THIS ISSUE:dUnlop EntErS mx1-gp

IN TOUCHMOTORSPORT NEWS ISSUE 12 JUnE ’10

DUNLOP MAKES A CLEAN SWEEP AT THE TT

THIS ISSUE:tHE lE manS 24Hr

lambrEtta back In 125cc gpVIctory at tHE nUrbUrgrIng 24Hr

IannonE wInS mUgEllo moto2

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

FrenCH GP Le Mans MOTO2Date: 23/05/2010Track name: Le Mans circuitTrack length: 4185 m. Track temp: 44 ° C / ambient temp: 31 ° Cspectators: 82,270

TYre sPeCs FOr THIs raCeFront: a - soft, Multi-Tread e - Hard, single Treadrear: a - soft D - Medium Hard

The weekend was characterised by much warmer conditions than the MotoGP Paddock has seen at Le Mans for nearly 10 years, with track temperatures reaching 44 degrees on both saturday and sunday.

Jack & Jones rider Kenny noyes set the best lap in qualifying with 1’39.234 to put himself on pole position just ahead of Tech3 rider Yuki Takahashi +0.031, and aerosport de Castello ajo rider alex Debon +0.086. Forward racing’s Jules Cluzel, Holiday Gym G22’s Fonsi nieto and Tenerife 40 Pons rider sergio Gadea made up the next three grid positions ensuring that 6 different chassis’ were represented for the first 6 positions.

The 26 lap race began with a number of incidents which put championship leader Technomag CIP rider shoya Tomizawa, rsM Team scot’s alex De angelis and pole setter noyes along with 7 other riders out of race. Jules Cluzel set the fastest lap of the race on lap three before going on to take the lead from Toni elias, much to the delight of the home crowd. elias returned to the lead when Cluzel ran off, and went on to dominate the race and win ahead of Mapfre aspar’s Julian simon and JIr rider simone Corsi.

“That was a great race” said elias, “I crashed during qualifying, and my team made a great job to get the bike ready for the race. I was able to settle into a fast, consistent rhythm and my lap times hardly varied throughout the 26 laps.”

“We continue to see a consistency of performance being offered by all 14 different chassis’ present on the Moto2 grid.” commented Paul Medawar Dunlop’s Moto2 Manager. “The hot conditions allowed all the riders to opt for the soft option rear tyre. Lap times were very consistent throughout, with simone Corsi setting his quickest time on the last lap in his pursuit of a Podium position.”

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

ITaLIan GP MUGeLLO MOTO2Date: 06/06/2010Track name: MugelloTrack length: 5245 m. Track temp: 42 ° C / ambient temp: 30 ° Cspectators: 76,814

TYre sPeCs FOr THIs raCeFront: B - Medium, Multi-Tread e - Hard, single Treadrear: B - soft Medium C - Medium

Fimmco speed Up rider andrea Iannone stamped his authority on the Moto2 qualifying session, setting a time that was 0.7 seconds faster than anyone else, up until Gresini’s Toni elias managed to get within 0.3 seconds of him, on his last lap of the session. rsM Team scot’s alex De angelis qualified in 3rd position 0.624 seconds behind Iannone, with 25 riders within 1 second of De angelis’ time.

The race was highlighted by Iannone’s dominant performance, lapping almost 1 second a lap quicker than anyone else for the first 7 laps, and holding a comfortable lead, crossing the line 2.764 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor. Whilst Iannone stormed home, the 77,000 crowd of passionate Italians who thronged the Tuscan hills in brilliant 30C sunshine witnessed incredible action throughout the rest of the field with second place changing hands 11 times throughout the 21 lap race. The chasing group of elias, Tenerife Pons rider sergio Gadea, JIr’s simone Corsi, Interwetten’s Thomas Luthi and Technomag’s shoya Tomizawa battled into every corner, until Gadea slipped past Corsi (who had started from 26th place on the 41 rider grid) on the final sprint to the flag to claim second place. Tomizawa crossing the line in 6th place, 1.062 seconds behind.

Iannone was thrilled with his first Moto2 victory, and in front of his home crowd. “I chose the softer option rear tyre and was able to open up a 5 second gap over the field in the first few laps. after that I could control my pace and leave the pursuing group to scrap over the other podium places.”

