THE DUNLOP SPORTMAX GP RACER D211 DELIVERS
The launch of the Dunlop Sportmax GP Racer D211 at Dunlop’s exclusive test facility in March of this year saw the evolution of the hugely successful D211 GP race tyre hit the market for consumers to purchase for road and track use. Delivering on Dunlop’s ethos of transferring race proven technology to the road, the GP Racer D211 took all the knowledge and cutting edge Dunlop know-how from the D211 GP race tyre to deliver a consumer product that excels. For the first time track day riders could enjoy a tyre that offered fast warm up times, hardcore dry track grip and performance with the added benefit of outstanding wet grip and extended mileage and tyre life.
GLOBAL DEMAND
Echoing the success of the D211 GP race tyre, the road legal GP Racer D211 has been adopted both on track days and by one-make national championships across the globe in 2010. As mid-season passes, the tyre is being run in the PromoSport Cup and the WERC series in France, The Yamaha R6 Cup in Germany, the Italian Superstock 600 championship, the Dubai 600 and 1000 Superstock Championships and the Ducati 848 Cup and Harley Davidson Cup in the UK. In Australia, the slick version (GP Racer D211 Slick) is used for the National Superbike Championship. By the close of the 2010 race season the tyre will have achieved a record number of podiums and race wins worldwide as well as satisfying the needs of countless track day enthusiasts and thrill seekers enjoying the privilege of riding on race level rubber.
CHAMPIONSHIP HERITAGE
The hugely successful D211 GP race tyre from the GP Racer D211 is derived has now delivered over 170 podiums and over 25 rider championships in both Superstock, Supersport and club level racing worldwide. It also made history at this year’s Isle of Man TT races as rider Ian Hutchinson smashed the Superstock 1000 lap record with a 130mph lap using the road legal D211 GP race tyre.
“I am very pleased to be able to say that now we have some actual race experience with the tyre,˝ says Dunlop’s Motorcycle Motorsport Manager Stephen Male. ˝The new GP Racer D211 is living up to our expectations. We are seeing faster lap times and improved consistency in the racing series where these tyres are used as a control tyre, which is exactly what we were aiming for.”
GP RACER D211 TECHNOLOGY
Dunlop took technology developed on the race track and introduced it to the GP Racer D211 to achieve the improved tyre performance.
“The GP Racer D211 is a perfect example of cooperation between our bespoke motorsports tyre development facility in Birmingham (UK) and our mass production plant in Montlucon (France), says Sharon Antonaros, European Motorcycle Marketing Manager. “Taking technology from the race track and making it work on the road is something Dunlop has always done very well.”
The rear tyres feature the same tread pattern layout as the D211 GP race tyre and the same full NTEC construction used to build the Superbike, Moto2 and Supersport race tyres. The clever NTEC technology enables riders to lower the tyre pressure for track day riding to maximise grip levels without sacrificing any of the stiffness of the tyre. The rears also feature the ‘7000 series’ multi compound tread design with seven different tread compound zones. These features improve rear tyre mid-corner grip, corner exit traction and stability under acceleration. The GP Racer D211 fronts also share both the D211 GP race tyre’s tread pattern layout and its Aramid breaker radial construction. The front features the ‘6000 series’ Multi-Tread design with three compound zones which improve stability under braking, initial turn in and midcorner stability and grip.
The Dunlop GP Racer D211 is available to consumers from Dunlop dealers in four sizes* to suit most 600cc to 1000cc motorcycles in three compound versions, ‘S’ Soft, ‘M’ Medium and ‘E’ Endurance.
For more information on Dunlop motorcycle tyres, visit www.dunlopmotorcycle.eu
17.12.2009 - Dunlop GP Racer D211: World-beating race tyre hits the street
A legend even before its launch, the GP Racer D211 track day/road tyre looks certain to establish itself as the new benchmark in performance tyres. Based on the D211 GP – Dunlop’s race tyre that has consistently won at every level of world motorsport since its launch – the GP Racer D211 delivers true race-developed technologies to the consumer.
