Dunlop USA N-TEC Slicks ... Thinking about switching from Pirelli
- Thread starter gcally
- Start date
I have ran them. Med + always seemed to have the widest temp range and wore great. But you have to get the heat in them they are not as forgiving as the Pirelli.
I have run my fastest times on Dunlop N-Tec rears, but they wore out in less than a day. Dunlop is a great tire, but the suspension needs to be set up really well for them to last. Additionally, there is a big difference in the way the two brands tell you what's going on down there. The Pirellis will talk to you with a little slip here and little slip there, letting you know the tire is reaching it's end. From my experience with the few Dunlops I've run, they scream at you when the tire is gone and not before. Pirellis have a soft carcass and move around much more than the harder carcass Dunlops. Be prepared for a real difference in feel of the bike.
Over the last few years, the Dunlop tire pressures have gone down into the teens. I guess this is a way to get a little more feel from the tires, I am not 100% sure. Personally, I run Pirelli and will most likely not make any change to that choice. If you want your tires to last longer, you are going to have to run a smaller bike. It's the tradeoff I'm afraid.
Over the last few years, the Dunlop tire pressures have gone down into the teens. I guess this is a way to get a little more feel from the tires, I am not 100% sure. Personally, I run Pirelli and will most likely not make any change to that choice. If you want your tires to last longer, you are going to have to run a smaller bike. It's the tradeoff I'm afraid.
I use to run the Dunlops on my 750 medium compound and one thing to remember is they require heat to really work for you, I've found if you count the laps as apposed day(s) or sessions it will give you a little more accuracy. First and foremost, I recommend you get your suspension setup for weight and riding style, you want to make sure your bike is setup for traction. Also you can experiment with different compounds...You're on a liter bike now Bro you can forget about "better wear department." 
gcally
Greg Callahan #11
I do love the grip level and feel the Pirelli's have. I think my issues last year was more spring/suspension related (true reason.... I need to loose 50 lbs).
The other big thing I don't want to loose is the fact that there is Pirelli support at the track for N2 Track days.
gcally
Greg Callahan #11
I use to run the Dunlops on my 750 medium compound and one thing to remember is they require heat to really work for you, I've found if you count the laps as apposed day(s) or sessions it will give you a little more accuracy. First and foremost, I recommend you get your suspension setup for weight and riding style, you want to make sure your bike is setup for traction. Also you can experiment with different compounds...You're on a liter bike now Bro you can forget about "better wear department."
What the hell was I thinking buying that new bike!!!!! It is starting to all come together real nice though.
I will miss the first Pitt Race round in April but I am already booked for May and to be brutally honest I am a little bit afraid of how much power this thing has. I am sure it will be all good once I get some laps in.
Attachments
No worries, you'll be fine! just take your time getting acquainted with that beast. Looking good!
borislav
Control Rider
I ran Dunlop's for few years. From UK NTEC's switched to American made when UK ones became unavailable/unaffordable...
Make long story short they are great tires, you MUST work them hard and they will reword you with good grip. Hey they are working pretty good for MA guy's!
Make long story short they are great tires, you MUST work them hard and they will reword you with good grip. Hey they are working pretty good for MA guy's!
physicistkev
Control Rider
I have run the USA N-TECs for several years now. Ran them on my old zx6 and now the 750. I can easily get 6-7 days out of a front and 3 days out of a rear. I do flip the rear. I use one front for every 2-3 rears. I run the 190 rear on my 750 but the 180 rear on the 600.
Good feel and the grip is great. Initial grip is astonishing and when you get the first drop off of grip, it will sit there until the tire is spent. So if you start at 100%, the drop will take you to 90% and you will have 90% until the very end. I have had no reason to look at other tires.
But, tires are like beer, what I like, you might not.
Good feel and the grip is great. Initial grip is astonishing and when you get the first drop off of grip, it will sit there until the tire is spent. So if you start at 100%, the drop will take you to 90% and you will have 90% until the very end. I have had no reason to look at other tires.
But, tires are like beer, what I like, you might not.
Jason DeBoer
New Member
If you do your own mounting, the Dunlop's are a PITA compared to any other tire (very stiff carcass).
Grip/wear is good though.
Grip/wear is good though.
bmart
Control Rider
Precisely what he said. I love my Dunlops, street and track. No other tire I've ever used communicates as well. Somehow, they got it into their DNA. You can decide if that is good or bad. Many riders I talk to like the dead feel of other brands and just change them when they look bad or after a set period of time.
bmart
Control Rider
I'd love to know more about this. I mount my own tires with a manual bead breaker and manual spoons...on the floor. I can remove and mount any Dunlop I've tried, street or track, with very little effort and usually just a few fingers. And I'm not a muscular or big guy by any means.
Jason DeBoer
New Member
I have a No-mar and have changed quite a few tires, so have "decent" technique, and learned primarily on Michelin's and Pirelli's. I switched to Dunlop's last year and found them to be significantly more difficult to work with due to the stiff carcass. The 200's aren't as bad, but a friend uses the 180's and they are a complete and utter BIT## to get on (both slicks and the Q3's). Increased temps help, I try to let them sit out in sun a bit, or have even resorted to using the warmers on low, but even then it's a lot of work. I could swap a set of Michelin's in less than 5-10 min whereas I'm putting in a lot of work now. A friend back in NE is a die-hard Dunlop guy and he broke down and got a pneumatic changer over the No-mar due to the difficulty (so at least I know it's not 100% my technique).
