunlop teams can run
whatever tires they like—it’s purely personal preference and choice.
It’s amazing to see the difference in riders’ wants and needs. Some
riders prefer a tire that has a lot of bite and traction so they can turn
TRACK WALK WITH
28
BROC
GLOVER
the bike hard. Others like a tire that doesn’t have as much bite, instead wanting a more neutral tire that doesn’t turn quite as quickly.
The majority of professional teams are racing the new Geomax tire
this year, but there will be some races where a rider wants a more
familiar tire—same setup as a previous year—because it worked for
them previously on that track. But ultimately it comes down to the
stopwatch. If you’re a second and a half quicker on the new tire,
even if you don’t like it as much, you can’t argue.
How often do tires have to be changed?
Each rider, in general, tends to run a couple of rear tires per weekend and the same front all weekend, unless they change actual tire
types. I think a lot of it is precautionary and psychological. If the
rider knows he has a brand-new tire on his bike it can give added
confidence. For us, it’s whatever it takes for our riders to have that
extra edge. At this level of the sport, it’s all a part of the game.
29
Elk Song Ranch is a very special wild place in the Oregon Mountains, a 7000-acre
working cattle ranch that’s home to 1000 elk and countless other wild things. Its
terrain varies from steep rocks and dense timber to liquid mountain meadows and
fragile streams. ATVs provide most of our working transport.
NOT ALL
THE SAME
30
31
For most of a decade I got by, laboring under the
In a more normal ATV setting the tires hold steep, muddy
illusion that factory tires were as good as it gets;
sidehills, cling to slippery moss-covered rocks and climb
that no overall advantage could be had with
over wet logs. They will also hold traction on soft or muddy
aftermarket tires. Then I discovered the Dunlop
logging roads while pulling the heavy fencing trailer around
Quadmax. The first real test came in an
the 30 miles of barbed wire that require repair each spring.
unprecedented winter where the snowdrifts
The Quadmax tread pattern—non-concentric with relatively
created small mountains plus steep cliffs. The
large “vees” extending over the sidewall—and the cuts
only way to get mail and lettuce was with
within the lugs are extremely aggressive in terms of traction,
snowshoes and backpack—until one day I tried
yet quite gentle in footprint. While other tires with tractor-
the giant, hardened drifts with the quad. The
style tread might serve well in the mud, they do tear and
track was impossible, right down the ridgeline,
damage fragile flower-filled meadows. Yet Quadmax tires
with powder sucking on the left and boulders
float invisibly over the wild world. Even though the wider
waiting with open arms on the right. Speed was
profile is as gentle as a smoother tire’s, their aggressive bite
not an option, as the machine gently clawed its
makes them resist spinning where the traction is poor. Said
way onto the ridge and held its position with the
another way, some tires can be too specialized, while many
left tires on the summit and the right on the steep
others are certainly too sedate. Climb a steep mountain,
slope. I was amazed when I reached the top,
hold a bad sidehill and, perhaps most important of all, leave
shocked when a few days later I tried the trip with
no tracks in the wild world—Quadmax gets the job done.
an identical machine fitted with factory rubber—it
Tires are indeed not all created equally. As Goldilocks put it,
took a long time to get that one out of the hole.
“This one is just right.”
Ross Seyfried is a full-time mountain rancher, professional
hunting guide and outdoor writer who specializes
in game- and natural-resource management.
32
33
UPCOMING EVENTS
ATV-MX National
July 18-19
Pleasure Valley
Armagh, PA
AMA Flat Track Series
July 25
Hagerstown Speedway
Hagerstown, MD
AMA Supermoto
August 1
Summer X Games
Los Angeles, CA
AMA Road Racing
July 17-19
Honda Supercycle Weekend
Mid-Ohio
Lexington, OH
EnduroCross #1
July 25
Orleans Arena
Las Vegas, NV
WORCS Bikes #7
August 1-2
Straddleline ORV Park
Elma, WA
QuadCross Series #5
July 26
Racetown 395
Adelanto, CA
ATV-MX National
August 1-2
Red Bud
Buchanan, MI
Amateur National
July 27 - August 1
Ponca City Grand Nationals
Ponca City, OK
Amateur National
August 4-8
Loretta Lynn Ranch
Hurricane Mills, Tennessee
AMA Road Racing
July 31-August 2
Heartland Park
Heartland Park, Topeka
WORCS Bikes #8
August 7-9
Straddleline ORV Park
Elma, WA
AMA Flat Track Series
August 4
Black Hills Speedway
Rapid City, SD
QuadCross Series #6
August 9
Glen Helen Raceway
San Bernardino, CA
AMA Motocross
July 18
Spring Creek Motocross
Millville, MN
AMA Motocross
July 25
Washougal MX Park
Washougal, WA
WMA Motocross
July 25
Washougal MX Park
Washougal, WA
©2009 Dunlop Tires • P. O. Box 1109, Buffalo, New York 14240-1109 • 1-800-845-8378 • dunlopmotorcycle.com