“all but 2 riders chose to ride with the single Compound Hard front tyre. However the choice of rear split the riders, with 23 out of the 41 riders choosing to race on the Medium Compound rear.” Commented Jeremy Ferguson. “Both were very consistent, allowing a number of riders to complete their last lap, within the same second as their fastest of the race”.

next race: Grand Prix of Britain, silverstone 20th June DOWNLOAD IMAGE

The FIM have announced changes to the rules in regards to tyre choice for Moto2:

The regulation has been changed in response to requests from teams and now mirrors the MotoGP class regulation.

Front slick tyres: 7 in total, comprised of either:3 of specification “a” + 4 of specification “B” or 4 of specification “a” + 3 of specification “B”

Front tyre specification choice will be made as follows:

6 tyres comprised of 3 of specification “a” + 3 of specification “B” will be allocated on the day before the start of official practice as per art. 2.9.2.

1 tyre will be allocated after the first practice, comprised of:1 of specification “a” or 1 of specification “B”

The riders´ selection of front tyre specification must be informed to the tyre supplier no later than 2 hours after the end of the first practice session. If no specification selection is received by this time the allocation of the 1 tyre will automatically be 1 of specification “a”.

MOTO2 rULe CHanGes

DUnLOP TaKes BEST IN CLASS In LMP1 aT Le Mans 24Hr

The 78th edition of the Le Mans 24 hours saw Dunlop Motorsport support no fewer than 19 of the 56 starters, the largest percentage of teams choosing to run Dunlop tyres since 1993. In the LMP1 class, against the diesel-powered audis and Peugeots, aIM Team Oreca Matmut finished fourth overall, behind the factory audi team and ahead of the aston Martin racing team cars. With very little development completed since last year other than the tyres, the car lapped nearly five seconds faster in 2010 and was the fastest petrol powered car competing in LMP1.

“There was no way we were going to beat the diesels,” said Oreca driver andy Meyrick. “To finish top petrol is unbelievable. The start of

the race wasn’t perfect, and we had a starter motor issue with about 90 minutes to go which was a bit tricky but it was fixed very, very quickly as you’d expect from the OreCa team.”

Jean-Felix Bazelin, General Manager, Dunlop Motorsport was satisfied with the end result: “Dunlop’s target was to be the highest finisher behind the factory entered audi and Peugeot cars, so to finish fourth – and be ‘best in class’ of the petrol powered entries is a fantastic result that rewards our intensive development of tyres for Le Mans Prototypes over recent years.”

Attendance: 238,150.

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

DUnLOP anD OaK raCInG PODIUM In LMP2The OaK racing Mazda France Team finished second in LMP2 with Matthieu Lahaye, Guillaume Moreau and Jan Charouz at the wheel of their Pescarolo-judd prototype. The French team built on their 2009 success where they finished third, improving to be just one spot off the winning step. Oak racing were not Dunlop’s only success in LMP2 with three of the four top finishers racing on Dunlop tyres.

“We have contested three races, and finished on the podium three times,” said Moreau. “We were fairly realistic that we couldn’t catch the acura, so we had to play on the strategy and reliability.”

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

DUnLOP CeLeBraTe a sTrOnG PODIUM In GT1 WITH LUC aLPHanD aVenTUres

The Luc alphand aventures Corvette driven by Jerome Licand, stephan Gregoire and David Hart put in a solid drive to repeat the team’s 2009 success in the GT1 class, delivering a second consecutive Le Mans 24Hr GT1 second place podium finish. The C6.r Corvette completed 327 laps on Dunlop sport Maxx slicks with a best lap time of 3:55.631 on the 8-mile race course, averaging about 124 miles per hour - for 24 hours straight.

Dunlop was also well represented in the GT2 division with the factory BMW and aston Martin

teams. Both ran strongly, but the BMW art car suffered mechanical problems, and retired in the sixth hour. The sister car overcame driveshaft and steering problems to finish sixth in class. The JMW aston Martin team also retired in the sixth hour while recovering from a steering pump failure. american Bryce Miller lost control of the car in the Porsche Curves, and crashed heavily, sustaining concussion.

“We have done two 24 hour races in a very short time,” said Dunlop’s Motorsport Manager Michael Bellman. “The character and spirit of the two

races are completely different. Le Mans is a very flat circuit, and the speeds are very high. at the nurburgring it is much bumpier. This was the first time that the BMW raced here, and we are all on a huge learning curve. We were a little bit unfortunate, but I am quite happy with what we put together at the end. We can clearly say we have fitted the best placed petrol car, and none of the teams have had any problems [with the tyres]. It has been a pretty quick race, and a 24 hour test in motor racing is the toughest thing we can do for development, and we have done well.”

