When the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) returns for the 2019 season, it will have a new title sponsor. TOCA has announced that automotive servicing and repair company Kwik Fit is succeeding Dunlop in this capacity; Goodyear Dunlop will remain tyre supplier to the BTCC under its current contract, which runs until at least 2022.
Britain’s round of the FIM Moto2 and Moto3 World Championships take place at Silverstone’s GoPro British Grand Prix over the weekend of 24-26 August. The event marks the first appearance of the British Talent Cup (BTC) alongside the World Championships, supported by Dunlop tyres. The manufacturer states that it is using the BTC to support young talent coming up through the ranks by giving them the tyre knowledge and skills they need to progress. It aims to provide a pathway to MotoGP for British riders.
The UK round of the FIM Moto2 and Moto3 World Championships takes place at Silverstone’s GoPro British Grand Prix over the weekend of 24-26 August. The event marks the first appearance of the British Talent Cup alongside the World Championships.
Dunlop has partnered with contemporary British automotive artist Ian Cook of Popbangcolour to produce a special series of BTCC paintings that celebrate 60 years of touring car racing. The artwork is being created in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
A fourth product enters the Dunlop hypersport tyre portfolio this year. This is the SportSmart TT, a tyre derived from Dunlop’s road-focused SportSmart Range. Adventure riders receive a ‘Max’ successor to the TrailSmart.
The Dunlop TrailSmart has been replaced in key sizes by a successor tyre, the TrailSmart Max. In addition to building upon the previous-generation tyre’s wet and dry grip characteristics, Dunlop Europe says new technologies have been used to improve the TrailSmart Max’s handling and durability.
Andy Marfleet, currently Motorcycle marketing manager EMEA, has been promoted to the position of Goodyear Dunlop marketing director UK & Ireland.
A fourth product will enter the Dunlop hypersport tyre portfolio early next year. This is the SportSmart TT, a tyre derived from Dunlop’s road-focused SportSmart Range. Developed to “meet the needs of riders with the very latest sports bikes and performance roadsters who want to use the same tyre on track and for road riding,” the SportSmart TT completes Dunlop’s 2016-announced new approach to the segment, which involves a redefinition of its range around the goal of a ‘tyre for every rider’.
More than 10 million original equipment Dunlop tyres have now been shipped to Harley-Davidson for factory-fitment on its bikes. The entry of the supply count into eight-digit territory is the latest milestone on a journey that began more than three decades ago.
Thanks to experience gained with the Geomax range in MXGP competition, Dunlop says its newest product, the Geomax MX12, benefits from three new design features that deliver a “significant step forward in performance over its MX11 forerunner.”
The latest Dunlop tyre for the hypersport sector has been launched, and will be available in time for next year’s riding season. The new Dunlop SportSmart2 Max succeeds the SportSmart2 and is primarily designed for street performance, with track capability also thrown into the mix. Lessons learned during Dunlop’s participation in endurance racing and when developing the sport touring RoadSmart III are both said to have influenced the new tyre.
The Dunlop TrailSmart, the manufacturer’s tyre for the fast-growing trail sector of the motorcycle market, has impressed tyre testers at two magazines. It was the only tyre to receive five stars in both wet and dry handling in a recent MotoMag test, while Motorrad described the tyre as “near unbeatable in the wet emergency braking test from 100km/h.”
In response to demand from European riders of American-style touring and cruiser motorcycles for higher levels of cornering grip and handling, without a sacrifice of mileage, Dunlop has developed a new tyre that addresses these specific characteristics. This product, the American Elite, has now been launched in the European market. The American Elite is available at Dunlop Motorcycle dealers across Europe in nine front sizes and 13 rear sizes to suit a wide range of Tourers from manufacturers such as Harley Davidson, Victory and Indian.
According to Goodyear Dunlop, the Dunlop Geomax line of tyres has met with overwhelming success since its introduction. In 2015, at World Championship Grand Prix level, Shaun Simpson, Gautier Paulin and Ryan Villopoto all used Dunlop Geomax tyres to win MXGPs. In the USA pro ranks, Geomax MX32 and MX52 patterned tyres have won every Supercross and motocross national championship four years in a row.
Dunlop has launched TrailSmart, a tyre designed for modern adventure bikes and riders. The brand said the new tyres have “exceptional” wet and dry grip, improving handling both on and off-road, along with increased mileage. The tyre builds on the achievement of the DunlopTrailmax TR91 tyre, tailored for the evolving adventure bike segment.