Dunlop Q3

[Pepsi Drinker]

Is the school running Q3's on their bikes yet?

 

I am just seeing if mileage, traction, profile etc has been noticeably or dramatically different from the Q2.

[Hotfoot]

Yes they have been testing them and Will says they last SIGNIFICANTLY longer than Q2s, and a few of the coaches ran them really hard at Barber and said they had grip comparable to race-oriented tires. I'm not sure about differences in profile but they noted that the front didn't seem as stiff as the race tire, which they noticed only when flogging the tire by braking hard leaned over entering a corner. The handling was very predictable and apparently the grip was fantastic. Everyone so far seems very impressed and it appears that Dunlop has produced a really superior tire.

[Pepsi Drinker]

Thank you, that is what I was looking for.

[RIB333]

How about the size? Any dimensional difference between the Q2 and the Q3?

[tmckeen]

Anyone know if the School has these for sale yet ?

[Pepsi Drinker]

As far as size, it appeared (comparing a brand new mounted set of Q3 vs a 1200 mile set of Q2, both on 5.5" inch rims & 180/55-17 for the rear and 120/70-17 on 3.5" rims for the front) that width wise they were the same

 

section width sidewall height tread width circumference weight tread depth tire

122.7mm 22mm 165mm 1892mm 9.13lbs 4/32 Q2 120/70-17

122.8mm 22.5mm 168mm 1898mm 9.10lbs 4/32 Q3 120/70-17

 

188.5mm 33mm 238mm 2018mm 13.9lbs 6/32 Q2 180/55-17

188.8mm 34mm 243mm 2025mm 13.0lbs 6.5/32 Q3 180/55-17

 

 

Section width--straight across from outside edge of tire to outside edge of tire

sidewall height-- from the lip of the rim ot where the tread surface starts

Tread width-- wrapped around the curvature of the tire from edge to edge

Tread depth--measured to the wear bar

 

These are by no means scientific measurements as the rim design could be slightly different between the two motorcycles (CBR600F-3 and ZX6R), air pressures may have been set differently by a couple psi. Then of course one set was used for about 1200 miles. Then the scale used for weighing them was simply a kitchen scale that only goes up to 15 lbs and the accuracecy of said scale is suspect. I took the average of the weighings-as the scale varied by a couple tenths on subsequent weighings (brand new un-used tires were weighed)

 

You can actually feel the rear Q3 is noticeably lighter than the same size rear Q2 just picking them up, I was suprised the difference didn't weigh out to be more significant (not that nearly a full pound of mass that far from the axle isn't significant)

[Pepsi Drinker]

Sorry the measurements didn't line up like it did when I typed it up...You'll have to use a little connect the dots to see the comparison figures.

[bradvanhorn]

Anyone know if the School has these for sale yet ?

I just was sitting here wondering the same thing.

[ozzyp]

I called earlier in the week and was told they did. Killer price too!

[Pepsi Drinker]

Don't forget Dunlop is offering $40 rebate on a set of Q3's purchased until August 31st.

 

That brings the price down significantly!

[Cobie Fair]

We do have them, and I was impressed. One thing I liked it is turns better than the Q2. Mileage seems pretty amazing...no hard figures yet, we only had it on a few coach bikes, but we were impressed.

 

More as we get some more info/use from them.

[Pepsi Drinker]

Well I burned through a rear finally, 4,231 miles in 26 days and the front is still useable for maybe another 1200-1500 miles. Although I think I should have been running another pound or two in it as it is slightly cupped. More annoying is that I can see some slight checking in the tread, saw the same thing on the Q2's after they got past 1/2 worn out.

 

I ran into the same cupping issue with the Q2 when I ran it at 33 psi in the front, 34 psi and no cupping (on the Q2)

 

So mileage was on par with the Q2, certainly no better. I got 4,520 out of the last set of Q2's I ran, riding basically the same on the same roads and the same time of year. Of course road conditions change, weather changes, speed changes etc...so too many variables to say scientifically one lasts longer than the other, but the difference in wear isn't much.

 

Now that I have ridden on a set for thousands of miles and on the track I can answer some of my own questions;

Tip in is great, way easier than the Q2 or PP etc...felt great on the road and the track. Profile is definately steeper.