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

For the second year running Dunlop has taken an incredible clean sweep with five out of five wins at the Isle of Man TT races. adding to the unique victory, it was Honda Dunlop rider Ian Hutchinson who took all five victories, the only time in the 101 year history of the TT races that a single rider has swept the board.

Hutchinson started the week as he meant to go on, taking the first of the two superbike races with fellow Honda Dunlop rider Michael Dunlop taking the second spot on the podium. Both riders delivered their convincing result on Dunlop ntec slicks. The one-two victory

was to be repeated in the first of the supersport races, with Hutchinson again taking the win followed by Dunlop in the second spot.

switching to Dunlop D211GP tyres for the superstock 1000 race it was Hutchinson again, now a familiar sight on the podium, taking his third win of the week. Following behind to take a close second was D211GP shod Kawasaki rider ryan Farquhar. In taking victory, Hutchinson smashed the lap record for the superstock class, delivering the first ever 130+mph lap on a production machine using road legal tyres.

With the three wins already under his belt, Hutchinson was unstoppable, using the D211GPs again in the second of the supersport races to take his fourth and penultimate victory of the week and equalling Phillip McCallen’s 1996 record of four race wins in a week in the process. In a mirror of the first supersport race it was again Michael Dunlop in the second spot behind Hutchinson, this time accompanied on the podium by third place rider Keith amor, making it a Dunlop D211GP one-two-three finish. In securing second, Dunlop also took the new supersport lap record, scoring a 127.836mph lap.

Hutchinson wrapped up an incredible weekend for himself and Dunlop tyres by taking victory in the senior TT. riding again on Dunlop D211GP tyres, Hutchinson was again followed onto the podium by ryan Farquhar who took the second spot using the same Dunlop rubber.

The TT week left delivered impressive tally for Dunlop, with a clean sweep of five race wins, ten podium finishes and two lap records.

DUnLOP TaKes seCOnD COnseCUTIVe CLean sWeeP aT THe IsLe OF Man TT

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

The 2010 IDM German superbike Championship is now in full swing. round two at Oschersleben on 17th May was particularly significant for austrian KTM Dunlop shod rider Martin Bauer. His win in the first of the two races was the first ever victory for KTM in a superbike competition. Taking second spot on the podium behind him was fellow Dunlop rider and 2009 IDM champion Jorg Teuchert. The two riders continued to show their form in the second race of the day with Teuchert taking the win and Bauer the second place on the podium.

The first round of the season saw the two start the season sharing the podium with Teuchert taking a second place and Bauer a third

in race two. The third round at the nurburgring on May 30th was not so fortunate for Teuchert, a crash whilst contesting the lead in the first race led to early retirement with the German rider managing a fifth place finish in the second on his spare bike.

each of the three rounds this season has seen the Dunlop riders pushing hard with special multi compound development tyres. Martin Bauer has used them to good effect so far, and currently sits second in the championship on 87 points with Teuchert in fourth on 76. The season started with 47% of the grid on Dunlop tyres, by round three this has increased to 56%.

BaUer anD TeUCHerT DOMInaTe OsCHersLeBen PODIUM

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

Iconic Italian scooter brand Lambretta made a welcome return to the MotoGP paddock this year for the 2010 season after a 60 yr break. Lambretta reparto Corse was formed out of the ashes of the old Loncin squad, and is run by the same team from premises in Bologna, Italy, with nicola Casadei as team boss. The team fields two riders in the 125cc World Championship; Marco ravaioli and Michael Van Der Mark.

Lambretta race bikes have not been seen in the World Championship since the early fifties, when the v-twin Lambretta 250 GP racer competed in the series between 1950 and 1953. Lambretta’s return to 125cc racing on Dunlop tyres coincides with an agreement between the Italian scooter manufacturer and Dunlop Motorcycle eU to become the exclusive Oe supplier for all models.

“It’s a wonderful day for Lambretta and one we’ve been working towards for nearly two years. We’re delighted to be back on the racetrack and to compete in such an exciting and expanding sport. It’ll be fun to compete with the big boys and see what happens,” said the brand’s Marketing Director John scully.

“It’s fantastic to see such an iconic brand back and in the thick of one of the most exciting road racing world championships. We are extremely proud to be further developing our relationship and sharing our wealth of experience with Lambretta both on the race track and also on the road, “said sharon antonaros, Dunlop Motorcycle european Marketing Director.