Technologies like Multi-Tread compound design, which delivers superior grip, high stability, rich, precise feedback; Jointless Belt (JLB) construction for high speed comfort and stability; and the revolutionary NTEC system which provides pressure tuning options designed to satisfy the most hard-core track day fan as much as the pure sports rider – simply inflate to the motorcycle manufacturer’s recommended pressure for road use and deflate for increased grip on dry tracks, without compromising the all-important stiffness of the tyre.
All these technologies come together to give the GP Racer D211 its ability to convert formidable race performance into supple, dependable road performance.
“The story of the GP Racer D211 tyre is a great example of our product development strategy in action,” says Sharon Antonaros, Dunlop’s European Sales and Marketing Director.
“Our plan was to create an unbeatable race tyre which we would then go on to develop into an equally excellent product for our track day customers. Both objectives have been achieved.
“The D211 GP race tyre exceeded all our expectations. It’s very rare for one tyre to become so utterly dominant in motorsport. As a result of its success, there’s been a huge amount of anticipation leading up to the release of the road-going GP Racer D211 version and we’ve had a lot of pressure from our dealer network to get it into their stores as quickly as possible.
“When our European customers get the chance to try the GP Racer D211, we’re totally confident that they will not only be able to feel the difference on the road, they’ll be able to measure that difference at the track.”
The GP Racer D211 is available in a choice of three compounds: Soft (S) has been developed for maximum performance over 20-25 lap distances; Medium (M) compound is optimised for 35-40 laps; Endurance (E) for 65-70 laps.
“Today’s superbikes generate acceleration and braking forces that are almost as extreme as those experienced by race bikes, says Dunlop’s Motorcycle Motorsport Manager Stephen Male. “That’s why we’ve fed every bit of racetrack technology and knowledge we’ve got into the GP Racer D211 programme and tested the tyre on circuits like Phillip Island, Magny Cours and Jerez to make sure that the compounds would meet the different needs.”
Emmanuel Robinet, Development Director for Motorsport and Motorcycle, explains, “We achieved excellent straight-line stability and cooler running by overlaying the radial-construction nylon carcass with nylon breaker belts and a continuously wound aramid-fibre tread belt to eliminate circumferential growth. By varying the angle of the breaker belts to the carcass ply, and to each other, we’ve been able to control sidewall and tread stiffness. That’s given us a really high degree of tread-edge stability for confidence when transitioning high-speed corners.
“The thing we’re most proud of is the fact that this tyre delivers an optimum combination of feedback, grip and stability whether it’s working under extreme track conditions or in the less pressured – but still highly demanding – street environment.”
Dunlop tyre designers are routinely tasked to transfer race-proven technology into the supersport market as quickly as possible. In the new GP Racer D211 track day/road tyre, they have more than fulfilled that imperative – and answered every supersport rider’s dream at the same time.
For these reasons, the Dunlop GP Racer D211 launch date will be an eagerly awaited day in the 2010 motorcycling calendar.
The GP Racer D211 will be available in both slick and treaded versions in the following sizes:
Sizes Compounds
120/70 ZR 17 Soft, Medium, Endurance
160/60 ZR 17 Endurance
180/55 ZR17 Soft, Medium, Endurance
190/55 ZR17 Soft, Medium, Endurance
200/55 ZR 17 Soft, Medium, Endurance
GP Racer D211 key points:
• Multi-Tread (MT) compound guarantees rapid warm-up, high stability under braking and totally focused feedback in all conditions
• NTEC construction allows rider to tune tyre by adjusting pressure: inflate to manufacturer’s recommended pressure for road use, deflate for dry tracks
• Belt-to-carcass angles are engineered to stabilise sidewalls for smooth, responsive transitions between maximum lean angles
• Nylon breaker belts and continuously-wound aramid-fibre tread belt eliminate circumferential growth for cooler running and predictable performance under heavy use
• Jointless Belt (JLB) technology for high speed stability and maximum shock absorption
