Dunlop have been on a role recently with their motorcycle tyres. The GP Racer range has been going from strength to strength, the SportSmart tyre has been winning awards and we've tested the new RoadSmart 2 against the best from Michelin and Bridgestone and crowned the Dunlop the winner.

To extend that run of form, Dunlop have taken all the lessons learnt in the current generation of bike tyres and applied them to a scooter tyre, the Dunlop ScootSmart.

With a similar tread pattern to the original Dunlop RoadSmart, the Scootsmart is one of the first scooter tyres to be developed with a silica compound, which allows the tyre to work in a wider range of situations and improves mileage. Designed to be fit to all scooters, from 50cc 13" wheeled 2 strokes to the big 16" wheeled 800cc bikes there are both a cross ply and radial fitment.

While the spider diagram above gives you an idea how how the tyre should perform against it's best rivals, Dunlop wanted us to have a go ourselves to invited us to the Ace Cafe for a few workshops.

Out on the open road the tyre was stable at speed, turned quickly and positively and, at least on the 600cc test bikes, offered more than enough grip. The second demonstration involved a timed lap around tight and twisty course in Aces car park. While again, the tyre offered more than enough grip to throw the bike around, the really impressive feature was the punishment it took, with lap after lap of on the limit rider by a professional stunt rider without overheating.

The edited press release below will give you an idea of all the new technology involved in the new tyre, but the real proof is how the tyre is to live with. All the signs from our mini test were positive, hopefully we'll have some real world user reviews for you soon!

All New. All Weather. All Dunlop.

The new ScootSmart tyre represents a huge step forward for scooter riders. Applying all the experience gained from Dunlop's globally successful RoadSmart motorcycle tyre, the ScootSmart brings unprecedented levels of technology to the small-wheel class. Using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulation techniques and high-grade silica tread compounds to deliver an optimum mixture of grip, handling and mileage. ScootSmart is a perfect extension of the Dunlop ‘ride with confidence' philosophy - in all conditions.

MEETING TOUGHER EXPECTATIONS

Tyres are a critical element in meeting the modern scooter rider's requirements. "It's all about confidence," says Sharon Antonaros, Director, Dunlop Motorcycle Tyres EMEA. "Rider confidence comes from being carefree. The Dunlop approach since 2007 has always been to create products that inspire confidence. "ScootSmart follows this mission statement perfectly. By providing an ideal blend of precision, braking and easy handling, ScootSmart lets the rider handle the narrow spaces and heavy traffic of the city without having to worry." When the question is worry-free handling and longevity, the answer is ScootSmart.

KEY TECHNOLOGIES

ADVANCED COMPOUNDS: CONSISTENCY AND MILEAGE
Innovation is bound into both the design and construction of ScootSmart. Silica tread compounds, previously restricted to top-level motorcycle tyres, now deliver consistently higher levels of grip and mileage in a scooter tyre. An innovative mixing process makes best use of ScootSmart's new-generation functionalized polymers, silica material and coupling agent. The carbon black component of the tyre is specified at an ultra-fine, ‘high structure' level, featuring a desirably large number of much smaller particles. By bonding with compound elastomers, special liquid polymers avoid migration to adjacent compounds, improving ScootSmart's consistency. In addition to better overall performance, mileage is improved thanks to better silica dispersion and reduction in silica aggregates. "We designed the new ScootSmart to withstand the demands of the modern scooter rider," says Patrice Omont, Dunlop Research and Development Director. "This is why we have introduced silica tread compound technology, which reduces the rolling resistance whilst increasing wet grip. In tyre production it is revolutionary because you get increased performance and efficiency at the same time."

FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS: COVERING ALL THE BASES
Virtual prototyping using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) technology allows the effects of inflation, vertical loading, lateral loading and camber loading to be predicted with remarkable accuracy. With FEA, Dunlop engineers have been able to identify and optimise every ScootSmart performance parameter. Stress distribution within the tyre structure can be controlled, as can contact patch distribution and tyre stiffness throughout the camber range.

TREAD PATTERN: ROADSMART INSPIRED WET WEATHER EXCELLENCE
Adopting learnings from the highly successful RoadSmart sports touring tyre, ScootSmart has a higher sea/land groove distribution in the central area to enhance performance in the wet, and a lower percentage of groove area in the shoulder zone of the tyre to heighten grip and cornering performance at extreme lean angles. Deeper tread grooves in the central area maintain improved wet-weather performance throughout the tyre's lifecycle. FEA hydroplaning simulations led to the inclusion of long lateral grooves and multi-directional sub-grooves, not just for more efficient water drainage but also to optimize contact pressure for high mileage and more regular wear.

KEY FEATURES

• Combines the very latest technologies with experience from the Dunlop RoadSmart motorcycle tyre to reset global performance levels for scooter tyres
• Silica tread compound components used for excellent grip and mileage, in all conditions
• Key strengths in wet performance, dry grip, stability, progressiveness and precision
• Finite Element Analysis (FEA) techniques allow virtual prototyping across every possible type of loading
• Breakthrough tread pattern based on the iconic RoadSmart sport touring tyre further improves wet-weather performance
• Radial sizes adopt motorcycle tyre structure design to optimise high-speed capability and handling precision
• Speed range of up to 210kph (depending on size)
• Wide ScootSmart range covers all on-road radial and cross-ply applications to fit all types of scooters, from 50cc, classic and 125cc models to big-wheelers (16"), three-wheelers and high performance machines