LaMBreTTa GeT BaCK On TraCK

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

DUnLOP WIns aT THe “Green HeLL”Victory for Dunlop at the nurburgring 24 hours with its partner team BMW followed from a double podium in the american Le Mans series at sebring in March. Jorg Muller, augusto Farfus, Uwe alzen and Pedro Lamy finished first out of a grid of 196 cars in front of 200,000 spectators at the historic 25km nurburgring nordschleife circuit.

no fewer than 47 customers opted for Dunlop tyres at the nurburgring, from the full factory schnitzer team which ran two spectacular M3 models, to customer teams which ran a variety of tyres, including Dunlop’s racing version of sP sport Maxx tyres.

The race was run in fully dry conditions, though the rain-hit practice sessions gave the company a chance to test its legendary wet-weather tyres, and the night time temperatures dropped to 4 degrees Centigrade putting the slick tyres through a range of tests. “The nurburgring nordschleife is the toughest race track ever and Dunlop tyres winning is evidence for consistent performance under difficult conditions,” says Dunlop’s Motorsport Manager Michael Bellmann. “It is difficult because the nordschleife is 25km long, consisting of a patchwork of different asphalt and various radius and level of banking and compression, all in warm and then extremely cold conditions.”

Dirk Werner was unlucky to crash the second schnitzer car early during the race while lapping slower traffic but came back and made up three laps on the opposition and its sister car. The winning car had a holed radiator during the night, but the experienced drivers nursed the car through to the finish on sunday afternoon, still able to finish almost 3”54 seconds ahead of the second-placed Ferrari 430GT.

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

The suzuki endurance racing Team (serT) took it to the wire in albacete on the 23rd May in the accident marred 8Hr endurance race. a serious crash in the opening laps left oil on the track, causing a number of teams and at least ten bikes to crash out.

serT Dunlop riders Vincent Philippe, Freddy Foray and Daisaku sakai fought through from the back of

the field to eventually take the lead after six hours of racing and finally took the win from Gsr Kawasaki by one lap. The results from this second round of the FIM World endurance Championship put serT in fourth position in the overall standings.

The third round of the Qtel FIM World endurance Championship will be The 8 Hours of suzuka on July 25th.

sUZUKI TaKe a LasT LaP VICTOrY aT aLBaCeTe 8Hr

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

DUnLOP DOMInaTes UeM aLPe aDrIa CHaMPIOnsHIPJoining the UeM alpe adria championship in 2010 for the first time, Dunlop has already seen incredible success across the racing classes. each round consists of racing in six classes; 125cc GP, 125cc production, 600 supersport, 600 superstock, superbike and 1000cc superstock. With fierce competition from rival tyre brands in the four rounds so far this year, Dunlop has triumphed with an impressive number of podiums and wins in all classes. The championship is run over nine rounds in five countries; Croatia, The Czech republic, Poland, slovakia and Hungary.

The last round at the Pannonia-ring in Hungary saw Dunlop riders in the 125cc GP class take first and third, and a second place on the podium in the 125cc Production class using D209GP tyres. The 600 supersport race saw Dunlop riders take first, second and third on the podium riding on D211GP tyres. The same tyres delivered a first and second in the 600 superstock class. In the superbike class the podium was again all Dunlop using a mix of Dunlop slicks and treaded D211GP tyres and the same in 1000 superstock where the D211 also delivered the top three podium positions.

Dunlop are working closely in partnership with slovakian Dunlop dealer and distributor Maco racing to provide the trackside service for what is an increasing number of competitors in the 2010 alpe adria Championship. DOWNLOAD IMAGE

DUnGeY anD DUnLOP GO THe DIsTanCeThe 2010 aMa supercross/FIM World Championship proved a mental and physical challenge for the riders in one of the most spectacular and intense disciplines. across the Usa, with one trip to Canada, Dunlop provided the traction for this frenetic competition.

It was the unlikely figure of premier sX class rookie ryan Dungey with his rockstar Makita suzuki rM-Z450 that was gulping champagne with the number one plate in his other hand come Las Vegas and the final round of seventeen in a series that crosses the Usa from January to May.

aMa sX is a hotbed for the Dunlop product with five brands and the fastest riders in the series

benefiting from the advantages of the rubber that has an excellent record and pedigree in the competition. In 2010 Dunlop filled every single podium of the seventeen races and through the 34 main events of each round Dunlop was used by 98.5% of the field.