Very stable when leaned over and they almost beckon you to lean more...the grip seems to increase the further you lean. I have never dragged my pegs on the street before and I found myself going through numerous turns on familar roads about 10 mph faster than usual and the pegs touching occassionally and still getting nowhere near the edge of the front tire and barely to the edge of the rear. Going over the typical gravel piles, tar snakes, lone rocks and branches and those are only noticeable. Whereas the Q2 , PP, Power Pure, S20, BT003, M5, Conit Sport Attack all let you know and protest-some more than others.

After a couple rides like that I slid the forks back up the 10mm that they were lowered and raised the rear ride height 12 mm more- no more touching hard parts after that. However nearly tippy toes now though too, so stop signs/lights are more challenging especially when it is windy.

Took em to the track and ran 7 full 30 minute sessions without them fading, running 30f and 32r. They heated up to 34f and 36r.

The Q2's after about 15 minutes would start to fall off and by 20 minutes were starting to slide, by 30 minutes they slid regularly but predictably, and I had worked pressures up to 32f and 35r looking for a cure on the Q2. The cure seemed to be to run slower, 1:17+ and they were great for the entire 30 minute sessions.

I was running 1:10'1:12's on the tiny 1.1 mile *all* right turns local track- the "fast" group is typically 1:12-1:17 for most in the group. So 163 of those miles were at the track in 84*~76* weather at a very brisk pace.

The S20 and BT003RS both worked better for me on the track than the Q2, but I think the Q3 is even better than either of those.

 

I'll definately run these again and would give them the nod to others to run as well.

[bradvanhorn]

Good write up on your experience with the new Q3 - thanks. I don't ride my Speed Triple much these days but I'm going to try Q3's next time I need tires.

[Pepsi Drinker]

Feedback from a few street people who have now worn through a set.

A devoted Michelin PP2CT user tried out a set he had installed in early Aug. The price deal after the rebate made them nearly $60 cheaper than his PP2CT's-so he figured he would give them a try after much prodding.

Anyways he has a ZX6r and ran just over 3950 on the rear and was just flush to the wear bars. He said he actually thought the tires felt better than his Michelins he so loved and the mileage was nearly identical. He thought they were more stable at further lean angles but he also didn't reach the edge of the rear tire but was close and was more than a thumbs width from the edge of the front tire.

Another Michelin devotee saw the money savings and with some prodding decided to give them a go. R-6, he likes to run triple digits and doesn't corner much or very well, so he was nearly a full thumbs width away from the edge on the rear and way off the edge in the front. He is over 3500 miles and and has 2/32" tread depth left in the rear. He is more about the mileage since he likely isn't going fast enough in any corner to tell a grip difference , thus far he at the mileage he would manage out the Michelins he has been running. The front tire has a "squared" lip where he has only worn it so far, so that was a bit unnerving when I went out on his bike for my 6 miles loop. Definately takes more to lean past that edge then the sudden fall over. He , I feel, should be riding sport touring tires for the way he rides but he is stuck on the image thing and feels he needs "race tires" to go on a "race bike" even though it is a sport tire on a sport bike ridden exclusively on the street mostly in a straight line.

Yet another Michelin devotee was persuaded (far more easily) to run these and he too has been impressed and stated, "these will be my next tire purchase, I love them". he rides an R6S. He has attended a couple trackdays at the local mini track and isn't all that fast- maybe 1:18-1:20 lap times, but he really brakes hard and late (to or past the apex often) then hammers the throttle on exit. So he is abusive on tires. At any rate he got just under 3600 miles on the rear and the right side was past the wear bars as was the center, so definately completely used up. The small track is predominately right turns and he also drags the brakes deeper on right turns than he does on lefts, both street and track, so his front tire takes alot of abuse on the right. He bought 3 more sets just before the Dunlop rebate deal ended, so I would say he really liked these tires.

 

At any rate, there is some feedback from people who were definately biased against them that is pretty positive.

[ktk_ace]

Feedback from a few street people who have now worn through a set.

A devoted Michelin PP2CT user tried out a set he had installed in early Aug. The price deal after the rebate made them nearly $60 cheaper than his PP2CT's-so he figured he would give them a try after much prodding.

Anyways he has a ZX6r and ran just over 3950 on the rear and was just flush to the wear bars. He said he actually thought the tires felt better than his Michelins he so loved and the mileage was nearly identical. He thought they were more stable at further lean angles but he also didn't reach the edge of the rear tire but was close and was more than a thumbs width from the edge of the front tire.