I'm not saying that my technique doesn't need work, maybe the Dunlops are just less forgiving...
That said, once they are on, I found them to be great tires. My front wore like iron and rear wear was equivalent or better than the Michelin EVO's and never left me wanting for grip, and that was a MED+. Trying the straight up MED's this year for the first 2.
I'm not saying that my technique doesn't need work, maybe the Dunlops are just less forgiving...
That said, once they are on, I found them to be great tires. My front wore like iron and rear wear was equivalent or better than the Michelin EVO's and never left me wanting for grip, and that was a MED+. Trying the straight up MED's this year for the first 2.
bmart
Control Rider
Thanks Jason! I'm dying to watch someone do this. Maybe I'm doing something special. I hear the same complaints/comments from folks on their RSII tires, but I haven't had an issue. Looking forward to trying the Q3+ on my 400 soon...once I get some details from Dunlop! I do get teased a lot about my freakishly strong fingers...
+1 on the Dunlops being much harder to mount and dismount. No doubt whatsoever.
I had been running Pirellis and early last year decided to try some GPA Pros. I also have a NoMar. Typically I have zero issues swapping tires.
The hard carcass of the GPA Pro exhibited itself to me in two ways. First, it was just a real PITA to mount. With a Pirelli at room temp, I can often just slap the new tire down and forward on the rim, and get the entire bottom bead into the rim on one swoop. No tools. Then easily get the top bead down into the rim very quickly. And with the Pirelli, I can go ahead and put the valve core in and use a regular air chuck to inflate the tire and set the bead.
With the GPA, I can almost never mount the bottom - or first side - of the tire into the rim in the same way. And even with the NoMar, tools, and leverage, getting the last 20% of that GPA into the rim takes effort. Then, if I put the valve core in before setting the bead, sometimes it just will not set the bead. I have a rubber tipped air chuck that I use to set the bead on those damn GPAs. There is only one tire I've found that was worse - an old BattleAx.
I think if you're looking for front tire wear, I'm not sure there's all that much difference between the Pirelli and the Dunlop. For the rear, discussing longer wear on tires on a new 1000 is like hoping to see a pink unicorn grazing on four leaf clovers. For running A sessions and racing, the Dunlop is a heck of a tire. After the first session, it might wear just a bit better. On an R1 or GSXR1000 that means you might get an extra 5 laps before you destroy that tire. My only reservation on the Dunlop is when you're using that bike to CR on also. I "remembered" last year that it's not smart to CR a Novice session, then just hot pit, yank your shirt off, and go cut some A Group laps. In April at NCBike. The Pirelli warns you that you're being stupid. The Dunlop introduces you to the asphalt.
I had been running Pirellis and early last year decided to try some GPA Pros. I also have a NoMar. Typically I have zero issues swapping tires.
The hard carcass of the GPA Pro exhibited itself to me in two ways. First, it was just a real PITA to mount. With a Pirelli at room temp, I can often just slap the new tire down and forward on the rim, and get the entire bottom bead into the rim on one swoop. No tools. Then easily get the top bead down into the rim very quickly. And with the Pirelli, I can go ahead and put the valve core in and use a regular air chuck to inflate the tire and set the bead.
With the GPA, I can almost never mount the bottom - or first side - of the tire into the rim in the same way. And even with the NoMar, tools, and leverage, getting the last 20% of that GPA into the rim takes effort. Then, if I put the valve core in before setting the bead, sometimes it just will not set the bead. I have a rubber tipped air chuck that I use to set the bead on those damn GPAs. There is only one tire I've found that was worse - an old BattleAx.
I think if you're looking for front tire wear, I'm not sure there's all that much difference between the Pirelli and the Dunlop. For the rear, discussing longer wear on tires on a new 1000 is like hoping to see a pink unicorn grazing on four leaf clovers. For running A sessions and racing, the Dunlop is a heck of a tire. After the first session, it might wear just a bit better. On an R1 or GSXR1000 that means you might get an extra 5 laps before you destroy that tire. My only reservation on the Dunlop is when you're using that bike to CR on also. I "remembered" last year that it's not smart to CR a Novice session, then just hot pit, yank your shirt off, and go cut some A Group laps. In April at NCBike. The Pirelli warns you that you're being stupid. The Dunlop introduces you to the asphalt.
physicistkev
Control Rider
I also use tire spoons, on the floor, along with a home made bead breaker made of 2x4s. Getting the rear tire off of the rim is, BY FAR, the hardest thing to do. Getting it on is not super easy, but getting it off is worse.
But, it takes me 45 minutes to do both tires, using a static balancer, and I get sets of NTEC slicks for just over $300 (190 rear). That’s not bad at all for a tire set that works well for me.
All the available tires are good and will provide more traction than we can generally use. I don’t think you can go wrong. Just pick one and go with it. Set suspension, pressures, and get used to them. After that, I don’t think changing them will have an real effect other than to remove some confidence as you get used to the new feel.
But, it takes me 45 minutes to do both tires, using a static balancer, and I get sets of NTEC slicks for just over $300 (190 rear). That’s not bad at all for a tire set that works well for me.
All the available tires are good and will provide more traction than we can generally use. I don’t think you can go wrong. Just pick one and go with it. Set suspension, pressures, and get used to them. After that, I don’t think changing them will have an real effect other than to remove some confidence as you get used to the new feel.
Motofun352
Control Rider
One thing for mounting tires...any brand...Ru-Glyde is your friend. A little goes a long way.