Dungey’s fantastic effort delivered six wins and eleven podiums. Other race victors in 2010 included Davi Millsaps, stewart , Kevin Windham and Villopoto; the latter giving Dungey his toughest chase with seven triumphs but ultimately a broken leg would put him on the injury sidelines with stewart and reed.

In the West Coast Lites division (250cc four-strokes) Motocross of nations winner Jake Weimer grabbed the first of what would be another shut-out of titles for the peerless Monster energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team as former MX2 World Champion and 2009 winner Christophe Pourcel successfully defended his crown in the events that consisted the east Coast contest.

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

Spain: Sant Felieu to Tossa de Mar

GI-682 in Catalunyaspain is gloriously regional, making for a different flavour as

you pass through each cultural area. Many delicious riding

options In Catalunya in the north-east corner, but to really

give your adrenal gland a workout (and be impressed by how

well your tyres work) try the glorious coast road from sant

Felieu de Guixols to Tossa de Mar. You will experience more corners in one ride than almost

anywhere else in europe, making it an intense rush - and one

to pay particular attention on. The ideal bike would be a

lightweight sportster, but from moped to full dress tourer, it has

more thrills per heartbeat than most.The other best thing about this road is that there are many

other great roads around; long and short. Try heading north,

almost into France to do the intense roses - Cadaques tarmac

slalom, or simply pick almost any road winding from the

coast to the hinterland and prepare for excitement.

spanish alternative? sierra nevada and andalusia in

the south. alternative? normandy and Brittany. 2Scotland: Tarbert to Machrihanish

a83 and B842 in Kintyre a multi-coloured fishing village, ferry port and marina,

Tarbert is something of a gateway to Kintyre, a long finger

of land pointing from scotland down towards Ireland. If

seascapes and a variety of tarmac moods is your bag, this

one ticks a lot of boxes in one short day of riding.

Best to make a circular loop south from Tarbert, down the

main two-lane a83 road on the west coast, to the sandy

beaches at Machrihanish and then back up the B842 east

coast road. This one is mostly single track, but full of

charming little bays, secret houses and tiny villages. Just

pay attention in the corners for oncoming traffic. Try a turn-

off to Carradale, or skipness, if you have time to dawdle.

The best aspect of this ride is Island spotting. Jura, Islay,

Gigha all appear on the west coast ride; the displaced jagged

alp of arran is constant vista on the east coast

run. On a clear day, all views are stunning. scottish

alternative? Pitlochry - Glencoe - Fort William - Inverness - Ballater 3

Italy: Stelvio Pass

ss38 in Trento

a challenge, nothing less. It is a tightly packed ribbon of

tarmac climbing to a height of 2,757 metres, the highest

‘real’ pass across the alps, the fourth highest tarmac road in

europe and a destination in itself.

If you want to cross from Italy to switzerland or vice-versa in

the summer months forget the st. Gottard tunnel or the other

obvious routes, there is only one choice for the adventurer in

you. There are 60 hairpins bends over the length of the pass,

most in the Italian side along this tortuous route.

Possibly the real clincher in deciding to head to stelvio is the

fact that so many other famous places are close-by. Drop into

switzerland for more downhill carousels, austria’s gorgeous

Tyrol region is only a few kilometres away, Lakes Garda, Como

and Maggiore not far away on the Italian side to the west, and

stelvio itself is in a national Park. and you are so high up you

can excuse yourself while you kiss the sky. Italian

alternative? Get lost in the winding ss roads of

Tuscany, Umbria and emilia-romagna. 4

Germany: Koblenz to Trier (via Cochem)

a49 MoselThe ribbon of tarmac embracing the picture-perfect

Mosel Valley feels like riding through a fairy tale, complete

with dramatic castles and prototypically quaint villages.