Another Michelin devotee saw the money savings and with some prodding decided to give them a go. R-6, he likes to run triple digits and doesn't corner much or very well, so he was nearly a full thumbs width away from the edge on the rear and way off the edge in the front. He is over 3500 miles and and has 2/32" tread depth left in the rear. He is more about the mileage since he likely isn't going fast enough in any corner to tell a grip difference , thus far he at the mileage he would manage out the Michelins he has been running. The front tire has a "squared" lip where he has only worn it so far, so that was a bit unnerving when I went out on his bike for my 6 miles loop. Definately takes more to lean past that edge then the sudden fall over. He , I feel, should be riding sport touring tires for the way he rides but he is stuck on the image thing and feels he needs "race tires" to go on a "race bike" even though it is a sport tire on a sport bike ridden exclusively on the street mostly in a straight line.

Yet another Michelin devotee was persuaded (far more easily) to run these and he too has been impressed and stated, "these will be my next tire purchase, I love them". he rides an R6S. He has attended a couple trackdays at the local mini track and isn't all that fast- maybe 1:18-1:20 lap times, but he really brakes hard and late (to or past the apex often) then hammers the throttle on exit. So he is abusive on tires. At any rate he got just under 3600 miles on the rear and the right side was past the wear bars as was the center, so definately completely used up. The small track is predominately right turns and he also drags the brakes deeper on right turns than he does on lefts, both street and track, so his front tire takes alot of abuse on the right. He bought 3 more sets just before the Dunlop rebate deal ended, so I would say he really liked these tires.

 

At any rate, there is some feedback from people who were definately biased against them that is pretty positive.

3 sets, wowee , looks like hes stocking up for the tire apocalypse LOL ...(j/k)

 

Nice writeup about the Q3's , looks like alot of people are impressed

[Pepsi Drinker]

Well someone who eats up 4-5 sets of tires each year, I don't imagine 3 sets is much risk or investment. Especially if he was saving $40 per set

[Pepsi Drinker]

Just to further update the experience, plus some more good news from Dunlop

 

Dunlop announced they are doing the $40 rebate program again from June 1 through July 30, so keep that in mind for some future purchases.

 

But took a brand new set of Q3's down to MAM 3 weeks ago for 2 consecutive days of track. Riding A group logged 435 miles and the rear tire was pretty well all used up, it could have been run longer but you could barely even see any of the minimal tread on the outside 30-35% on either side of the tire.

the nice thing was performance didn't fall off, sure the tire looked suspect and one would have it in their mind traction would be down, but lap times didn't fall off and there was no more slips/slides or wheel spin exiting corners than at any other time of the weekend, which was very very minimal.Tire pressures were set at 32/32 as per Dunlop tech line when cold and I didn't bother to ever look at them again

 

Just to put it into some perspective, S20, BT003RS, Racetechs, Race attacks and Power pures all lasted less miles than this riding the same.

Off to Road America in 2 weeks where I do expect tire longevity will be better, longer straights and not as abrasive

[YellowDuck]

We ran Q3s on the GSXR600 endurance bike at our first practice session last week. I wasn't sure about pressures so just used what I ended up with on the Q2s last year (30 front / 28 rear cold I think but I am going from memory). Like a lot of tires they were a bit slippery for a lap or two but once scrubbed in they were wonderful. Air temperature was 15 to 18 C so definitely not hot. I had Bridgestone V01-Rs (soft / soft, 26 / 26 cold) on the other bike and honestly at my pace I couldn't tell the difference - both tires could do whatever I asked of them. We are talking mid-pack novice race pace here so no doubt the faster guys would be pickier, but I can't imagine *anyone* finding these tires lacking on the street.

 

Glad to hear that the wear is also excellent because we are on a tight budget with the endurance bike.

[Palephase]

Anybody running Q3s on a VFR800 (5th or 6th Gen)? I have 3 year-old Road Attacks on a VFR, and need to replace them since they are now hard and sketchy even with 32 psi in the front and 34 in the rear: I am not demanding much from the tires but they still seem inclined to slip a little even at the modest lean angles I am achieving and despite my having scrubbed the rear in from one edge to the other and having gotten all but about a 1/4" width scrubbed on the front. I spend most of my riding in a commute, so I am not racking up huge miles annually, so the RAs have plenty of tread left but the aging of the compound has made it a priority for me to replace them.

 

Other VFR riders seem to mostly gravitate for the Michelin Pilot Road 2s or 3s, but wondered if anybody thinks the Q3s might be better for street use where long-wearing characteristics and low slab time is involved?

 

Thanks in advance for your comments.

