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Dunlop RoadSmart 3

joliver

Member
Member
I got a set of RoadSmart 3 tires installed a week ago. Only have about 600 km on them and really like them. No idea about handling in the rain as that has not been an issue. On dry roads they certainly instill confidence. When they bite the dust, I will report how many km I got on them.
 
joliver said:
I got a set of RoadSmart 3 tires installed a week ago. Only have about 600 km on them and really like them. No idea about handling in the rain as that has not been an issue. On dry roads they certainly instill confidence. When they bite the dust, I will report how many km I got on them.

I am putting one on the front of my bike today. The read tire, a PR4 is still good, so I am waiting on that one. I have heard the front RoadSmart 3 doesn't cup as much as the PR4. We will see. I got decent mileage out of the PR4, right at 10,000 miles, so I am okay with that though.
 
I have about 11,000 miles on my Dunlop RSIII tires now.  I'm riding a F800GT though.  Not as much weight as a C10 or C14, but plenty of opportunity to scrub off tread on fast starts.

The front isn't cupping at all.  The rear is showing signs of flattening out.  I have about 2000 miles of wear on them left I think.

Chris
 
I hope they are good. I’m almost done with a set of T30s. Then a set of T31, and just picked up a set of RS3s for the shelf. $180 after tax and rebate.
 
I put a set of Road Smart 3's on prior to our Bun Cooler. We had both wet and dry pavement. The grip was good on both. First set of tires that told me to go faster through the corners. Prior to the Road Smart 3's I was a PR 2, 3 and 4GT guy. So far I am a RS 3 guy. Might change my mind half way through the tread life but for now these are good tires for the price.

At times the wet was pretty hard rain. Not a Fla down pour but enough to leave puddles in the road and get your "water proof" gloves good and wet. 

To tell the truth, first time in a long time I really enjoyed the C14. No complaints being loaded, two bags and a top case. Tim
 
TimR said:
I put a set of Road Smart 3's on prior to our Bun Cooler. We had both wet and dry pavement. The grip was good on both. First set of tires that told me to go faster through the corners. Prior to the Road Smart 3's I was a PR 2, 3 and 4GT guy. So far I am a RS 3 guy. Might change my mind half way through the tread life but for now these are good tires for the price.


To tell the truth, first time in a long time I really enjoyed the C14. No complaints being loaded, two bags and a top case. Tim

Hiya!

FWIW, I wore out an RS3 on the rear of my Versys. The tire was solid all the way to the wear bars. The last 1000-1500 miles were  tearing up Arkansas twisties. It was also the longest lasting tire to date, at 6400. Comparisons, two Angel GT's at 6000 mi, 3 or 4 BS 023 at 4-4500 mi, several Shinko 705's at about 3500.

I did mount up a BS T31 in AR, we'll see how that works. After about 1,200 miles, no complaints. About 250 mi of that was running quite briskly in the twisties, behind Just Cliff.

The front RS3 has about 4k miles on it and no signs of cupping, etc., including highway droning and twisties, about 70/30 highway/twisties.

Have fun out there and see you again sometime.



 
Hey Mr. Steve, Longest wearing tire for me was a Michelin PR2. I loved the long life but they did not build confidence. They might have been great for others and they were better than the OEM's. These Road Smart 3's are a confidence building tire. My other bike wasn't known for turning corners but it sure went well in a straight line. Road Smart 3 seems to be a great value. Tim
 
I got the front one on a few days ago. So far I really like the way it feels, and I am looking forward to wearing out the rear PR4 so I can get the RS 3 on the back as well. Time will tell, but so far I like it.
 
I did mine the other way. Rear first then the front. When I headed off the Bun Cooler the front had not even been on the road. Of course it raining so I wasn't pushing real hard. When we did hit dry, it was hey, I like these.
 
Update: I'm at 4700 miles on the tire now and it's at least 1/2 there still. I can say the tire has loads of grip compared to my old PR4GT and really sticks well in corners. I rode with a friend this past weekend in the Ozarks and easily turned all the way to the edge of the tires... used it all. They really turn in well and grip great. I rode them last trip though POURING rain without a squirm. My buddy did squirm a few times on his PR4GT at the same speed, same age tire.

The main difference I see (other than tread pattern) is the PR4 is more of a U shape than the slightly more V shaped Dunlop.

I did find that in the mornings, you do need to let them heat up. I can get them to slip punching if off the line when they're cold. My friend changed his PR4GT and has done all the same large trips with me since, so we'll see how they stack up in age. So far it's a draw at least.

So far the wear is about the same but the Dunlop has better wet and dry grip for sure. I'm not going easy on these by any means, and they're taking all I can throw at them!
 
I've got a set of RS3s on my C14. Not a lot of miles yet, but I do like them. And here is a reason I'll buy them again. While on a twisty road last week, I transitioned from bright sunlight to shade while going around a curve. I did not see what was on the road, it must have been gravel or sand, but I lost the front end for a moment. It felt like the front slid about six inches, quite quickly, then it gained traction without any drama, no shudders, jolts, or any odd movement of the bike. I was sure I was going down, but then I was just motoring along as if nothing had happened. I've had little skips caused by hitting a really small patch of gravel or some debris, but this was a major slip. This Road Smart 3 saved my ass. Major adrenaline rush, by the way.
 
That's my big concern when riding twisty roads.  Major adrenaline rush?  YES SIR! :-\
 
The only "negative" I find so far compared to the PR4, is the fact the RS3 took more weight to balance than the Michelin. It did zero out and balance though.
 
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