If you are keen on hustling along the whole Mosel can be

done in one go, but that would be a shame, as you need

time to stop and take in the vistas. You can save more serious riding for the mid-route detour

to the iconic and unique nürburgring circuit, the

nordschleife, which you can still take a lap around for a

few euros. even the surrounding roads are amazing, as

they weave through the splendid eifel Mountains.

still got time left? Keep going west to Luxemburg, the

unique little country at the crossroads of

Occidental europe. German alternative? Try

the Black Forest classic, the brilliant B500

from Baden-Baden to Freudenstadt. 5

France: Antibes to Grenobleroute napoleon: D4085-D1075 in ProvenceThis is, literally, the route napoleon took on his return to France

and gives you the chance to experience a variety of scenery,

from the beaches and unashamed glamour of the French

riviera to the woodlands and gorges of inland Provence.a remarkable ribbon of tarmac, it is marked by statues beating

napoleonic eagles at some key points, and terminates - if going

south to north - near Grenoble. One attraction is its location, simply because riders from France,

Italy and even switzerland are not so far away and it is not too

arduous a trip from Catalunya in spain, southern Germany or

even Western austria.Be aware that this is a popular route, given its fame and

termination point on the Cote d’azur, so you will be lucky to

have it to yourself for too long. Plus points are that potential

stops are many, and joyful. Done slowly or swiftly, it’s a little piece of la belle France everyone should taste once. French alternative? normandy and Brittany. 1

holidayroutesand tips

Want to zing along the classic routes of europe for a bit of a road trip this summer? Here are a few destinations and tips to get you going.

TOURINGROUTES

Immediately remove and replace damaged tyres.

Inspect your tyres as often as possible. Look for irregular wear, any signs of cracking in the sidewalls and tread, blisters, knots, cuts or punctures

Chain tension or drive belt condition, fluid levels and other consumables should be checked at least every day, and also check every nut and bolt on the bike before you go. Don’t take too many tools, but take enough to do basic repairs. Organising

roadside repair or recovery services before you go is a good idea, but shop around - your insurance broker may offer a good deal as part of your annual cover.

You may want to adjust your suspension preload when running a heavier load than normal, and remember that two-up the handling of the bike will feel different, as there is more rear weight bias. adjust suspension preload to

keep the bike as straight and level as possible, while suiting your personal preference. You will lose some ground clearance in the corners two-up; so be prepared for the first tight corners!

Tyre pressures count at all times, but particularly on long trips. Check them regularly with an accurate gauge, and adjust the pressure when you ride two up, or carry enough kit to increase your overall load significantly.

Dunlop recommends adding 0.3 bar to each tyre compared to normal one rider running. Check pressures only when the tyres are cold (i.e. wait one hour after running).

If in doubt get new tyres, and a new set of tyres, before you start out on a big trip. This really counts.

a friend of mine, running sticky tyres on a recent fast tour, started out with a fairly

well worn rear and underestimated just how much it would continue to wear during the trip. He found himself unable to get home on his original tyre and in urgent need to buy a new one. But in a relatively small town he had no choice but to fit a different brand of rear compared to his front tyre - never, never a good idea.

Which Dunlop Do I Choose?

Your perfect touring tyre lives somewhere in Dunlop’s extensive range, and there is a superb, easy to use resource on the Dunlop website, http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.eu/dunlop_euen/mc/. Just click the ‘choose my tyre’ graphic - or initially the word ‘tyres’ in the top menu bar to see the whole range.

In general, there are three main choices for riders of on-road machinery, plus more specialist tyres for dual sports models or heavy cruisers.

For the hardcore sportsbike rider the sportsmart sportMax is a little more Hypersport than supersport, utilising many of the features of the D211GP race tyre. It really is a tyre for all reasons; track ready, road ready, offering a long life and reliability in the wet, but still with the highest level of performance in extreme use. so if you have a trackday organised in your tour somewhere, you need look no further.

The sportMax Qualifier II also offers performance first, even in changeable weather conditions, but is not quite so far into hypersports territory as the sportsmart.

Both the sportsmart and Qualifier II feature MultiTread (MT) compound giving faster warm up times, outstanding traction, plus more grip and longer life from the word go. Different compounds across different areas of the tyre make for an ideal balance between performance and durability.

another MT compound option is the sportMax roadsmart; an all-round street tyre offers a higher sea/land groove distribution and deeper tread grooves in the central area than the other two already mentioned. This feature maximises performance in the wet even more, making the roadsmart the perfect tyre for any kind of road bike in any given real world conditions. True performance on dry tarmac is still integral with this fitment, which has a high degree of stability as well as great durability.

holidayroutesand tips

You can tour on any kind of bike, but if you try to cross europe in a day on a radical sportsbike be prepared for some pain with your pleasure. But no matter what you go on, here are a few things to bear in mind before you go.