[tmckeen]

While neither of my daily commuter bikes have been VFR800's ( Gen 1 FZ-1, FJR1300A ) I have been using my trackday takeoff Q2's and now Q3's for quite some time with considerable success, I always managed very good mileage on the Q2's for commuting, but have not managed to wear through any sets of Q3's. At most I've used up 1 rear Q3 so far and am unsure of the actual mileage I achieved with it. I can however attest to the incredible wear life of the Q3 front tire. The Q3 front I just put on my FJR to replace the crappy OEM tire has already seen 8 track days at Streets of WIllow and 1 Race day at Chuckwalla, I probably could have squeezed 2 more days at Streets out of it by flipping the tire but I needed it for street duty. The handling and front end feel is a MASSIVE improvement over the stock tire. I plan on tracking my commuting mileage over a few tires and can report my findings.

 

 

Give them a shot, the schools pricing on them is VERY good, the cost savings could very well more than make up for any shortfall in mileage over the Pilot Road, and its always nice to have sticky tires when you unexpectedly need them

 

Tyler

[Palephase]

While neither of my daily commuter bikes have been VFR800's ( Gen 1 FZ-1, FJR1300A ) I have been using my trackday takeoff Q2's and now Q3's for quite some time with considerable success, I always managed very good mileage on the Q2's for commuting, but have not managed to wear through any sets of Q3's. At most I've used up 1 rear Q3 so far and am unsure of the actual mileage I achieved with it. I can however attest to the incredible wear life of the Q3 front tire. The Q3 front I just put on my FJR to replace the crappy OEM tire has already seen 8 track days at Streets of WIllow and 1 Race day at Chuckwalla, I probably could have squeezed 2 more days at Streets out of it by flipping the tire but I needed it for street duty. The handling and front end feel is a MASSIVE improvement over the stock tire. I plan on tracking my commuting mileage over a few tires and can report my findings.

 

 

Give them a shot, the schools pricing on them is VERY good, the cost savings could very well more than make up for any shortfall in mileage over the Pilot Road, and its always nice to have sticky tires when you unexpectedly need them

 

Tyler

 

While neither of my daily commuter bikes have been VFR800's ( Gen 1 FZ-1, FJR1300A ) I have been using my trackday takeoff Q2's and now Q3's for quite some time with considerable success, I always managed very good mileage on the Q2's for commuting, but have not managed to wear through any sets of Q3's. At most I've used up 1 rear Q3 so far and am unsure of the actual mileage I achieved with it. I can however attest to the incredible wear life of the Q3 front tire. The Q3 front I just put on my FJR to replace the crappy OEM tire has already seen 8 track days at Streets of WIllow and 1 Race day at Chuckwalla, I probably could have squeezed 2 more days at Streets out of it by flipping the tire but I needed it for street duty. The handling and front end feel is a MASSIVE improvement over the stock tire. I plan on tracking my commuting mileage over a few tires and can report my findings.

 

 

Give them a shot, the schools pricing on them is VERY good, the cost savings could very well more than make up for any shortfall in mileage over the Pilot Road, and its always nice to have sticky tires when you unexpectedly need them

 

Tyler

 

 

Thanks for the useful comments on the Q3, Tyler. I think I'm going to give the home office a call for pricing on the VFR. Even if the Q3s would not wear as well. with my current;y avallable riding time, tire aging is more a factor than tire wear, so I will gladly trade off a couple of thousand theoretical miles of wear for improved confidence in braking and emergency maneuvers.

[Palephase]

I wound up buying the Q3s from my local independent shop. Of course, I paid more for them that way, but for that matter I could beat the school's price significantly at either of a couple of large on-line retailers. However, since it is in my interests to have at least one competent local shop in my area (and, sadly, that sure isn't the local Honda dealership in my experience), I'm willing to pay a reasonable premium to do business locally.

 

I have not really exercised the tires much, but first impressions are a huge improvement over the Road Attacks for ride quality. Even when the RAs were new, they were nowhere near as comfortable; in fact the carcass they used was so stiff, they could probably have been advertised truthfully as run-flat tires. They were also slower to turn in that the Q3s are; it takes the most moderare of bar pressure to flick the bike over now. Grip is much improved, though I have not yet had any chance to put them to the test; my usual riding route seems to be about 50% white paint in any interesting corners at intersections, but so far they seem to inspire more confidence than the RAs ever did. Wet traction is unknown, but I suspect I be able to comment on that before the week is out.