Skins Game
SKINS GAME
When rubber meets racetrack
Tires can make or break a sportbike’s handling. Testing 13 different bikes on their original-fitment rubber would likely deliver results reflecting the stock tire’s grip rather than revealing each bike’s relative performance. Equipping all machines at Master Bike with the same tire eliminates this variable. Furthermore, each bike had its tires changed after every third rider rotation in order to minimize the loss of grip that naturally comes with wear. At these speeds and lean angles, optimum grip is gone after 50 track miles-make that about 25 for the ZX-10R! Another factor to be considered is the effect a different tire can have on a bike’s handling. Particularly so if mounting full race-
spec rubber on an otherwise stock bike. Dunlop’s new Sportmax D208 RR is designed for road riding/track days and was a good choice for use at Master Bike. In a nutshell, the D208 RR (or Race Replica) uses a street-tire case construction with a grippy race-rubber compound. The idea is to deliver the best of both worlds in a tire providing greater stability and damping characteristics, yet offering enhanced grip for the serious sport rider. You can’t always have it all, but the D208 RR proved itself a very viable compromise that worked well on a wide variety of bikes, luck with the ZX-10... -Don Canet