TOURING TIPS

1

3

4

5

2 6

DUnLOP sear aCrOss CaLIFOrnIan HILLsThe Grand Prix of Usa, the sixth round in the 2010 FIM Motocross World Championship was the first american GP since 1999 and the first visit to the circuit of Glen Helen since 1992. It was a memorable meeting for Dunlop with red Bull KTM’s Mike alessi jostling for victory and eventually taking second position overall. Troy Lee Designs Lucas Oils Honda’s Ben Townley emerged fighting from a long period of injury to win the second of two ‘motos’.

The maiden visit to Us shores for the MX1 and MX2 classes meant the fastest off-road motorcycle riders in the world encountered a layout that was on average 20kpmh quicker than a standard GP track and involved a series of ‘physics-bending’ jumps.

Dunlop were able to stretch their dominance over the Grand Prix thanks to local KTM factory racer alessi. The 21 year old favourite for the 2010 aMa title battled with World Champion Tony Cairoli and aMa-rival Townley and finished as runner-up a 2-4 scorecard from the two 35 minute and 2 lap motos.

Townley was a victim of a collision with alessi that ended his first race but a decent start to the second led to a runaway win for his first major spoils since 2007. The 25 year old Kiwi was in no doubt as to what helped his triumph. “This is my first year on Dunlops and I have used many brands throughout my career but the one thing that stands out for me is the 762 rear that is really good, especially for the starts,” commented the 2004 MX2 World Champion and 2006 east Coast Lites sX Champ.

Grands Prix in France, Germany, Latvia and sweden follow in the weeks after the Usa and before the July summer break.

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

Following from the unveiling of the 17th BMW art Car by designer Jeff Koons in Paris on the 1st June it was announced the car would run at the legendary Le Mans 24Hr. The car followed in the tradition of the unique art cars by iconic artists including andy Warhol that also made their first appearances at the gruelling French endurance race.

“These race cars are like life, they are powerful and there is a lot of energy,” said Koons. “You can participate with it, add to it and let yourself transcend with its energy. There is a lot of power under that hood and I want to let my ideas transcend with the car - it’s really to connect with that power.”

The Dunlop sportMaxx shod BMW M3 GT2 car no. 79 chosen by Koons as his canvas for the artwork was driven at this year’s endurance races by British driver andy Priaulx and German drivers Dirk Müller and Dirk Werner. The car and team have already experienced racing success at the nurburgring 24Hr and has enjoyed victory in the aLMs series.

JeFF KOOns BMW M3 GT2 arT Car COMPeTes aT Le Mans

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

“auf dem rundkurs überzeugt der sportsmart mit transparenter rückmeldung und hoher stabilität. Überzeugend das abriebbild nach einigen scharf gefahrenen runden. auf nasser straße lässt sich der sportsmart … zügig an der Haftgrenze bewegen.” - MOTOrraD, Deutchland.

”Il passo in avanti fatto dalle sportsmart - è netto…In pista si sono comportate benissimo, con tanto feeling in ogni situazione e grip dell’anteriore quasi da gomme racing: in strada in condizioni normali vanno bene come le Qualifier rr, col valore aggiunto di una tenuta e una confidenza sul bagnato mai viste prima su pneumatici sportivi.” – superBike, Italy.

“Für die trockene rennstrecke wird ganz einfach etwas Luft abgelassen und der nTeC-bestückte reifen dankt es mit noch mehr Grip bei absolut berechenbarem Verhalten im Grenzbereich.” – Motorradmagazin, austria.

“The sportsmart gives excellent feel, grip, and above all, confidence in all conditions.” - Motorcycle news, UK.

“… there’s no other tyre on the market that can offer such diverse performance and could become the only tyre you’ll ever need.” - Fast Bikes, UK.

Heft 12/2010Dunlop Sportsmart

Testgrößen:120/70 ZR 17 und

190/55 ZR 17

Local French designer Thierry Bertrand was the lucky winner of the pan-european Dunlop Livery Design competition last weekend at Le Mans. Thierry was one of five finalists invited to attend the Le Mans race weekend, and saw his winning design revealed on the JMW Motorsports aston Martin GT2 on Friday afternoon under the Dunlop arch on the Le Mans circuit.

Thierry was raised in arnage, a village only five km south of the track. a regular Le Mans attendee since childhood, he never expected to experience the 24 Hours from so close and to see his creative skills become part of the biggest car race spectacle in the world.

now in its second year, the competition has grown in 2010 to include ten participating european markets. 314 designs were submitted and over 70.000 visitors from 126 countries went online to view and vote for their favourite. With the massive uptake of the Dunlop Livery Competition in europe the word is it might become global in 2011!

Participating countries for the 2010 Dunlop livery competition include Germany, France, UK, Italy, spain, Portugal, austria, The netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium. For further information please visit the website: www.livery-competition.dunlop.eu Finalist Luís santos with akihiro nakataniWinner Thierry Bertrand

Finalist stéphane Paduan

LOCaL Le Mans DesIGner WIns DUnLOP LIVerY COMPeTITIOn

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

Always look well aheadLooking well ahead when riding off-road is important for a number of reasons. It goes without saying that you need to know where you’re going, but the difference between looking up, along way ahead of your front wheel, and simply watching the ground in front of your bike is one of the biggest differences between amateur and professional riders. Knowing what is coming next, be it a river crossing, steep hill, or rocky outcrop, allows you to be ready, change your line if needed, adjust your riding position, even stop. also worth remembering is to not follow the rider ahead of you too closely.

Dehydration causes mistakesFailing to take consume enough fluids when enduro riding can be disastrous. When you get dehydrated one of the first things that happens is your concentration levels drop, which soon leads to mistakes and often falls. start drinking long before you get on your bike, and keep drinking regularly. Just because you can’t feel yourself sweating doesn’t mean your hydration levels are dropping.

Look after your tyresDunlop’s Geomax enduro Tyre is designed to offer optimal grip while being extremely hard wearing, but don’t wear it out unnecessarily. Incorrect tyre pressure will result in not only a loss of traction but also premature wear. 13 psi is the pressure that should be used when riding away from rocky terrain, being increased to 15 psi when conditions get drier and rockier. If you don’t need to be accelerating hard don’t – doing so unnecessarily will take the edge off your rear tyre.

Stand and deliverstanding up might seem like it involves more energy than sitting down but it doesn’t. sitting down is something that should only be done when you’re either riding along a street or cornering. stand up on the foot pegs and not only do you have a clearer view of what’s ahead but you can change direction in an instant. and providing you’re positioned so that your bodyweight is through your legs and not your arms you’ll use very little energy. remember you should have a slight bend in your knees but that you should bend at the hips when you want to lower your upper body.

Check and double checkFew people are able to spend hours and hours preparing their bikes before and after each ride but making sure you check the basics before you hit the trails is essential. If conditions are wet it’s a must that you wash your bike properly when you’ve finished your ride. That way you’re able to see your bike clearly and can check and adjust anything that’s needed. always make a quick visual inspection to your bike before riding. Check fuel and radiator coolant levels, tyre pressures, make sure nothing’s broken or damaged and spend five to 10 minutes checking nuts and bolts.

Keep an eye on the weatherIt goes without saying that you wouldn’t get kitted out in full wet weather gear if you were going riding in southern spain during the summer months, but keeping an eye on the weather forecast is hugely important. always dress according to what the weather will do. If it’s cold and wet wear several thin layers beneath a good quality waterproof jacket and jeans. If it’s hot make sure you don’t overheat by wearing lightweight and breathable fabrics.

Make sure you take some exerciseYou don’t need to be super fit to enjoy enduro riding but getting to the gym, swimming, playing squash, or simply taking your dog for two or three good, long walks each week will certainly make life easier out on the trail, especially if conditions get tough. Importantly, knowing that you’ve done some exercise, and are probably better prepared than your mates, will give you a psychological boost. Don’t worry too much about eating like an Olympic athlete, just try and cut down on fatty and sugary foods.

Keep your wheels movingMomentum is one of, if not, the most important things to remember when riding off road. If you can keep your wheels moving you can pretty much get up any hill or across any technical rock sections. Don’t be afraid to allow your engine’s revs to drop. By using the bottom-end power of your bike’s motor to keep your wheels moving you will be able to go places other riders won’t. If you can see a difficult section ahead try and increase your pace a little. Make sure you arrive in complete control, and use the momentum you have to get across the obstacle without needing to rev your bike hard. Hard revving of your engine when enduro riding normally only results on one thing – wheel spin.

ENDURO RIDING TIPS

Click here to view more details for this tyre

DOWNLOAD IMAGE

Oe TYre InFOThe latest additions to the Oe tyre fitting market for Dunlop include sportmax Qualifier tyres for the new norton 961se Commando, with a 100% marketshare.Kawasaki’s er-4 line-up will be fitted with Dunlop’s roadsmart tyres for the Japanese and Us market. For Honda’s VT750 cruiser Dunlop 404F is the chosen tyre for 50% of the units.